Rachel Baranick is the Deputy District Director of the Santa Ana District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration with service responsibility for the counties of Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino in Southern California. In fiscal year 2010, the Santa Ana District Office approved 1,341 loans generating $606 million in financial assistance to small businesses. In addition, the Santa Ana District Office awarded 140 8(a) contracts for a total of $119 million.
As Deputy District Director, Ms. Baranick is responsible for the delivery of SBA programs and services to approximately 6 million people in the tri-county area, which covers over 28,000 square miles. Small businesses in the geographic area comprise in excess of 600,000, representing 16% of the total California business population. Ms. Baranick is also responsible for the management and oversight of SBA Resource Partners including three Women’s Business Centers, three SCORE chapters and a Regional Lead Center with a network of three Small Business Development Centers and three satellite locations. The district office and its resource partners provided counseling and training assistance to approximately 25,000 clients in fiscal year 2010.
Rachel joined the SBA in 1988 as a Business Development Specialist for the Inland Empire. She moved to the loan servicing department in 1992 as a Loan Specialist and became Chief of Liquidation in 1995. She has served as the Deputy District Director since 1997 for the Santa Ana District and most recently as the Acting District Director for the New York City District Office.
Prior to coming to SBA, Rachel worked for the Internal Revenue Service in a professional position where she also coached trainees. She has worked in both the private and public sectors.
Rachel grew up in the Los Angeles area, where her father owned a small business. She graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and has subsequently completed graduate courses at California State University, Fullerton.