Dan Ripke
Director, Center for Economic Development, CSU Chico

Dan Ripke is director of the Center for Economic Development at CSU, Chico. The Center is the largest economic development technical assistance program within the State of California. Dan has been with the Center since 1989. During his tenure, the center has grown from three employees, to over twenty-two employees. He has expanded the center’s service region from twelve counties to twenty counties, a region which encompasses 30 percent of the state. In 1990, the center began publication of its Annual Economic & Demographic Profile Series for 20 Northstate Counties, the largest, continuously publish series of its kind in the nation.. Each year over 4,000 Northstate leader use this publication to get the latest information on regional trends and conditions. The center hosts more than 20 regional meetings annually, including local leadership training events and the Tri-County Economic Forecast Conference to name just two. Over the past three years the center has begun offering its research and analysis services to Northstate businesses and non-profit organizations. Dan Ripke has been instrumental in development Economic Gardening programs within the western United States. He has made over 42 presentations to groups throughout 6 western states, and help 4 programs become established. His office also hosted the first Economic Gardening Conference in 1999 in Chico, California.

Dan has received specialized training in economic development and economic analysis. He has authored over 35 economic development strategies, and annual publishes over 2,700 pages of economic information for rural communities. Dan is a regular speaker regionally and statewide on issues related to economics, regional demographics, and public policy to organizations such as the Local Government Commission, Calif. Associations of Counties, the League of California Cities, and the California Downtown Association. His academic background includes two bachelor degrees (International Business & French), and Masters Degree studies in business administration from California State University, Chico.

Dan also serves on the Board of Directors for the California Association for Local Economic Development, The Council of Economic Advisors to the California Workforce Investment Board, and he is a Technical Advisor to the California Economic Strategy Panel.

Dan lives in Chico with his wife Carol Lavin, stepson Daniel and daughter Sophia.