The GO-Biz Team
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) serves as the State of California’s leader for job growth, economic development, and business assistance efforts.
We offer a range of no-cost consultation services to business owners including: attraction, retention and expansion services, site selection, permit assistance, regulatory guidance, small business assistance, international trade development, assistance with state government, and much more. Our teams are comprised of experts that span industries, geographies and business backgrounds who are happy to assist your economic development and job growth efforts.
Meet our talented team from each department:

Dee Dee Myers
Senior Advisor and Director

Chris Dombrowski
Chief Deputy Director

Tyson Eckerle
Senior Advisor for Clean Infrastructure and Mobility

Sandy Reynoso
Executive Project Manager
Office of External Affairs

Aracely Campa Ramirez
Senior Deputy Director for Strategic Program Planning and External Affairs

Sam Nejabat
Assistant Deputy Director, External Affairs
Office of Legislative Affairs
Office of Communications

Heather Purcell
Deputy Director of Communications

Willie Rudman
Assistant Deputy Director of Communications
Office of Legal Affairs
Office of Supply Chain
Business Development
Business Investment Services Unit

Poonum Patel
Assistant Deputy Director, Business Investment Services, Bay Area Region

Julie Herd
Regional Business Development Specialist, Central Valley

Jill Drinkwater
Regional Business Development Specialist, North State

Stephen Suderman
Regional Business Development Specialist, Greater Sacramento, Central & Eastern Sierra Regions

Michael Karavolias
Sustainable Innovation Specialist

Melissa Howlett
Regional Business Development Specialist, Inland Empire & Southern Border Regions
Office of Permit Assistance

Manjeet McCarthy
Senior Permit Specialist – Northern California Region

Lillian Conroe
Senior Permit Specialist – Southern California Region
California Competes Tax Credit

Scott Dosick
Deputy Director

Jee Liyanage
Assistant Deputy Director

Jonathan Sievers
California Competes Specialist

Dan Krebs
California Competes Specialist

Brandon Lowe
California Competes Specialist

Christine Roybal
California Competes Analyst

Michael Rutherford
California Competes Analyst

Narjisse Sarehane
California Competes Analyst

Mary Hoang
California Competes Analyst
Community and Local Equity Grants Unit
Energy and Climate Unit
International Affairs and Trade

Emily Desai
Deputy Director of International Affairs and Trade

Henan Li
Trade and Investment Representative – Asia

Diana Dominguez
Trade and Investment Representative for the Americas

Maria Onorato
Foreign Direct Investment Program Manager

Mariana Guevara
International Trade Program Specialist and STEP Support

Claire Gordon
International Investment and Research Analyst
Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV)

Gia Brazil Vacin
Deputy Director of Zero Emission Vehicle Market Development

Michael Kashuba
Infrastructure Specialist

Heather Hickerson
Lead Advisor

Cortney Copeland
Zero Emission Vehicle Market Analyst

Elsa Wright
ZEV Infrastructure Permitting and Development Specialist

Grace Curtis
Executive Fellow