New York Small Business Development Center Advisor Wins 2018 State Star Award
Dinene Zaleski, Business Advisor with the Niagara County Community College SBDC and Lynn Oswald, Center Director

Dinene Zaleski, Business Advisor with the Niagara County Community College SBDC and Lynn Oswald, Center Director
Albany – The New York Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is pleased to announce Dinene Zaleski, Business Advisor with the Niagara County Community College SBDC, has been awarded the 2018 State Star for New York.

The State Star designation recognizes outstanding achievement in high quality business counseling and distinguished, long-term service in terms of economic development. Zaleski was honored during the America’s SBDC Annual Conference held in Washington, DC in September.

Zaleski joined the SBDC after graduating from college in 1987. Since that time, she has counseled nearly 1,100 clients and helped create more than 1,800 new jobs and save more than 1000 jobs. Zaleski is a finance specialist whose close working relationships with local bankers and economic development agencies, including the Niagara County IDA, Lumber City Development Corporation, and Empire State Development, have resulted in projects that have had more than $203 million in economic impact. She has had many clients return for additional SBDC assistance as their businesses expand.

“I enjoy seeing my clients realize their dreams,” says Zaleski. “I really enjoy driving past local businesses years later, to see those business owners have continued their success.”

“We at the Niagara SBDC are proud to have Dinene on our team,” said Niagara SBDC Director Lynn Oswald. “She is held in high esteem by her clients, local lenders, and economic development partners. Her vast experience and superior customer services skills lead to great results.”

“We are pleased to recognize Dinene for her remarkable accomplishments as a long-standing member of the Niagara SBDC,” said SBDC State Director Brian Goldstein. “Dinene consistently provides exceptional service to her clients and the small business communities she serves. As a member of the SBDC team for more than 30 years, Dinene’s contributions to NYS small business, as well as the state’s economy, are immeasurable.”

About the New York Small Business Development Center
The NY SBDC, administered by SUNY, has 23 regional service centers located throughout the New York State on SUNY, City University of New York (CUNY) and private university campuses. Since inception in 1984, the SBDC has provided small business advisement services to more than 460,000 New Yorkers. The SBDC also provides training and business research to existing business owners and entrepreneurs. SBDC clients have invested more than $6 billion in NY, impacting more than 195,000 jobs.

The SBDC is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, the State of New York, local communities, and host campuses. As a result of this leveraged support, the SBDC staff provides confidential one-on-one business advisement services at no direct cost to the citizens and entrepreneurs of New York. For more information about the SBDC, visit www.nysbdc.org.

About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, with 64 college and university campuses located within 30 miles of every home, school, and business in the state. As of Fall 2017, more than 430,000 students were enrolled in a degree program at a SUNY campus. In total, SUNY served nearly 1.4 million students in credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs in the 2016-17 academic year. SUNY students and faculty across the state make significant contributions to research and discovery, resulting in $1 billion of externally sponsored activity each year. There are 3 million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu.


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