Our Team

Dean F. Whittaker

Founder & President

dean@whittakerassociates.com

Dean F. Whittaker is President/CEO of Whittaker Associates Inc., a data analytics company providing target marketing research and trend analysis to economic development, real estate, and corporate clients. They specialize in identifying business opportunities by predicting corporate behavior through the use of their propriety predictive analytic algorithm.

With 30 years of experience in economic development at the city, county, and state levels, Mr. Whittaker brings insight and perspective to regional economic development issues. He also provides an understanding of the trends impacting our possible, probable, and preferred futures.

Mr. Whittaker is a graduate of the Economic Development Institute of the University of Oklahoma and has taught there for 30 years regarding the application of information technology to Economic Development. He is a certified economic developer by the International Economic Development Association and holds a certificate in Innovation Methodology from the New North Center for Design in Business. His academic credentials are from Illinois State University and the University of Illinois.

He has served as the Director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Resources and Applied Research at Ball State University as well as the Director of the Economic Development Academy prior to founding Whittaker Associates, Inc.

Mr. Whittaker is a frequent blogger (author) and speaker on the trends impacting economic development and how communities can prepare for the future using innovation and design. He is also a founding partner of the Pro Learning Laboratory, a collaboration of firms dedicated to providing monthly webinars about important topics to economic developers.

Brittany Ryzenga

Managing Director of Client and Research

brittany@whittakerassociates.com

Brittany Ryzenga joined the Whittaker Associates, Inc. team as Managing Director of Client and Research Services in 2018. She received her bachelor’s degree in Communications from Hope College in 2009 and has several years of experience in business to business marketing and development, specifically in small business development, expansion and growth. Her passion for helping businesses and organizations succeed translates in partnering with our clients to provide quality support and innovative research.

Brittany is active in our local community and has served as an Ambassador for the West Coast Chamber of Commerce.

In her role at Whittaker Associates, Brittany works with our clients while managing company projects and coordinating communication with our research team She also aides in the research process by gathering and examining data related to economic development industry trends and growth patterns.

Sambridhi Shrestha

Research Manager

sambridhi@whittakerassociates.com

Sambridhi Shrestha completed her Bachelors in Business Administration from Ace Institute of
Management under Pokhara University. Her responsibilities as Research Manager are to lead in the generation of data through analytic research and cross-check the work of the Research Associates. As for her experience, she worked as Product and Operations Manager in an online shopping company and also as a Marketing executive in a magazine company. She also worked as an intern in Himalayan Bank under legal and card department.