Media contact: Sallie Traxler, Managing Director, Development Capital Networks
straxler@dcnteam.com (c) 405-205-4069

DCN Welcomes New Credit Portfolio Manager


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Development Capital Networks (DCN) is pleased to announce John Saris has joined its team as Credit Portfolio Manager. In this role, he will oversee credit support programs, including client funds allocated through the U.S. Treasury State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). These credit support programs aim to increase lending to small businesses through private lenders, primarily community banks, credit unions and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs).

John is uniquely suited for this role, with 15 years of economic development and credit administration experience at Business Oregon, the state’s economic development agency, and nine years of retail and business banking experience at US Bank.

Throughout his career, John has managed a variety of programs for small businesses and communities, including direct loans and loan guarantees, collateral support, royalty financing, and private activity bonds. He has also overseen funding that supported commercialization of new technologies, strategic industry development, public funding for brownfield redevelopment and industrial land development, technical assistance for entrepreneurs, and small business certification programs promoting equity and inclusion in public contracting.

John’s work with Business Oregon has contributed to the management of evergreen small business capital programs, which have provided over $2 billion in funding supporting more than 2,000 small businesses, leading to the creation and retention of over 15,000 family-wage jobs. In addition to these program outcomes, Mr. Saris played a key role in legislative affairs in Oregon assisting in the introduction and passage of over 20 bills to create new programs at Business Oregon and modernize existing programs.

John served on the Board of Directors for the Council of Development Finance Agencies, including a three-year term as Board Chair.

Between working for the State of Oregon and DCN, John and Carrie completed a thru-hike of the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail, spanning the San Jacinto, San Bernardino, Sierra, and Cascade Mountain Ranges. They have three children: Aubrey, a nurse at Salem Hospital, and Hans and Mariana, who are both serving in the United States Army.

DCN welcomes John to the team and looks forward to his contributions in enhancing small business lending and supporting local communities.

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About DCN

Development Capital Networks (DCN) is a specialized firm focused on driving economic development with market-based solutions. DCN seeds the growth of entrepreneurs by attracting technology, capital, and talent to help communities build innovation economies. We collaborate with a team that includes Cimarron Capital Partners, a manager of targeted venture fund investments, and Innovate, Inc., a nonprofit that facilitates technology transfer. The in-depth experience of our national team is combined with local talent in the communities we serve as well as an extensive network of innovators and investors.

About SSBCI

Reauthorized in 2021 by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the U.S. Treasury’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) program was allocated $10 billion, and for the first time ever, has designated $500 million specifically for Tribal Governments. The capital is intended to utilize additional private sector investments of $10 for every $1 of program resources. The SSBCI program gives every state, territory, and tribe the ability to adopt its own set of programs to deliver the loans or equity to small businesses and name a program administrator.