Dr. Inessa Stepanenko, Deputy District Director, was appointed in October 2023. Deputy Director Stepanenko came to the U.S. Small Business Administration from the US Department of Homeland Security after nine years of service, where she has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership and a deep understanding of federal operations. She held key roles, including a Section Chief with the Analysis and Integrity Division, a Researcher with the Refugee, Asylum, and International Operations Research Division, US Citizenship and Immigration Services, and a Program Manager with the US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Deputy Director Stepanenko holds an MBA with Honors from Our Lady of the Lake University and a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Grand Canyon University. She is fluent in several languages and served at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, supporting TeamUSA and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).