About Us
The Santa Barbara Executive Roundtable (SABER) is Santa Barbara's premier small business educator dedicated to enhancing the professional lives and skills of local business leaders. Meetings are held the second Thursday of every month at 8am - 10am at the University Club (1332 Santa Barbara St, Santa Barbara). Meetings include breakfast, presentation by industry experts and an opportunity to network with business professionals. |  |  |
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Board Members
Eldon R. Edwards is the foremost expert in the area of business opportunities in the Santa Barbara-Ventura County area. Eldon specializes in business acquisitions and divestitures, business valuations and appraisals and related fields.
He has been a specialist in the area of small business sales for the past thirty years and has sold over $200,000,000 in business transactions during that time. He has qualified to be a member of the Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Clubs for the past thirty years. His formal education includes degrees from Bowling Green State University and Pennsylvania State University. He also has had specialized training in business appraisals, business law, and business sales. He has appeared in court as an expert witness in the appraisal of businesses.
He is a member of the International Business Brokers Association, The California Association of Business Brokers, the National Association of Realtors, the California Association of Realtors, SCORE, Southern California Business Brokers Network and Toastmasters International. He has qualified to become a Certified Business Intermediary as set forth by the International Business Brokers Association and also a Certified Business Opportunity Appraiser. He was the chairman of a small retail business in Santa Barbara. Eldon is also a Fellow of the International l Business Brokers Association. He has achieved the DTM (Distinguished Toastmaster) designation in Toastmasters International. In 2007, Eldon achieved Certified Business Broker status in the California Association of Business Brokers.
In March 1994 he was recognized by the Santa Barbara Board of Realtors for Outstanding Achievement in Business Opportunities in the Santa Barbara area.
In 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997 he was voted the BEST BUSINESS BROKER OF THE YEAR by the readership poll of the Business Digest of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
Eldon has served on many advisory boards including Microsoft, ISIM, The Innovation Resource, The International Business Brokers Association, Business Opportunity Council of California, Computer Plaza, and South Coast Business Network.
Annette Jorgensen has been with Community West Bank, in SBA lending, for over 17 years. She specializes in SBA loans to help people fulfill their dreams of starting, buying or owning a business, as well as financing owner/user commercial real estate. Annette graduated from UCSB with a degree in business economics and has lived in the Santa Barbara/Goleta area for 28 years. Her main focus is the Santa Barbara, Goleta and Ventura area, although referral relationships may take her to other parts of California.
Annette is very involved in the PTA for Kellogg Elementary School and Dos Pueblos High School. Annette enjoys giving back to her community and often speaks at Women�s Economic Ventures (WEV) and City College Entrepreneurial classes.
Annette Jorgensen
Vice President, Commercial Real Estate & SBA Finance
805-963-5749 (direct)
805-689-3451 (cell)
1501 State Street
Santa Barbara, Ca. 93101
Gary Kravetz was born in Sioux City Iowa & raised in Minnesota where he attended the University of Minnesota. Gary Moved to Los Angeles in 1961 where he completed his BS & MS in engineering at UCLA.
Starting in 1965 he worked at Hughes Aircraft for 15 years as a manager of spacecraft electronics design. He then started FST, his own engineering company in Los Angeles.
At FST he was the Executive VP of technology, operations & marketing. FST had contracts with most of the major aerospace companies & several industrial controls firms
In 1993 Gary moved to Santa Barbara and purchased NCC Executive search and Santa Barbara Staffing; a recruiting company with offices in Santa Barbara and Ventura recruiting all levels of professionals. He was CEO for 15 yeas and sold his company in 2006. Since 2007 he has been mentoring many small businesses in Santa Barbara.
Gary has become a local expert on manners of recruiting and small business. He is frequently quoted in print and on television. Gary is on the board of Santa Barbara Executive Roundtable and the Science and Engineering Council. He has also served on the board of MIT Enterprise Forum, Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce, SB City College Business & Industry group, SB County -Work Investment board and the SB County Economic Development committee. He is also on the board of several local small businesses.
He also is currently a business consultant for Santa Barbara SCORE, WEV, i2000 & Nonprofit Support Center. He is a board member of the Preferred Professionals of Santa Barbara (a professional consultant's network), and a member of Tech Coast Angels.
Lorrie Thomas, M.A, is a marketing educator, writer, strategist, web marketing expert and speaker. She is the founder of Web Marketing Therapy, a smart, fun, full-service marketing agency and a recession-friendly self-help online marketing educational resource. Her "wild web woman" team serves small businesses, entrepreneurs and marketers. Their work ensures marketing treats the cause (vs band-aiding symptoms) so all marketing pieces click. She teaches Web Marketing Applications, Social Media Marketing and Search Engine Marketing Applications classes at UCSB Extension and UC Berkeley Extension. Ms. Thomas was on the founding team at ValueClick Media. She speaks nationally on a number of marketing-related topics and caters her presentations to the business, niche, skill sets and professional concerns of her attendees. She writes for several online publications including http://www.wilsonweb.com/. She is interviewed regularly by the eCommerce Times, DM News and Tech News World and quoted frequently as a nationally recognized marketing expert http://www.webmarketingtherapy.com/news/
Steven M. Woodward is Executive Vice President and Partner of Riviera Insurance Service LLC. Focusing on small to midsize businesses in Santa Barbara County, Steve brings a combined industry experience of over 18 years; Steve has extensive knowledge in all types of employee benefit products, including partially self-funded medical and dental plans. His knowledge of the marketplace, trends and products enables Steve to strategically plan employee benefit packages for his clients. Riviera Insurance Services also brings the same kind of expertise in the area of Property & Casualty, Workers Compensation and General Liability.
Eldon R. Edwards is the foremost expert in the area of business opportunities in the Santa Barbara-Ventura County area. Eldon specializes in business acquisitions and divestitures, business valuations and appraisals and related fields.
He has been a specialist in the area of small business sales for the past thirty years and has sold over $200,000,000 in business transactions during that time. He has qualified to be a member of the Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Clubs for the past thirty years. His formal education includes degrees from Bowling Green State University and Pennsylvania State University. He also has had specialized training in business appraisals, business law, and business sales. He has appeared in court as an expert witness in the appraisal of businesses.
He is a member of the International Business Brokers Association, The California Association of Business Brokers, the National Association of Realtors, the California Association of Realtors, SCORE, Southern California Business Brokers Network and Toastmasters International. He has qualified to become a Certified Business Intermediary as set forth by the International Business Brokers Association and also a Certified Business Opportunity Appraiser. He was the chairman of a small retail business in Santa Barbara. Eldon is also a Fellow of the International l Business Brokers Association. He has achieved the DTM (Distinguished Toastmaster) designation in Toastmasters International. In 2007, Eldon achieved Certified Business Broker status in the California Association of Business Brokers.
In March 1994 he was recognized by the Santa Barbara Board of Realtors for Outstanding Achievement in Business Opportunities in the Santa Barbara area.
In 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997 he was voted the BEST BUSINESS BROKER OF THE YEAR by the readership poll of the Business Digest of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
Eldon has served on many advisory boards including Microsoft, ISIM, The Innovation Resource, The International Business Brokers Association, Business Opportunity Council of California, Computer Plaza, and South Coast Business Network.
Annette Jorgensen has been with Community West Bank, in SBA lending, for over 17 years. She specializes in SBA loans to help people fulfill their dreams of starting, buying or owning a business, as well as financing owner/user commercial real estate. Annette graduated from UCSB with a degree in business economics and has lived in the Santa Barbara/Goleta area for 28 years. Her main focus is the Santa Barbara, Goleta and Ventura area, although referral relationships may take her to other parts of California.
Annette is very involved in the PTA for Kellogg Elementary School and Dos Pueblos High School. Annette enjoys giving back to her community and often speaks at Women�s Economic Ventures (WEV) and City College Entrepreneurial classes.
Annette Jorgensen
Vice President, Commercial Real Estate & SBA Finance
805-963-5749 (direct)
805-689-3451 (cell)
1501 State Street
Santa Barbara, Ca. 93101
Gary Kravetz was born in Sioux City Iowa & raised in Minnesota where he attended the University of Minnesota. Gary Moved to Los Angeles in 1961 where he completed his BS & MS in engineering at UCLA.
Starting in 1965 he worked at Hughes Aircraft for 15 years as a manager of spacecraft electronics design. He then started FST, his own engineering company in Los Angeles.
At FST he was the Executive VP of technology, operations & marketing. FST had contracts with most of the major aerospace companies & several industrial controls firms
In 1993 Gary moved to Santa Barbara and purchased NCC Executive search and Santa Barbara Staffing; a recruiting company with offices in Santa Barbara and Ventura recruiting all levels of professionals. He was CEO for 15 yeas and sold his company in 2006. Since 2007 he has been mentoring many small businesses in Santa Barbara.
Gary has become a local expert on manners of recruiting and small business. He is frequently quoted in print and on television. Gary is on the board of Santa Barbara Executive Roundtable and the Science and Engineering Council. He has also served on the board of MIT Enterprise Forum, Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce, SB City College Business & Industry group, SB County -Work Investment board and the SB County Economic Development committee. He is also on the board of several local small businesses.
He also is currently a business consultant for Santa Barbara SCORE, WEV, i2000 & Nonprofit Support Center. He is a board member of the Preferred Professionals of Santa Barbara (a professional consultant's network), and a member of Tech Coast Angels.
Lorrie Thomas, M.A, is a marketing educator, writer, strategist, web marketing expert and speaker. She is the founder of Web Marketing Therapy, a smart, fun, full-service marketing agency and a recession-friendly self-help online marketing educational resource. Her "wild web woman" team serves small businesses, entrepreneurs and marketers. Their work ensures marketing treats the cause (vs band-aiding symptoms) so all marketing pieces click. She teaches Web Marketing Applications, Social Media Marketing and Search Engine Marketing Applications classes at UCSB Extension and UC Berkeley Extension. Ms. Thomas was on the founding team at ValueClick Media. She speaks nationally on a number of marketing-related topics and caters her presentations to the business, niche, skill sets and professional concerns of her attendees. She writes for several online publications including http://www.wilsonweb.com/. She is interviewed regularly by the eCommerce Times, DM News and Tech News World and quoted frequently as a nationally recognized marketing expert http://www.
Steven M. Woodward is Executive Vice President and Partner of Riviera Insurance Service LLC. Focusing on small to midsize businesses in Santa Barbara County, Steve brings a combined industry experience of over 18 years; Steve has extensive knowledge in all types of employee benefit products, including partially self-funded medical and dental plans. His knowledge of the marketplace, trends and products enables Steve to strategically plan employee benefit packages for his clients. Riviera Insurance Services also brings the same kind of expertise in the area of Property & Casualty, Workers Compensation and General Liability.