Richard French
Sr. Project Manager and Interim Lead Center Director
Richard (Rich) French is an experienced executive leader with more than 25 years of experience in program management, economic development, and strategic planning. He has held senior leadership roles including President and Vice President of Business Development in the private sector, where he led complex, highly regulated programs and drove significant organizational growth. Rich has also played a key role in regional economic development initiatives through One Palouse and FIERCE, working closely with industry, government, and academic partners to support innovation and community growth. Most recently, he served as Washington State University’s project manager for the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub (PNWH2), helping coordinate a large-scale, multi-partner effort. He brings to the Washington SBDC a strong track record of building partnerships, leading diverse teams, and delivering results across complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
Craig Abbs
Assistant Director—Admin & Finance
Craig comes to the Washington SBDC from WSU Applied Sciences Laboratory, a division of the Institute for Shock Physics, where he served for over 5 years as the Administrative Coordinator for the center. Before moving to Washington, Craig served as the Director of Finance and Administration for a non-profit applied research organization based in New York, and managed the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine’s grants and contracts office. While at the University of Pennsylvania, Craig gained almost 20 years of experience providing administrative support for various schools and departments.
Stacey Dacar
Marketing & Communications Manager
Stacey is a native of the Pacific Northwest and has a long history of championing the underdog. One of her first jobs out of college was working with the Spokane Indians, a minor league baseball team affiliated with the Colorado Rockies. Nobody knows how to market like minor league baseball and Stacey strives to bring that sense of fun and possibility to the Washington SBDC network. Unfortunately, we do not have “player cards” to celebrate our SBDC advisors and staff, but Stacey uses social media to highlight their incredible work to help clients succeed. Stacey is responsible for all of our statewide marketing collateral as well as communication with federal legislators. Prior to joining the SBDC, Stacey was with Comcast Spotlight, first in Spokane and later in Albuquerque as the marketing manager. She is a graduate of Eastern Washington University with a bachelor’s in business administration, management.
