Elinsky and spouse, Cottonwood mayor Tim Elinsky, are long-time supporters of small business development in the Verde Valley
Ruth-Ellen Elinsky Photo from Yavapai Community College news release.
It was announced in an August 19, 2021 news release from Yavapai Community College that the Community College has named Ruth-Ellen Elinsky as its program director for the Small Business Development Center. Elinski has been a certified business analyst for Yavapai Community College SBDC since 2018.
Elinsky has been a Verde Valley resident since 2004, where she now lives in Cottonwood with her husband and two daughters. Her husband, Tim Elinsky, is mayor of the city of Cottonwood. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Affairs and Management from Indiana University and an associate degree in Accounting from Northern Arizona University.
Richard Hernandez, Executive Director of the Regional Economic Development Center at the Community College, said that she “is the right person at the right time to lead the SBDC team to new levels of service in our community. The SBDC has been instrumental in not only providing but leading business support services and is well respected in the County.”
The Community College news release said that Elinski has first-hand training in management, budgeting, and manufacturing and additional experience as a non-profit director leading alongside a 20-member Board of Directors. She is a Fellow of the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership’s Flinn Brown Leadership Academy, a returned Peace Corps volunteer, and most proudly, the mom of two brilliant daughters.
The SBDC provides no-cost business consulting services and access to funding. Helping small business owners start, grow, or exit their business. The SBDC is hosted by the Regional Economic Development Corporation and is funded jointly by the Community College and the Small Business Administration.