Victor Parker, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Los Angeles District Office, is taking a new post at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The LA District, which includes Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, is the largest in the nation in terms of dollar volume of SBA loans. During nine years as district director, Parker worked closely with the Economic Development Collaborative in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, which provides technical assistance to small business.

During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the SBA and its bank partners were extremely active in processing Paycheck Protection Program forgivable loans to small companies in the region.

Parker’s new position will be deputy associate administrator for the SBA’s Office of Field Operations, where he will help oversee 10 regional offices and dozens of district offices around the country.

“Recently, I have seen our small business community tested like never before, and despite being faced with economic challenges, a global pandemic and local civil unrest, we have collaborated with partners like you to provide assistance and support and we will emerge stronger, together,” he said in a news release. The current deputy district director, Ben Raju, will take over as the new Los Angeles district director.