Santanu “Sandy” Baruah earned a Bachelor of Science degree in political science from the University of Oregon and an M.B.A from Willamette University. Baruah then started a career as a business consultant in Portland, Oregon, working for seven years at the consulting firm, Performance Consulting Group. He also worked with U.S Senator Bob Packwood and for President George H.W Bush in the office of the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Interior. Baruah was also an Oregon field director for the Bush-Quayle ticket in 1988 and he contributed to the Bush-Cheney campaign in 2004.

 

Baruah served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Program Operations and Chief of Staff at the Economic Development Administration (EDA), before being appointed Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. He took charge in December 2005. On June 25, 2008, President Bush nominated Baruah to head the Small Business Administration. He served as acting administrator until President Barack Obama took office.