About me
I live in Crozet, Virginia, with the Blue Ridge and Shenandoah National Park essentially in my backyard — a privilege I don't take for granted. I'm an active member and past board member of the Charlottesville Area Trail Runners, and you'll find me in the mountains as often as I can manage it.
My professional life is rooted in small business advocacy and community finance. I'm the Chief Operating Officer at Northern Initiatives, a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) based in Michigan — where I'm originally from. CDFIs exist to get capital and real business support to entrepreneurs that traditional banks often overlook, and I've spent more than 20 years doing that work. I lead operations, lending, business services, and the technology and data systems that keep everything running.
I also work to shape the field beyond my own organization. I serve on the board of the national CDFI Coalition and on the policy committee for the Michigan CDFI Coalition, because the rules governing how CDFIs operate have real consequences for the entrepreneurs we serve. I recently joined the board of the Charlottesville Investment Collaborative, bringing that same focus on community finance closer to home.
One thing I'm especially proud of is helping build Initiate, an online learning platform for entrepreneurs that has been adopted by CDFIs and entrepreneurial support organizations across the country.
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