Brett Doney

Understanding and Designing a Revolving Loan Fund
Wednesday, August 6, 11:10 - 12:35 PM

President & Chief Executive Officer
Great Falls Development Authority

Brett Doney leads the Great Falls Development Authority, a public/private economic development partnership serving the 12-county Great Falls Montana trade area. Doney has over 30 years of experience in urban and rural community economic development. Prior positions include: President/CEO of Enterprise Maine, a family of community economic development organizations dedicated to creating economic opportunity and enhancing the quality of life in rural western Maine; Director of the Ft. Devens Reuse Center, a 9,600 acre army base redevelopment planning effort in Massachusetts; and, President of Doney Associates, a Boston-based consulting firm focused on urban revitalization, public/private real estate development, and innovative economic development.

Doney’s team efforts have won awards from the U.S. Small Business Administration, the American Economic Development Council, the International Economic Development Council, the National Association of Development Organizations, the Finance Authority of Maine, the Montana Economic Developers Association, and the National Brownfield Conference. His professional certifications include Certified Economic Developer (CEcD), Master of Corporate Real Estate (MCR), Senior Leader of Corporate Real Estate (SLCR), American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), RMA Credit Risk Certification, Federal Grants Management, and Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP). He is a graduate of the Economic Development Institute of the University of Oklahoma. Doney earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California at Santa Barbara and a Masters in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Doney has taught, given presentations, and served on technical advisory teams for a variety of state, national and international economic development and industry organizations. He currently serves on the boards of the Montana Economic Developers Association, the Great Falls Convention & Visitors Bureau (Chair), the Downtown Development Partnership of Great Falls (Chair), and the Upper Missouri River Heritage Area Planning Corporation. He serves on the International Economic Development Council’s Accreditation and Public Policy Advisory Committees, as the Montana Government Relations Chair for the International Council of Shopping Centers, and on the McLaughlin Research Institute’s National Development Council. He is an active Rotarian and past President of the Great Falls Rotary Club.

Mary Louk

RLF Process, Pre- and Post-Loan Closing and Managing Non-performing Loans
Wednesday, August 6, 1:45 - 4:00 PM

Director of Credit
Grow America

Mary Louk currently serves as Director of Credit for Grow America, overseeing the credit process for all Grow America Business Lending, including the SBA 7A program. She also has served as the Small Business Program Manager helping launch various loan programs across the Grow America footprint that focus on serving the target markets of low-income and minority-owned businesses. She came to Grow America after spending 12+ years in various roles in the banking industry.

Joy Melton

RLF Management, Marketing, and Operations
Wednesday, August 6, 12:45 - 1:45 PM

Business Development Specialist/Loan Fund Manager
Northwest Regional Planning Commission

Joy Melton is the Loan Fund Manager at Northwest Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission in Spooner, WI. Joy has been involved with small business and economic development since 2021. During this time, she has consulted businesses and individuals to start up, expand or grow. Melton builds operational strategy through her ability to help business owners and entrepreneurs answer tough questions and map out a road to success though mission focused business planning, marketing strategy and strategic visioning. Melton earned her bachelor’s degrees from Corinth College in both Business Administration and Computer Science. She brings a vast working knowledge of strategy and development for private and nonprofit organizations. Melton has held a variety of positions including assisting in business start-ups, loan administration, economic development director, nonprofit board member, and sales representative. Melton has a strong passion to see small business owners achieve success through strategic goal setting, appropriate fund management, and connecting the right resources to help strengthen the small business economy.

Leopoldo Peña

Innovative RLFs
Wednesday, August 6, 4:10 - 4:55 PM

Co-Founder
Presta

Leo’s previous experience has been centered around GovTech — most recently focused on expanding access to voting. He helped launch a mobile voting platform designed to securely cast votes in elections across the globe, allowing members of the US military to participate in general and midterm elections while serving abroad. Currently in Cleveland, Ohio, Leo holds a Bachelor’s of Science from Cornell University and is an alumnus of the Venture for America Fellowship.

Fawn Zimmerman

Understanding and Designing a Revolving Loan Fund
Wednesday, August 6, 11:10 - 12:35 PM

Managing Director, CDFA Advisory Services
Council of Development Finance Agencies

Fawn Zimmerman is Managing Director of CDFA Advisory Services at the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA). In her role, Fawn assists development finance agencies nationwide with strategic planning, finance program development, grant writing assistance, and development finance education and training. She also leads initiatives to enhance capital access for underserved communities. Fawn oversees programming aimed at increasing funding for underserved small businesses and developing culturally relevant programs to boost investment in underserved farmers and ranchers.

Fawn holds a Bachelor of Arts with honors in Communication from The Ohio State University and has pursued postgraduate studies at Ohio University. Her career is deeply intertwined with her philanthropic goals, and she is committed to leveraging her creative, academic, and professional experiences to drive positive changes in the development finance sector.