Michelle Beecher

RLF Management, Marketing, and Operations
Friday, August 28, 12:45 - 1:45 PM

Lending Programs Manager
Rural Nevada Development Corporation

Michelle is the Loan Officer at the Rural Nevada Development Corporation, working in their lending program for over 7 years. She is a longtime resident of rural Nevada, making her home in Ely with her husband and three children. Her experience prior to alternative lending includes six years in the insurance industry. Michelle is certified as an Economic Development Finance Professional through the National Development Council and currently working toward becoming a Certified Financial Coach. When she is not working to lend money to the small business of rural Nevada, her three young children keep her busy with a multitude of community activities.

Jennifer Crowther

Innovative RLFs
Friday, August 28, 4:10 - 4:55 PM

Senior Vice President, Capitalization & Impact
PIDC (Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation)

Jennifer has over 20 years of experience serving communities in Philadelphia and focuses on finance, product development, impact analysis, program evaluation, fundraising, and investor relations.

As PIDC’s Senior Vice President of Capitalization & Impact, Jennifer is responsible for shaping, leading, and implementing a comprehensive capitalization and investor relations strategy. She oversees organization-wide impact analysis & reporting. Additionally, she designs and launches new financial products. Prior to her role as Senior Vice President, Jennifer served as PIDC’s Vice President, Product & Resource Development.

Since 2008, Jennifer has raised more than $136 million from private, public, and philanthropic sources and secured $413 million in New Markets Tax Credits. She has created several new financing programs including a forgivable loan product, commercial mortgage product, contract line of credit, and working capital product as well as grant programs for stormwater mitigation and COVID-19 relief.

Jennifer has more than a decade of experience in the community development financial institution (CDFI) industry. She started PIDC’s CDFI, PIDC Community Capital, in 2012 and oversees the annual AERIS rating process.

Jennifer graduated from Haverford College with a B.A. in Political Science and went on to earn M.S. in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University. She lives in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia with her husband and two children.

Brett Doney

Understanding and Designing a Revolving Loan Fund
Friday, August 28, 11:10 - 12:35 PM

President & Chief Executive Officer
Great Falls Development Authority

Brett Doney has led the Great Falls Montana Development Alliance (GFDA) since late 2006. GFDA is a public/private economic development partnership and certified Community Development Financial Institute (CDFI) serving the 13-county region. Its work spans a wide range of activities, including business development, housing, workforce, infrastructure, and redevelopment in across a variety of sectors such as food and ag processing, energy, manufacturing, health, defense, and business services. It is accredited by the International Economic Development Council and nationally recognized for finance, transparency, and organizational leadership. Under Doney’s leadership, GFDA has helped attract over $5.5 billion of private investment.

Doney has 41 years of experience in economic development across nonprofit, public, and private sectors. His prior positions include: President/CEO of Enterprise Maine, a family of community economic development organizations and CDFI in rural western Maine; Director of the Ft. Devens Reuse Center, a 9,600-acre army base redevelopment effort in Massachusetts; and President of B. 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 numerous awards from IEDC, SBA, NADO, the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA), the Montana Economic Developers Association (MEDA), the National Brownfields Conference, the American Economic Development Council, and the Finance Authority of Maine. 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), Federal Grants Management, Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP), and Economic Gardening®. He is a graduate of the Economic Development Institute of the University of Oklahoma and has earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California at Santa Barbara and a Master of Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

A frequent speaker, instructor, and volunteer, Doney remains active in state and national economic development organizations such as CDFA, IEDC, MEDA, NADO, and other associations. He currently serves on IEDC’s Accreditation Review Board and its Public Policy and Research Partner Committees. He is an active Rotarian and past President of the Great Falls Rotary Club.

Jennifer Emens-Butler Esq.

Pre- and Post-Loan Closing & Managing Non-performing Loans
Friday, August 28, 3:10 - 4:10 PM

General Counsel and Director of Closing
Vermont Economic Development Authority

Jennifer Emens-Butler is the General Counsel and Director of Closing for the Vermont Economic Development Authority in Montpelier. In her role, she supervises the loan closing team and oversees all loan closings, reviewing documentation for compliance with laws, policies and procedures.  She also advises the management team and staff with respect to legal issues.

Prior to joining VEDA, Jennifer was the Director of Education and Communication for the Vermont Bar Association, following her long-term service on VBA's Board of Managers, and as VBA Past-President. Prior to 2016, Jennifer practiced law in the field of business and consumer bankruptcy at Obuchowski & Emens-Butler, PC in Bethel for nearly 20 years following her federal clerkship in the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Vermont. In her practice, Jennifer was an active presenter at local and national seminars and taught Bankruptcy Law for the Vermont Law School's General Practice Program.

Jennifer is currently serving as Treasurer on the Board of Directors of Aspire Living & Learning, an organization that provides treatment and services for neurodiverse children and adults in several states and as Corporator for Northfield Savings Bank and board member of the Northfield Savings Bank Foundation. She lives in East Montpelier with her family and enjoys paddleboarding with her Cavapoo in the summer and cross-country skiing in the winter. She also enjoys travel and nature photography, exploring all the beauty that Vermont has to offer.

Mary Louk

Pre- and Post-Loan Closing & Managing Non-performing Loans
Friday, August 28, 3:10 - 4:10 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.

Leopoldo Peña

Innovative RLFs
Friday, August 28, 4:10 - 4:55 PM

Co-Founder
Presta

Leo is the Co-Founder of Presta, a digital lending platform that helps mission-driven lenders, including CDFIs and RLFs, originate, underwrite, close, and service loans end-to-end, replacing the patchwork of spreadsheets and disconnected tools many programs run on today. He works directly with community lenders across the country to modernize how they manage their loan portfolios and reporting.

Before Presta, Leo worked in GovTech, helping launch a secure mobile voting platform that let US military members vote from abroad during general and midterm elections. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University and is an alumnus of the Venture for America Fellowship.

John Saris

Understanding and Designing a Revolving Loan Fund
Friday, August 28, 11:10 - 12:35 PM

Founder & Chief Executive Officer
ArkP3

John Saris is the Founder and CEO of ArkP3, Inc., established in March 2025. ArkP3 specializes in supporting mission driven lenders offering scalable systems and expertise in small business lending, providing consulting and lending solutions for loan origination, servicing, and portfolio management services to drive economic growth.

With over 25 years in commercial lending and economic development, John previously served as Credit Portfolio Manager at Development Capital Networks (October 2024–March 2025), administering U.S. Treasury and EDA funding for State, U.S. Territory, and Tribal programs. From 2009 to 2024, as Finance Manager at Business Oregon, he led a team managing a $1.5 billion portfolio and served on the CDFA Board of Directors.  Earlier, he spent nine years at U.S. Bank in commercial lending and SBA support.