The Ponce Bank CDFI Advisory Board

With over 25 years of experience across banking, entrepreneurship, and mission-driven finance, Duanne Andrade specializes in building inclusive financial models that advance clean energy, energy efficiency, and equitable access to capital. Duanne’s work focuses on dismantling systemic barriers to opportunity and creating pathways to climate resilience for underserved communities.

She began her career in traditional banking, then transitioned to international microfinance, launching and managing community finance models and founding an energy efficiency company in Mexico. That journey led her to the Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF), where she has spent more than a decade co-leading and now, serves as CEO. At SELF—a Certified CDFI and the nation’s first local Green Bank—she’s overseen the expansion of inclusive lending programs and fintech solutions designed to meet the needs of low- and moderate-income communities.

Having lived and worked across five continents, Andrade brings a deeply adaptive and entrepreneurial approach to leadership, grounded in strategic thinking, operational discipline, and a strong commitment to climate and social equity.

Duanne’s work centers on equity, innovation, and systems change—leveraging finance as a tool for inclusive and sustainable transformation.

Boards & Advisory Roles:

• Advisory Board, Ponce Bank
• Board Member, NALCAB (National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders)
• Board Member, Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA)
• Board Member, Grow America
• Advisory Board, Community Impact Loan Fund (CILF)
• Climate Advisory Committee, Opportunity Finance Network (OFN)
• Chair, Climate United Advisory Council

Duanne holds a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from New York University (NYU) and an MBA from the Catholic University of Bolivia’s Maestrías para el Desarrollo (MPD), a program developed in partnership with the Harvard Institute for International Development (HIID).

Giovana brings almost 20 years of community development experience. She joined La Fuerza in 2009 and later became the Executive Director in 2012. Her responsibilities are to provide overall management and development of the CDFI in the fulfillment of its mission and purpose set by the Board of Directors. Ms. Bracchi works tirelessly to promote sustainable economic growth that will result in the creation of jobs and long-term community assets. Under her leadership, the organization has realized important goals in small business development. Notables are the establishment and growth of the CDFI small business portfolio, an SBA Intermediary Lending Program, a NYS Revolving Loan Fund, and a Consumer Credit Building program. Through her leadership, La Fuerza has helped thousands of local minority and women-owned small businesses. As director, she is also responsible for building relationships and partnerships that enhance the organization and its ability to meet the needs of its diverse constituency. Giovana sits on Ponce Bank’s Advisory Board and the New York State CDFI Coalition Board.

Giovana was born in Chile and came to the US at age 11 with her family to live in Long Island. She lives in Merrick, LI with her husband and daughter.

In the spring of 1999, Elmore and three others were engaged to create a business plan for a new, statewide (Texas) economic development loan fund. The plan was completed, and the Texas Mezzanine Fund (“TMF” or “the Firm”) was launched in May, 1999 with Elmore in the position of Chief Financial Officer. Effective July 1, 2005, the TMF Board of Directors appointed Elmore President & CEO, Board member, and Loan Committee member. Since July, 2023 Elmore’s role has been President of TMF with an emphasis on the Firm’s New Markets Tax Credit business, and he remains on TMF’s Board of Directors and Loan Committee.

Prior to joining TMF, Elmore was a Senior Auditor for an international public accounting firm; operated his own accounting and consulting firm; and held the position of CFO at a Dallas based CDFI.

Elmore serves on several business and civic boards of directors in Texas and throughout the country, and he is a summa cum laude graduate of South Carolina State University earning a B.S. Degree in Business Administration, majoring in Accounting. Elmore 1) holds a MBA from Texas A & M-Commerce, 2) is a Certified Public Accountant (“CPA”), and 3) is formerly, a Chartered Global Management Accountant (“CGMA”).

A native of Houston Texas, Mr. Frazier received a Bachelor of Architecture from Howard University and a Master’s in Urban Design and Planning from the Catholic University of America. He has worked as an assistant professor of architecture and planning at both Howard University and the University of Miami. He is a history buff and enjoys tracing historical events and assessing the impact of socio-economic times on the Black Diaspora.

‍Mr.Frazier is also the retired CEO/Owner of Ronald E. Frazier & Associates, P.A., Architects and Urban Planners, a position that he held for over 40 years. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Frazier had over 40 years of experience in the design of innovative architectural structures for both governmental agencies and private sector companies. His wide scope of knowledge, experience, and successful track record of accomplishments in Urban Planning, Transportation, Airports, Multi-Purpose Facilities, Education, Health, Recreational and Housing Facilities is well known. Frazier’s firm was named “Black Business of the Year in 1989” by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and “Top Black Business of the year in Miami-Dade County 1990” by the Miami-Dade County Chamber of Commerce. Some examples of the firms’ work include the MLK Transit OfficeBuilding and Garage Complex, the Joseph Caleb Center, Miami-Dade State Attorney Building, Lindsey Hopkins Technical Education Center, WLRN Radio and TV Facility and Miami-Dade Community College Liberty City Entrepreneurial Education Center.

Mr. Frazier is currently the Chairman/CEO of BAC Funding Corporation and its Affiliates, a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that provides loans, investments and grants for Black businesses, economic development initiatives and non-profit community-based organizations. Under his leadership, BAC Funding Corporation has developed the $32.5 million-dollar MLK Office Building Garage Complex, loaned over $65 million dollars to Black businesses, provided over $500,000.00 in grants to non-profit community-based organizations, enabled over $10 million in procurement to Black businesses and helped create over 5,000 jobs for Black citizens of Miami-Dade County.

Mr. Frazier has an extensive civic and community volunteer record with various public and private institutions and agencies, as well inner-city community-based organizations in Miami and in other parts of the state of Florida. Mr. Frazier currently serves on the board for History Miami Museum, The Broward County Independent Transportation Surtax Oversight Board, Miami-Dade County’s 79 Street CRA and The Jackson Health Systems GOB Oversight Committee. Some of the other former community and civic board memberships included the Perez Art Museum Board, St. Thomas University Board of Trustees, Channel 2 Public Television, the Florida Black Investment Board, Founding Member and Chairman of Miami-Dade County Chamber of Commerce, Charter member of BAC Funding Corporation, Chairman, Florida Revitalization Board, Chairman of Miami-Dade County’sCommunity Small Business Enterprise Advisory Board, Chairman of Miami-Dade County School Board Minority Business Advisory Board and Chairman of The Historic Hampton House Community Trust. Mr. Frazier has extensive international travel experience in many countries located in all seven (7) continents. As a member of the following professional organizations, Sigma PiPhi Fraternity and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Mr. Frazier tries to be a beacon of light to guide the way for many African Americans into the future.

‍BAC FundingCorporation (BAC) – Mission Statement is Endurance And Achievement Against The Odds.
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‍In 1982, over 1,000 corporate and private community leaders, organizations and businesses came together to raise $6.9 million dollars to provide a beacon of light to the South Florida’s Black community. The BAC Funding Corporation (BAC) was formed to serve as the private sector’s business management entity to be the delivery mechanism for this massive urban reinvestment and redevelopment effort. BAC’s mission statementOur focus is on the growth industries, urban inner-city redevelopment, import/export, distribution, manufacturing, tourism, telecommunications, biomedical and computer technologies. Our leading objectives are designed to become both financial partners and providers of investment capital for mature entrepreneurs and seasoned businesses with positive track records and expansion opportunities.

Marlon Mitchell is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Houston Business Development, Inc. (HBDi), a Community Development Financial Institution engaged in revitalizing neighborhoods and stimulating economic growth throughout the Houston metropolitan area and surrounding counties. As a mission driven, non-profit corporation for more than 38 years, HBDi is committed to a holistic approach to investing in and building strong, healthy, and vibrant communities. The organization’s mission is accomplished through providing resources vital to the expansion and growth of small and minority businesses, including access to investment capital, affordable office space and management and technical support services tailored to the needs of emerging entrepreneurs. HBDi is also engaged in developing undervalued commercial real estate and affordable and mixed-income residential housing. Under Mitchell’s leadership, HBDi has been certified as a Community Development Financial Institution by the U.S. Treasury Department. He is also the founder and President of Lone Star State Capital Corporation, a Certified Development Company licensed by the U.S. Small Business Administration to make SBA 504 commercial real estate loans throughout Texas.

Mitchell is responsible for having spearheaded the redevelopment and adaptive reuse of Houston’s oldest shopping center (Palm Center) and converting it into a 160,000 square feet mixed-use business complex, which today is home to over 60 small businesses, nonprofit corporations, and government agencies. To date, he has helped facilitate over $250 million in funding to small and minority businesses, resulting in the creation of 4,500 jobs for citizens in the Houston Metro area.

Formerly trained in commercial lending, with combined experience in banking and community development financing, Mitchell has a broad knowledge of government lending programs and community/economic development tools and resources and is responsible for HBDi’s strategic planning and managing the operations and resources of the corporation. A native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Mr. Mitchell holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Ball State University. He has been certified as an Economic Development Finance Professional by the National Development Council and the Council for Urban Economic Development.

Marlon is engaged in supporting several community-based organizations and currently serves on several advisory boards including the Mayor's Office of Business Opportunity, Credit Coalition of Houston, Stellar Bank, SCORE, and the HGAC Gulf Coast Economic Development District. Marlon is married to his lovely wife Tammie and is an active member of Windsor Village United Methodist Church.

Over the last twenty-five years Dr. O’Donnell has worked in human service systems facilitating change. Grounded in commitment to human dignity, Dr. O’Donnell seeks to contribute to complex social problem solving through actionable ideas tied to know able outcomes. Dr. O’Donnell has provided direct clinical care to children, adults, and families and has assisted in conducting national research focused on the implementation of evidence-based interventions for Post traumatic Stress Disorder. Shifting from individual to system level interventions to address the effects of complex trauma led Casey to his current role supporting community healing, growth and prosperity. Since 2015 Dr. O’Donnell has been serving as the President and CEO of Impact Services a Community Action organization mobilizing people and resources to create connected, resilient, thriving communities. Casey is also the President of the Impact Loan Fund, which is the lending partner of Impact Services to support economic growth in Impact’s area of focus.

Under his leadership, he quickly built MAF into a national and award-winning nonprofit with innovative models for integrating financially excluded and marginalized communities into the financial mainstream. Since2008, MAF has delivered more than 95,000 direct cash assistance grants and zero interest loans to immigrants, people of color, and low-income families to improve their financial lives with higher credit scores, bigger savings, and smaller debts.For his work, he was awarded the MacArthur Fellowship, the Ashoka Fellowship, and the Aspen Institute Fellowship. He also received an HonoraryDoctorate from San Francisco University, the James Irvine Leadership Award, Princeton School of Public and International Affairs’ Distinguished Alumni Award, and the San Francisco Business Times Most Admired CEO Award, among others. José is a visionary leader, highly regarded in the consumer finance field. Currently, he serves on the FederalReserve Bank’s Community Advisory Council, the U.S. Treasury Advisory Committee on Racial Equity, and on consumer advisory boards for U.S. Bank, Experian, andCapital One. In 2012, the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau appointed him as the inaugural Chair of the Consumer Advisory Board. In 2014, CA GovernorBrown enacted legislation recognizing MAF’s Lending Circles program, making California the first state to lift credit building as a force for good. And in 2019, CA Governor Newsom enacted legislation creating the CA Money Smart program, a MAF-led effort to support nonprofit organizations that deliver effective financial education to low-income communities. José graduated from the University of California at Davis and the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.

Emilio Santandreu is CEO/Founder of OUR MicroLending, LLC(OUR) – a business lending company incorporated in Miami in October 2017, with the goal of being the most important micro lender in Florida.

Since April 2013, OUR has been a CDFI Certified Loan Fund with a target market in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties. OUR has been awarded four times by the CDFI Fund. OUR’s clients are 83% Latinos or Hispanos and 45% of them are women.

OUR only makes business loans, ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 with terms up to 24 months and with an APR of 18%. OUR does not make start up loans.

Mr. Santandreu’s background in financial services that roots back to Caracas, Venezuela. He holds a D.B.A. in Global Business from KaiserUniversity, a Certificate in Paralegal Studies from University of Miami, and a M.B.A. from Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administración (Institute of Advanced Studies in Administration, IESA).

Mr. Simpkins is a leader in Chicago’s affordable housing community and has held multiple roles serving the City of Chicago. As Managing Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Housing, he administered housing and community development policies, programs, and strategic investments. In 2014, he was appointed a Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County by the IllinoisSupreme Court, and served until 2016.

Previously, he was Deputy Commissioner for the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development (DPD), focusing on asset management, intergovernmental affairs, housing preservation initiatives and economic development policy. While at DPD, he helped to develop and administer many groundbreaking programs focused on revitalizing struggling communities, including the Troubled Buildings Initiative and the Micro-Markets Recovery program.

Mr. Simpkins earned his law degree and a Master’s in Political Science from Loyola University and began his legal career as a Skadden Foundation fellow at the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago and Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing, where he represented renters who were victims of illegal evictions called “lockouts.”

After graduating with a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Illinois, he worked for the Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities, the Chicago fair housing organization founded by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Most recently, Anthony was named Chair of the Steering Committee for the Homeownership Alliance, an initiative from the National Community Stabilization Trust, which advocates for more resources and better policies to promote affordable homeownership opportunities for American families.

Kenneth Scott is well known throughout the Philadelphia region for his support and commitment to community service. His work has produced comprehensive development in the areas of Business, Community Development, Education, Finance, Housing, Media, Philanthropy, and Technology.

After a career in engineering and science, Dr. Scott started his Beech/William Penn foundation career as a volunteer and currently serves as the President of the Beech Companies. His leadership since Beech became independent of the William Penn foundation has leveraged over a Billion dollars in Community and Economic Development in Philadelphia, created 6,000 Jobs, awarded millions in grants to non-profit organizations, provided hundreds of college scholarships and produced over 2,000 units of affordable housing. Beech has developed more than 1,000,000 square feet of Commercial, Retail and Educational Facilities.

Ken is recognized as a fellow in the global network of thought leaders in Public Policy, Urban Affairs, Social Enterprise and Innovation. He is a regular panelist, speaker and writer at conferences and universities around the country and internationally. He also works in the media arts and is a writer and the executive producer of several documentary films.

Ken has received numerous acknowledgments and awards in his career including being recognized by The White House, The United States Senate, and The House of Representatives. In 2007 he received the “Liberty Bell Award” one of the highest honors from The Mayor of the City of Philadelphia. He was also recognized by organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Fox Chase Cancer Center Service Award, Philadelphia School District, Frontiers International, Philadelphia Journalist Association, Wagner Institute of Science and numerous other awards for his commitment and dedication to family and community.

His board memberships include organizations in the Arts, Business, Journalism, Philanthropy and Science. He also had the honor to serve on the White House advisory board for Technology in Education for the Obama Administration.

Anita Smith-Dixon is the Executive Director of the Community Housing Services Agency, Inc. (CHSA) since January 1, 2020, and is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in the housing and lending industry. With a background as the Marketing and Sales Administrator for the City of Savannah Housing and Neighborhood Services Department for nine years, Anita played a pivotal role in the development and management of public - private lending partnerships. These partnerships effectively leveraged limited federal funding with significant private investment, resulting in increased access to affordable housing opportunities for the community.

Anita's expertise extends beyond lending partnerships. As a board member of Housing Savannah, Inc., she is the Fund Committee Chair seeking to raise new funding and revenue sources for the Savannah AffordableHousing Fund (SAHF). This involved implementing strategies to secure additional financial resources and ensure the sustainability of the fund.

In addition to her work in the public sector, Anita has also gained valuable experience in the private sector, having previously worked for Wells Fargo. Her time at Wells Fargo provided her with an in-depth understanding of construction and residential lending, including various downpayment programs. This knowledge allows Anita to provide guidance and support to clients throughout the construction process, ensuring informed financial decisions and successful outcomes.

Anita's strong leadership acumen is evident in her ability to supervise lending staff and effectively manage grant and loan programs' budgets. Her meticulous attention to detail and financial expertise ensure the smooth operation of these programs, maximizing their impact and success.

With her diverse background and extensive knowledge in housing and lending, Anita is a valuable asset to our team. Her dedication to promoting access to affordable housing and her commitment to excellence make her an exceptional leader in the field.