Meet The Team

Prior to joining BEFCOR in 2010, Deb was a licensed insurance broker with a primary focus on Employee Group Benefits, working with an agency in Massachusetts for 22 years. Her vast experience in marketing, sales and customer relations allowed for a comfortable transition to BEFCOR and SBA lending. Deb works with almost every new business applicant at BEFCOR and she appreciates the many benefits the 504 loan program offers each BEFCOR borrower.

Deb moved to the Charlotte area in 2006 to be closer to her children and grandchildren and enjoys many outdoor activities.

Shannon Brunet joined BEFCOR in 2022 as CDFI Portfolio Specialist. Prior to her time at BEFCOR, she spent 16 years operating a small business (a local restaurant with her husband/Executive Chef), giving her real insight on owning, managing, and growing a small business.  Not only did she manage a team of employees, she also managed the accounting and financial aspects of the business.

Shannon also has years of experience in residential real estate and worked closely with clients and lenders in securing mortgages.  Being a former BEFCOR small business borrower, she has been very familiar with our processes throughout the years.  Building relationships is very important to Shannon, which gives her the opportunity to assist our CDFI borrowers and to grow community development throughout our state.

Shannon is a graduate of Lees-McRae College and lives in Indian Land, SC with her husband and son.  Shannon’s hobbies include spending time with her family and friends, cooking, entertaining and belting out the occasional show tune.

Heather Christman joined BEFCOR in 2020 as a Loan Processor. Previously, she served in numerous volunteer positions aimed at improving and supporting the local school system. Heather is excited to continue helping the community as a BEFCOR team member. She enjoys working alongside small businesses seeking access to capital for growth and expansion.

Heather settled in Charlotte after living in many different places, including her favorite, Germany. She is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with a degree in Chemical Engineering. Heather can often be found walking her dogs or playing games with her two daughters and husband.

Kimberly joined BEFCOR in 2021 and brings 20 years of combined working experience in Community Development Financial Institution, Small Business, Workforce Development, and national Vendor Management to the BEFCOR team.

She began her career at another CDFI in North Carolina, supporting community and residential mortgage initiatives and small business lending, where she developed a foundation in asset building to under-served communities. She later worked for the City of New York in the Small Business Services division on Workforce and Business initiatives.

Kimberly holds a Master’s degree in Social Enterprise Administration, and a Minor in Business Administration from Columbia University in New York, where she was selected as a Management Fellow. Upon graduation she served the City of New York, and was selected and completed the City Management Academy for emerging leaders. She is also a proud local Alum of Queens University. She enjoys traveling, singing, and serving actively in volunteer work.

A Note from Kimberly:

My motivation to support under-served and minority-owned entrepreneurs stems from my own experience of watching my grandfather grow a successful farming business from thirteen acres of land to, at the peak of his career, over five hundred twenty-five acres of land. I remember watching him leave his home every morning at 5 a.m. to work. He had limited education and financial contributions starting off, but he was the epitome of a dedicated business owner and retired at 81 years of age after a 65-year farming career.

I am honored for the opportunity to build upon the progress BEFCOR has made to advocate and provide access to capital to many underserved businesses, and am excited to carry the torch into the next chapter.

Elaine brings more than 30 years of SBA 504 lending experience to her director role at BEFCOR, previously working with two other 504 lending organizations in the Carolinas.  Her experience spans marketing, packaging, underwriting, closing and servicing in 504 loans.  Elaine has worked with other economic development loan programs, including SBA 7a, USDA’s Intermediary Relending Program, EDA Revolving Loan Fund, a privately-funded micro lending fund and more.  She is passionate about helping emerging and expanding companies obtain 504 loans and find resources for financing.

Elaine is a graduate of Coastal Carolina University and received an MBA from Winthrop University.  She and her family live in Charlotte.  Elaine’s hobbies include spending time with family and baking.

A note from Elaine:

Access to capital for small businesses is vital for each community, city, county, and region.  Financing options fortify businesses, strengthening our communities, both large and small.  Insuring that growing businesses have access to capital is the foundation of our mission at BEFCOR – and it is our passion.

We are here to help small business owners evaluate loan options.  You can trust us to share SBA 504 program details and advantages.  We will work diligently to navigate the loan process with each loan applicant – truthfully, transparently, and with the small business’ best interest as our focus.  You can rely on our team of experts for the accurate information that is crucial for sound, reliable financing decisions. We welcome the opportunity to work with you!

Sue Higgins joined BEFCOR’s team in 2017 as a Closing and Servicing Specialist. Sue began her career in the SBA 504 industry in 2002 and worked with a South Carolina CDC for 15 years prior to becoming a BEFCOR team member. She has experience in working with other economic development loan programs and brings a wealth of experience to BEFCOR’s team.

Sue and her husband live in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

Cindy has been in the financial services industry for over 30 years, including 15 years with BEFCOR. At BEFCOR, she assists borrowers and bankers with SBA 504 loan closings. Cindy has facilitated loan closings for essentially every SBA 504 loan closed at BEFCOR since 2002. Her passion is excellent customer service, and she is known for helping small business owners navigate through the closing process with acute attention to detail.

A North Carolina native, Cindy holds BS and MACC degrees from UNC Charlotte. In addition to spending time with family, she is involved in church and community volunteer organizations.

Shemeka joined the BEFCOR team in 2022 and brings 27+ years’ experience in the financial services industry.  Her combined work experience includes small business lending, SBA 7a, consumer/mortgage lending, and management with national and local community banks, and SBA government contract companies.  She has a passion for assisting underserved/minority communities, extending into the areas of asset and wealth building, as well as economic growth and development.

Shemeka is a graduate of Strayer University where she received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree (Management concentration) and an Associate of Arts degree in Business Administration (Accounting emphasis).  She has previously been an active volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and has coached mortgage clients on the topics of savings and budgeting.

Shemeka’s hobbies include reading, cooking, watching movies, spending time with family and friends, occasional travel, and dining out and trying new eateries.

Karina joined BEFCOR in 2022 as a closing assistant with more than twenty years of legal office experience. After growing up in upstate New York, Karina moved to North Carolina in 2001 and fell in love with the Southern hospitality. She is excited to focus her energy on helping new and expanding businesses. Karina enjoys going to see live music with her husband and taking their son on family trips.

Rhonda Moser joined BEFCOR in August 2017 as a loan servicing representative. As a paralegal, Rhonda has experience in loan closings, loan operations, and various banking roles. Her past positions have been with banks and a law firm, focusing in the areas of consumer and commercial real estate lending.

Rhonda moved to Charlotte in June 2016 along with her daughter.

Sharon J. Murr joined BEFCOR in 2022.  Prior to her time at BEFCOR, she spent multiple years working in diverse business environments.  Her love of Nonprofits and their mission brought her to BEFCOR.

Sharon is a graduate of University of Charlotte.  After originally graduating with an Anthropology degree, she returned to night school to obtain the accounting credits she needed to qualify for the N.C. CPA license, which she successfully acquired in November, 2005.

Sharon has resided in Charlotte for the past 20 years.  She enjoys spending time with her family, two cats and one crazy dog.  Sharon’s hobbies include hiking, gardening, reading and traveling.

Heather is passionate about the 504 program and all it offers to the community. She joined the BEFCOR team in 2006 after transitioning from a customer service representative role in the banking industry. As Loan Servicing Officer, Heather’s main focus is customer service and client relations, working with the business owner for the duration of the loan term.

Heather is a graduate of UNCG. As a mom of two young children, her hobbies include spending time with her family and staying active, as well as volunteering with her church and in the community.

Kyle Newgreen has been a North Carolina native for over 20 years.  After growing up in New York, he moved to NC to complete college. He joined the BEFCOR team in 2020 as a Loan Processor and moved into the role of Business Development Officer in 2022.  His past experience includes real estate and information technology.  Here at BEFCOR, Kyle is very excited to work with new applicants and borrowers to achieve the numerous benefits of the SBA 504 program.

Kyle is a University of North Carolina at Greensboro alum.  He enjoys traveling with his family, volunteering at his children’s school, serving on his neighborhood HOA Board, and playing golf.

Larry graduated from Murray State University with a Bachelor of Science in Speech Communication and Theatre Arts. Since that time, he has assumed a number of roles during his professional career. Larry provided a variety of lending and small business technical assistance (TA) services for Neuse River Development Authority (NRDA) from 2002 until its merger with BEFCOR in 2016.

Prior experience includes lending and technical assistance services for a Micro-enterprise Peer Lending Program, housing counseling and education for a USDA-Rural Housing Service program. Larry helped develop and implement a pilot NC Individual Development Account (IDA) program in the late 1990s that provided matching funds for savings for first-time homebuyers and small business owners. He also helped develop and implement housing, small business and financial literacy counseling and education for that program.

Prior to his business and housing roles, Larry was in the substance abuse treatment field for over 16 years as administrator and treatment provider. He lives in Carteret County with his wife Karen.

Larry is located in the New Bern office and can be reached at 252-638-6724, Ext. 105

Louis began his working career in the lending industry after graduating from college. He has been involved with assisting small businesses since 1997, working as a business counselor at the Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC). He enjoys working with business owners and helping them achieve their business expansion goals. Louis combined his passion for lending and assisting small businesses when he worked for two of the top CDCs in the state, helping business owners grow their businesses.

Louis is married to Sharron Scott Rogers and lives in Knightdale, North Carolina. He is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill with a degree in Economics and has an MBA from UNC-Wilmington. He is a native of Raleigh, North Carolina, and enjoys being involved in the community through his Rotary Club. He has served in many leadership positions in the Rotary Club of Raleigh including as its president. He is a passionate UNC basketball fan and, thanks to DVR, never misses a game.

Louis serves BEFCOR as a business development officer in the Raleigh/Triangle Office and can be reached at 919-295-5122 or 704-414-3005.

BEFCOR is pleased to announce that Greg Simmons has joined our team. While Greg’s office will be in Charlotte, his impact will be seen across the state, focusing primarily in Business Development. With experience that spans 25 years in a variety of roles in banking and commercial lending, Greg comes to BEFCOR with outstanding SBA 504 and 7a program knowledge, built around providing the best lending solutions for emerging and expanding companies. His passion for small business owners and communities has been the key driver for his career as he has served as business banker, SBA BDO, and  SBA territory sales manager for one of the nation’s leading SBA 504 lenders.

Greg attended Anderson College in Indiana, majoring in Chemistry and Math. Greg connects the two by stating, “Finding the perfect solution for a customer’s needs is rewarding and exciting.” He adds, “I couldn’t be more pleased to work at a company who has been such a great partner for me, and to work with a team I have so respected.

Greg is located in the Charlotte office and can be reached at 704-414-3012.

Milan Tomin joined BEFCOR in 2022 after graduating with an MBA from Queens University of Charlotte. He obtained Bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and physics from the same institution and decided to focus on finance during his graduate studies. His prior experience includes engineering internships, being a peer tutor, supplemental instructor, and a professional athlete competing in triathlon. Milan moved from Novi Sad, Serbia to Charlotte, NC in 2016.

Theresa Treadway joined BEFCOR in 2019 as the Operations Support Manager. Prior to her time at BEFCOR, she spent 6 years operating her own bookkeeping business, which allowed her to work closely with clients in a variety of industries, including not-for-profit and small businesses. Having an entrepreneurial spirit and unlimited energy, Theresa enjoys multitasking and having the opportunity to assist and manage various aspects of BEFCOR’s operations, ranging from accounting, to project management, to human resources.

Theresa is a graduate of SUNY Empire State and is currently pursuing her MBA at Winthrop University. After several cross country moves, she and her family settled in Fort Mill, SC four years ago. Theresa’s hobbies include spending time with her family, backpacking, hiking and paddle boarding.