As a CDFI Loan Fund, we are held accountable to our target market through an advisory board. Our advisory board is a diverse group of professionals and community advocates who believe in our mission and vision for businesses and communities in MS, TN, AR and LA.

Advisory Board

Ronnie Crudup, Jr.

New Horizon Ministries, Inc. Executive Director MS House of Representatives

Representative Ronnie C. Crudup Jr. (MS House of Representatives) was born and raised in Jackson, MS. Ronnie lives and works in South Jackson where he is Executive Director of New Horizon Ministries, Inc. He has been on numerous boards and advisory councils in the city of Jackson. Ronnie’s primary focus is the well-being of residents in Jackson and the state of Mississippi. Representative Crudup has been involved in affordable homeownership for almost a decade, with a particular focus on helping families become homeowners.

Monica Blanton

BrightBridge Capital (CDFI) Director of New Market Tax Credit Operations

Monica Blanton is the Director of New Market Tax Credit Operations at BrightBridge Capital (CDFI). Blanton has a finance and accounting background, which she utilizes in her current capacity at BrightBridge to help businesses understand and utilize complex financing tools (including New Market Tax Credits) to finance transactions that support economic development.

Matthew Campbell

the Delta Regional Authority Strategic Partnerships Program Manager

Matthew Campbell is the Strategic Partnerships Program Manager at the Delta Regional Authority. In this capacity, Campbell is responsible for stakeholder engagement and management across the DRA and Alabama Blackbelt. He is committed to serving as a source of economic development funding for disadvantaged communities across the region. He is a community engagement practitioner working directly with communities to address critical economic development needs such as affordable housing.

Tony Jeff

Innovate Mississippi CEO

Tony Jeff serves as the president and CEO for Innovate Mississippi, a nonprofit that seeks to strengthen and grow the culture of innovation in Mississippi by accelerating startups and driving entrepreneurship throughout the state. Through this work, Tony has overseen the coaching of more than 1,200 entrepreneurial ventures, and he’s consulted with companies that have successfully raised more than $175 million in private-equity financing. He is also a member of the Advisory Board for Southern Community Capital, a Mississippi-based CDFI that serves the Mississippi and Alabama.

Alex Lawson

Hope Federal Credit Union Corporate Project Manager

Alex Lawson is the Corporate Project Manager for HOPE (a nonprofit community development financial institution consisting of Hope Enterprise Corporation, Hope Federal Credit Union, and Hope Policy Institute in Jackson, MS). In this role working with the CEO, Mr. Lawson manages enterprise-wide projects related to corporate strategy and innovation, affordable housing, healthy food access, small business development, and disaster recovery. In addition to his career at HOPE, Mr. Lawson is the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners for the Jackson Redevelopment Authority for the City of Jackson.

Christa Clark

Arkansas Capital Corporation Senior Vice President

Ms. Clark has more than 18 yrs. years of relevant experience structuring a diverse range of real estate, commercial financing, and private equity transactions. She is responsible for Arkansas Capital and Heartland Renaissance Fund’s deal structuring, strategic planning, and compliance. Ms. Clark has participated in over $800 million in community development transactions benefitting low income communities. She also serves as a Managing Director of Arkansas Capital's EB-5 Regional Center - Pine State Regional Center LLC.