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GRACE FRICKS, President and CEO, MBAGrace Fricks is the founder and CEO of Appalachian Community Enterprises (ACE), now known as Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs. ACE is a non-profit organization and Community Development Financial Institution that provides loans to start and grow businesses in Georgia. ACE also offers its borrowers business development resources to create sustainable businesses. Since 1999, ACE has provided more than $8 million in microloans thus creating or retaining more than 2500 jobs. In 2009, ACE founded Georgia Green Loans, www.georgiagreenloans.org, a statewide partnership providing loans to help small businesses “green-ovate.” She currently serves on the national Appalachian Capital Advisory Committee of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), is a member of the Advisory Board for Enterprise to Empower (En2Em),a Georgia Institute of Technology student-led organization and serves on the Policy Committee for Opportunity Finance Network. Fricks is a past member of the board of directors of the national trade association, Association for Enterprise Opportunity, (AEO) and is past treasurer of Georgia Microenterprise Network (GMEN). Ms. Fricks, a small business owner for over 15 years, is a former board member of the National Association of Women Business Owners, Atlanta chapter. Other community work includes former Board of White County Rotary Club and former Trustee of the Board of North Georgia Technical College. Ms. Fricks was the 2005 recipient of the Founders Award for GMEN. |
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SANDY HEADLEY, Vice PresidentWith more than 20 years banking experience, Mrs. Headley directs the lending team for 68 counties and has instituted automated underwriting platforms and credit reporting systems for ACE. While at ACE, Mrs. Headley has grown its portfolio from $2 million to $4.9 million thus creating or nearly 700 jobs. She helped develop and implement Georgia Green Loans and expanded its service area into Atlanta. Her past banking experience includes working as a mortgage originator, mortgage processor/closer as well as Assistant Vice President of loan recovery at a national bank. This included liquidation of business inventory, recovery of accounts receivables, workouts securing mortgages, professional mediation, liquidation of personal properties and extensive legal involvement. Ms. Headley has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Central Florida. |
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LISA ROBINSON, Atlanta Business Development Officer, MBARobinson works with Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs (ACE) as a Business Development Officer, responsible for marketing and underwriting their Georgia Green Loans and loan programs for metro-Atlanta. Previously, she was a program manager for Regions Bank, Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta and an educational consultant and lecturer at Addis Ababa Commercial College in Ethiopia. She also worked as a commercial lender with Self- Help Credit Union and as a small business consultant for the North Carolina Institute of Minority Economic Development. Robinson brings 18 years of experience in financial management, community economic development, and program administration in both non-profit and for-profit sectors. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Clark Atlanta University and a MBA from the University of Texas. She is also a certified Economic Development Finance Professional. |
| Maria “Mayte” Peck, Atlanta Loan Officer 404.717.2282 peck@aceloans.org John Lawson, North Georgia Loan Officer Courtney Lynn, North Georgia Loan Officer Lacy Turner, Director of Communications Toni Wiley, Loan Operations Assistant LisaYork, Accountant Candace Thomas, Executive Assistant to the President Guy Ramos, Client Counselor |