Expanding economic opportunities for people and communities

LENDING

Water

Entrepreneurs

Housing

Helping rural communities meet regulations, improve system quality and security, and expand service. Our loans support rural systems who deliver clean, safe water to the people who rely on them.

Helping entrepreneurs grow by supporting product development, hiring, and expansion. Communities Unlimited provides loans to small businesses to fuel growth, create jobs, and boost local economies.

Communities Unlimited’s Home Improvement Loan program helps residents in select counties in Arkansas and Texas access funding for essential home repairs like roof leaks, flooring, and HVAC systems.

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Communities Unlimited is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), certified since 2001, that provides loans to rural people and places across the Mid-South. Its lending program serves borrowers who often fall outside the reach of conventional banks: rural small businesses, water and wastewater systems, and homeowners. Loan products include small business and small farm loans, pre-development and community facilities financing, water and wastewater system loans, well and septic loans, and home improvement loans.
 
To date, Communities Unlimited has provided over $45 million in loans across 24 states. Financing is paired with hands-on guidance — business consulting for entrepreneurs, technical assistance for utilities — so borrowers are set up to succeed, not just funded. The organization’s direct technical assistance is focused in seven states — Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Alabama — while select loan products reach borrowers more broadly.

We’re on a mission to ensure that rural Americans have the capital they need to build sustainable businesses and resilient communities.

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LENDING STORIES

LENDING TEAM

Area Director

Debra Leach
Operations Manager

Jane Coffin
Director of Lending

Michael Rivera
Senior Economic Development Loan Officer

Chris Ranniger
Loan Assistant

Amber McClellan
Economic Development Loan Officer

Candence Brooks
Yessie Hernandez
Loan Assistant

Yessie Hernandez
Loan Officer

Jesse Saldana
Alexandria Cordero
Loan Officer

Alexandria Cordero
Sabrina Edinburgh
Loan Officer

Sabrina Edinburgh

Area Director

Debra Leach

Debra Leach, Area Director, joined Communities Unlimited (CU) in May 2021. She is responsible for originating quality loans through internal and external referral sources. She also develops strategies to market the bank’s SBA and small business grant programs to entrepreneurs with financing needs. She came to CU with a strong financial background, from her previous roles as a Vice President/Loan Manager for Arvest Bank as well as Vice President of Commercial lending for RCB Bank.

Debra has a BS in Business Administration, Marketing Management Orientation from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo.  

Phone:(405) 250-9316

Operations Manager

Jane Coffin

Jane Coffin is the Loan Operations Manager for Lending for Communities Unlimited (CU). She started at CU in a Small Business Association (SBA) Payroll Protection role.

Jane has over 15 years of nonprofit experience and brings her office management skills to her role as Loan Operations Manager. Her duties include post loan management, compliance, and collections. She is responsible for monitoring line filings, financial statements, and insurance compliance. She assists the Director of Lending in producing weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports. Jane monitors and reports on our current SBA profiles and assists in grant reporting and data management.

Phone:(479) 380-5097

Director of Lending

Michael Rivera

Michael Rivera joined Communities Unlimited (CU) as Director of Nuestra Casa in April 2022 and was promoted to Director of Lending in January 2024. He leads a team of nine and oversees the loan process, as well as CU’s Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) program, which includes small business, consumer, and commercial portfolios.

Michael has more than 15 years of experience in banking and finance. During his time as Director of Nuestra Casa, he led a program that provides small-dollar loans to residents in Colonias for home improvement projects. He holds an Associate of Arts degree in Business Management and Marketing from Athens Technical College.

Phone:(870) 403-3285

Senior Economic Development Loan Officer

Chris Ranniger

Chris Ranniger is a Senior Economic Development Loan Officer for Communities Unlimited (CU). On top of commercial loans, Chris also handles CU’s infrastructure lending. He meets with borrowers to develop relationships, helps them get all accurate documents, and ensures they are properly prepared for the loan process. He guides clients through the loan process and works with the loan committee to ensure that everything is ready for loan closing.

Chris has a B.A. in Finance from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. Chris works out of CU’s East Texas office.

Phone:(936)404-4480

Loan Assistant

Amber McClellan

Amber McClellan, Program Assistant (Loan), originally came to Communities Unlimited in July 2018 as a Receptionist and moved up to Program Assistant in April 2019. In 2020, Amber became the Executive Assistant to the CEO and assisted with AHCC, Loan Closings, and more. She eventually moved into a full-time Loan Assistant position in 2022. In this role, Amber accepts and reviews new loan applications, answers client’s questions, files necessary paperwork, and performs other administrative duties.

Amber attended Northwest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville, Arkansas, and is a graduate of Farmington High School.

Phone:(479) 236-4291

Economic Development Loan Officer

Candence Brooks

Candence Brooks started at Communities Unlimited (CU) in September 2023 and is an Economic Development Loan Officer. Candence meets with borrowers to develop relationships, helps them get all accurate documents, and makes sure they are properly prepared for the loan process. She guides clients through the loan process and works with the loan committee to ensure that everything is ready for loan closing.

Before coming to CU, Candence worked as a Business Consultant for the A-State Small Business and Technology Development Center. Candence has a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and a Master of Business Administration from Arkansas State University.

Phone:(479) 595-5053

Yessie Hernandez

Loan Assistant

Yessie Hernandez

Yessie Hernandez started CU in September 2023 as a Program Assistant (Loan). Yessie assists the lending team by accepting and reviewing new loan applications, answering client questions, filing paperwork, and other administrative duties. 

Yessie has an MBA in Business Administration and a BS in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. She assists the Lending Team with loan documents and loan closings. 

Phone:(479) 856-4921

Loan Officer

Jesse Saldana

Jesse Saldana joined Communities Unlimited (CU) as Loan Officer in December 2024.  Jesse lives in Brownsville, TX, and brings almost 20 years of experience as a Personal Banker at Wells Fargo to the position.

Jesse manages consumer loans, assesses applicant eligibility, monitors payments, and ensures borrower satisfaction and timely repayment. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Pan American University.

Phone:(956) 431-8848

Alexandria Cordero

Loan Officer

Alexandria Cordero

Alexandria Cordero joined Communities Unlimited (CU) as a Small Business and Environmental Lending Intern in January 2025, where she supported Senior Economic Development Loan Officer Chris Ranniger. In January 2026, she transitioned into a full-time role as a Loan Officer. 

In her role, Alexandria works across both community infrastructure and small business lending. Alexandria holds a Bachelor’s degree in Banking from Stephen F. Austin State University and lives in Lufkin, Texas. 

Phone:(956) 476-8833

Sabrina Edinburgh

Loan Officer

Sabrina Edinburgh

Sabrina Edinburgh, Loan Officer, joined Communities Unlimited (CU) in April 2026 and is based in Mississippi. She meets with borrowers to build relationships, helps them gather accurate documentation, and ensures they are fully prepared for the loan process. Sabrina guides clients through each step and works closely with the loan committee to make sure everything is in place for closing.

Before joining CU, Sabrina served as a Loan Officer at Hope Credit Union. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Education from Mississippi University for Women.

Phone:479-380-5655

In accordance with federal law and U.S. Department of the Treasury policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Submit a complaint of discrimination, by mail to U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Civil Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity , 1500 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20220, (202) 622-1160 (phone), (202) 622-0367 (fax), or email crcomplaints@treasury.gov (email).

Reasonable Modifications for Individuals with Disabilities

Reasonable modifications may be requested by emailing info@communitiesu.org or calling (479) 443-2700, or persons with speech or hearing impairment may call toll-free 1-800-877-0996 for service in English and Spanish.

Our Promise

To partner with people who want to escape from persistent poverty and connect them to solutions for achieving sustainable prosperity.

Our Purpose

Talent is equally distributed across the U.S. and opportunity is not. Access to opportunities should not depend on where you live, how much you have in the bank or what you look like.

Our Approach

Through human connection and ingenuity combined with cutting-edge technology and expertise, Communities Unlimited connects people to solutions that sustain healthy businesses, healthy communities, and healthy lives.

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Communities Unlimited, Inc.
3 East Colt Square Drive
Fayetteville, AR  72703

P (479) 443-2700
F (479) 443-5036

This institution is an EOE Disability/Veteran employer, provider, and lender.
Persons with speech or hearing impairment may call toll-free 1-800-877-0996 for service in English and Spanish

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development