LendTN

Connecting Tennessee business owners & entrepreneurs with the right capital at the right time. Let’s connect to find out how your business can thrive.

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What We Do

LendTN assists new and existing Tennessee small businesses and entrepreneurs with funding, from entering the market to loans to help stabilize, pivot, expand, or re-start.

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Who We Are

Communities Unlimited is a U.S. Treasury-certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI).We expand economic opportunities for underserved people and communities by providing access to the capital they need to prosper.

Filling Gaps

Communities Unlimited makes loans to small businesses to position them for profitable growth leading to new jobs and local economic development. With loans of $1000 to $100,000, we fill gaps in small business financing.

Over 20 Years

Communities Unlimited was certified as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) in 2001. We have made over $45 million in loans to small rural communities and small businesses in 24 states.

Lending Team

Senior Economic Development Loan Officer
Chris Ranniger

Economic Development Loan Officer
Candence Brooks

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

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

Consumer Loan Officer

Jesse Saldana

Jesse Saldana joined Communities Unlimited (CU) as the Consumer 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

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

LET'S TALK

What We Do

LendTN assists new and existing Tennessee small businesses and entrepreneurs with funding, from entering the market to loans to help stabilize, pivot, expand, or re-start.

Who We Are

Filling Gaps

Over 20 Years

Lending Team

Our Promise

Our Purpose

Our Approach

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