Kay Anderson works with the general lending team and bank leadership to help grow loan production teams based outside of Wilmington. During the early COVID days, Kay oversaw the bank’s effort to support customers impacted by the economic impacts of the COVID-related shutdowns. She previously served as the head of emerging markets at Live Oak Bank. In this role, she and her team were responsible for rolling out lending capabilities to 15 industries, including funeral home and cemetery, agriculture and wine and craft beverage.
Prior to Live Oak Bank, Kay worked for a southern California bank for nine years with a specialty in hospitality lending. Kay has personally funded over 600 small businesses in all parts of the United States and is known for her industry knowledge, particularly on new construction properties. Kay also was the national franchise manager for Transamerica Small Business Capital. She is licensed as a CPA in Florida and her experience includes five years with the national accounting firm, Ernst & Young, where her specialty was taxation.
With a proven track record in SBA lending, Marie Askew brings extensive experience, drive and enthusiasm to Live Oak Bank. By cultivating strong relationships with her clients and network, she has garnered a robust understanding in owner-occupied real estate, ground up construction, mergers and acquisitions and commercial real estate. Through the course of her career, Marie has successfully navigated complex loans to successful close and has been responsible for increasing SBA production in her home state of California. Marie’s contribution and ambition for helping businesses grow and succeed earned her the top producer award in both 2008 and 2011, as well as recognition in the Circle of Excellence.
Through a passion for learning new environments and exploring diverse cultures, Marie spent eight years abroad where she became fluent in Spanish and earned her BA in Global Studies. A desire to broaden her knowledge and skills as a business professional led her to complete an MBA at Benedictine University in Lisle, IL. Marie currently resides in Central California and proudly serves businesses across the Northern California region.
Warren Baas joined Live Oak Bank in 2022 as vice president of small business lending. He began his career as a physical commodities trader, while helping friends and family develop business concepts in his free time. He and his wife, Kelsey, funded and started her physical therapy clinic in Waco, TX, prompting a move from Houston, TX. The experience inspired him to make a career change to help business owners succeed and grow. SBA lending was a perfect fit, and a focus on Mergers & Acquisitions financing was a natural extension of Warren’s ability and instincts. His experience as both a small business lender and a small business owner gives him unique insight in meeting the needs of his clients. Warren is a graduate of Baylor University.
David Brindley joined Live Oak Bank in 2019 and serves as vice president of small business lending, specializing in SBA and USDA government guaranteed loan programs.
With extensive experience in all aspects of commercial real estate and small business lending, David is distinguished among the top SBA lenders in the country. Prior to joining Live Oak, David was consistently named top producer and was awarded numerous elite performance awards while working with several of the nation’s largest SBA lenders. His areas of expertise are in mergers & acquisitions, partner buyouts, business expansion, new construction, debt restructuring and owner-occupied commercial real estate transactions. He obtained his formal education at the University of Minnesota where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in finance.
David currently resides in the Atlanta Metro area and serves the greater Southeastern region with a national footprint.
Jim W. Chung joined Live Oak Bank in 2023 as vice president of small business lending. He is a seasoned financial professional with over 20 years of experience within the debt and equity markets. Jim’s expertise spans publicly traded securities, REITs, private equity, and commercial lending. He has served as a managing director of sales and SVP of small business lending for various top-tier commercial real estate firms, banks and securities brokerage houses. Jim has spent the last 11 years specializing in SBA and serving small business owners to find solutions for their financing needs. Throughout Jim’s career, he has deployed and raised over 3 billion dollars in capital.
Blake is a loan officer with Live Oak’s small business lending team, where he’s passionate about helping entrepreneurs obtain financing to purchase a business or expand their existing one. Since joining the bank in 2017, he’s served in a variety of key roles across the organization. Most recently, Blake worked as an analyst on the small business lending team. Before that, he worked in Live Oak’s underwriting department supporting business acquisition, real estate acquisition/construction and partner buy-out transactions across several industries. Blake graduated from Washington & Lee University with a degree in business administration and accounting. While at W&L, he played on the university's varsity basketball team.
Rocco De Celestino joined Live Oak Bank in February of 2023 as a senior loan officer on the SBA General Lending Team. Prior to joining Live Oak, Rocco worked for some of the nation’s largest SBA lenders, where he was consistently a top SBA producer. He has spent the last two decades helping entrepreneurs obtain customized financing solutions to meet the needs of their businesses. Rocco has expertise in merger & acquisition financing, business expansion, partner buyouts, owner-occupied commercial real estate, ground-up construction and working capital lines of credit. He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Saint Thomas Aquinas College in New York. Rocco is based in South Florida and is available to help business owners nationwide.
For over two decades, Kevin Doyle has been a significant leader in SBA lending. With a customer-oriented approach and deep knowledge of SBA lending opportunities, Kevin has originated, structured and processed an extensive number of SBA 7(a) and 504 loans. Kevin’s expertise enables him to create customized financial solutions based on his clients’ unique needs.
Kevin specializes in financing business acquisition and commercial real estate transactions. Throughout his career, he’s cultivated a robust network and established a proven track record of success. Of note, he was given the prestigious SBA Lending Lifetime Achievement award for generating the most SBA loans across the country. Kevin joined Live Oak Bank in 2020 and resides in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. He graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance.
Kalen Foster joined Live Oak Bank in 2022 as vice president of small business lending, specializing in SBA 7(a) and 504 loans, as well as USDA and conventional financing pathways. A San Diego native, Kalen serves the Southern California region, with a national lending footprint for financing mergers & acquisitions, partner buy-outs, franchises and owner-occupied real estate, expansion and new construction loans. Kalen maintains strong relationships with prominent brokers, CPAs, advisors, and leading industry groups. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and accounting from San Diego State University and was distinguished as one of the top SBA lenders year-over-year nationally with one of the nation’s largest banks. Utilizing a focus on strategy, structure, cash flow and speed, Kalen maintains a deep commitment to successfully guiding small business owners through an efficient loan process with an excellent experience.
Ryan Furstenau joined Live Oak Bank in 2018 as vice president of small business lending, focused on SBA financing for mergers and acquisitions and owner-occupied commercial real estate. Beginning his SBA lending career in 2002, Ryan has worked to sharpen his acquisition financing skills and SBA knowledge. His straight-forward, no nonsense approach has allowed him to work efficiently by setting realistic expectations, and delivering for his clients. Ryan became the third largest SBA 7(a) lender in Utah as measured by loan volume in 2006 and 2007. For fiscal year 2019, Ryan and Live Oak Bank were awarded Top Lender (by volume) by the Utah District SBA Office. Ryan attended the United States Air Force Academy on a football scholarship and earned a bachelor's degree in Finance with a minor in Accounting from Northern Illinois University in 2000.
Jerry Gauthier joined Live Oak Bank in 2022 as a senior loan officer. A lifetime New Jersey resident, Jerry began his banking career in 2000 and has deep expertise in small business lending, specifically SBA, USDA and conventional loan structures. He has also held several financial licenses, including Series 7, 66, Life & Health, Real Estate Sales. Prior to joining Live Oak, Jerry worked for a leading national lender for two decades, where he was a top performer in the bank. He specializes in business acquisitions, partner buyouts, expansion and construction including ground-up construction, debt restructure and commercial real estate. Jerry lives in New Jersey with his wife and two daughters.
Wendy Ghormley joined Live Oak Bank in 2022 as vice president of small business lending. Wendy has more than 15 years of experience in small business financing. She has been responsible for originating, underwriting, closing and marketing government-guaranteed loans for commercial real estate, construction and other small business capital needs. She has financed a broad range of projects, including medical offices, urgent care and emergency room clinics, storage facilities, hotels, and manufacturing facilities for singular and multiple guarantors. Prior to joining Live Oak, Wendy spent ten years in the SBA lending department at Texas First Bank and has served in small business lending roles with Trustmark National Bank and Bank of America. In addition, Wendy is an active member of several organizations, including The Economic Alliance Houston Port Region as the 2023 chair of the women’s alliance leadership committee, the Bay Area Houston Commercial Real Estate Network as a sponsoring partner and the Texas C.P.A. society as a member.
Elyse Gonzales joined Live Oak Bank in 2021 with extensive SBA lending experience. She specializes in commercial real estate purchases and refinances, business acquisitions, business expansions and new construction opportunities. She’s passionate about working with every small business customer to gain a deeper understanding of the company’s history, their current position and opportunities and areas for growth. Elyse currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona. She enjoys spending time with her husband, two daughters and dog.
As a loan officer on Live Oak’s small business lending team, Alex joined the bank in 2017. In his current role, Alex specializes in assisting entrepreneurs with their financing needs, such as business acquisitions and expansions. Throughout his career at Live Oak, Alex has worked in a variety of roles across the bank, including as an analyst and underwriter for the small business lending team, as well as supporting business acquisitions, real estate acquisitions and partner buyout transactions across a wide variety of industries. Alex graduated from Clemson University where he received degrees in Management and Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management.
Jeff Hildebrandt serves as vice president of small business lending, where he supports business owners to solve complex financing problems with SBA, conventional and USDA funding solutions. Jeff has extensive lending experience and is a recognized expert in the SBA financing field. He is an approved SBA Finance instructor by the California Department of Real Estate. As a previous business owner himself, Jeff knows that the correct financing package can help a business grow and succeed. He received a bachelor’s degree in finance from St. Vincent College Pennsylvania. Jeff is based in Los Angeles and is available to help business owners nationwide.
Brian J. Hunt joined the bank after over two decades of lending experience in roles with some of the nation’s leading financial institutions. Much of his career has been focused at lending to M&A, owner-occupied Real Estate and franchises. Utilizing both SBA and conventional loan structures, his background includes specializing in financing acquisitions and expansions. Brian graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor of Science in Finance. In addition, he earned the prestigious designation as a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) in 2010.
Paul Moreno joined Live Oak Bank’s M&A lending team in June 2018 as a senior loan officer. Paul’s primary focus includes business acquisitions, partner buyouts, stock purchases, owner-occupied real estate and ground up construction. Prior to joining Live Oak Bank, he worked for one of the nation’s largest SBA lenders for over 12 years covering the Dallas and Austin markets where he was consistently one of the top SBA lenders.
Paul brings extensive experience in M&A financial analysis and loan structuring, as well as guiding clients through the complexity of ground up construction projects and real-estate purchases. Paul received his bachelor’s degree in International Business from The University of Texas at Arlington. Paul lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Nancy, twin sons Marc and Alexander and their furry canine Macallan. In his spare time, he enjoys exploring the outdoors, hiking the many trails of Austin and road cycling.
With extensive small business lending experience, Michelle Orr joined the Live Oak team in 2021 as vice president of small business lending. She brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise from her previous role with one of the leading SBA lenders in the country. Over the course of her career, Michelle has originated and closed countless SBA 7(a) and 504 loans, specializing in commercial real estate, business acquisitions, partner buyouts, expansion and new construction. She’s deeply passionate about delivering an exceptional lending experience for her customers and is committed to serving as a reliable guide throughout the entire process. Michelle graduated from Johnson & Wales University with an associate degree in marketing. She lives in Monroe, CT with her husband and daughter and serves the entire Connecticut/New York region.
Megan Guillory Owens joined Live Oak Bank in 2022 as vice president of small business lending. Throughout her 15 years in the banking industry, Megan has dedicated herself to helping small businesses. Megan believes that SBA lending is a unique tool to help businesses achieve their growth goals far more quickly and with less risk. She is passionate about educating the market about the availability of SBA loans. Specializing in mergers & acquisitions, Megan finds it exciting to finance the American Dream by giving one entrepreneur a path to business ownership and another a path to retirement at the same time. She graduated from the Mitchell College of Business at the University of South Alabama in 2008, and from the Alabama Banking School program in 2016. Megan was born and raised in Mobile, AL, where she currently resides with her husband and three children.
Mark Pompeo serves as vice president of small business lending, where he supports entrepreneurs with financing. Mark helps business owners secure the best loan for their growing business and implement financial solutions based on a comprehensive understanding of their goals.
Mark joined Live Oak in 2019 and brings deep expertise in commercial lending. Prior to Live Oak, he worked at of the nation’s largest SBA lenders where he was consistently one of the top SBA producers. Before that, he spent eight years as a business intermediary, where he consistently placed as one of the top ten national agents. Many of these transactions involved the use of SBA financing. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Potsdam College and lives in Charlotte.
John Randall joined Live Oak Bank in 2018 and currently manages the Eastern United States of the general lending team. Since 2001, John has been lending to small businesses. He specializes in financing business acquisitions, partner buyouts, and owner-occupied commercial real estate. His underwriting, portfolio management and credit-decisioning experience give John a unique perspective in the lending business.
John has served numerous community organizations including Habitat for Humanity, Red Cross, the Indiana Leadership Forum, Northview Church and Crown Financial. He was recognized with a National Volunteer Award from Wells Fargo, was selected to the Indianapolis Business Journal’s "40 under 40" list and was named one of Indianapolis’s 100 Best and Brightest by Junior Achievement. John lives in McCordsville, Indiana, with his wife and two daughters. He enjoys spending time outdoors, shooting sporting clays and winemaking.
Lane Rhodes joined Live Oak in 2022 as vice president of small business lending. For over 20 years, she has been known as the “Go-To Expert” for SBA lending across the state of Tennessee and throughout the Southeast. She specializes in mergers and acquisitions, partner buy-outs, and commercial real estate transactions. With over two decades of commercial banking experience, Lane has helped hundreds of business owners across the country through the SBA loan process. Lane has been featured in the Nashville Business Journal, Nashville Post, Daily Memphian, and the Tennessee CPA Journal for her expertise in government-guaranteed lending. She is passionate about helping Veterans become business owners and advocating on behalf of the military community to gain access to capital. Shortly after her marriage in 1998, Lane and her husband started a nonprofit summer camp called the Barefoot Republic Camp. This camp focuses on diversity by bringing kids from all different backgrounds together and offers scholarship assistance to over 75% of its campers. Lane currently resides in Franklin, TN, with her husband and two children.
Aaron joined the Live Oak team in 2022 as vice president of small business lending. Throughout his 20-year career at one of the nation’s largest lenders, Aaron has primarily focused on SBA 7(a) and 504 lending, with extensive knowledge surrounding unsecured business acquisitions. Before his banking career, Aaron started and owned the first Two Men and A Truck franchise in Phoenix, Arizona. He successfully operated the business for five years. Aaron graduated from Concordia University and currently resides in Vancouver, Washington.
Addie Roberge joined Live Oak Bank in 2022 as vice president of small business lending, specializing in stock purchases and mergers, partner buyouts, owner-occupied real estate and ground up construction. With her extensive SBA lending experience, Addie understands the importance of educating clients about the SBA process and its attributes to ensure a quick and efficient closing. In 2002, Addie began her career in banking and became an SBA lender in 2009. Before becoming a loan officer, she spent time both processing and underwriting SBA loans, providing her with the foundation to navigate the SBA process. Addie manages the Pacific Northwest, where she is recognized as a top performer in the business community. She received the U.S. Small Business Administrations “Financial Services Advocate of the Year” in 2017 and completed the Washington Banker’s Association Executive Development Program in 2019. Addie graduated from The Evergreen State College and now resides in Snohomish, Washington with her husband, three kids and two dogs.
With nearly extensive experience in small business and conventional lending Rod brings a vast wealth of financial knowledge to Live Oak. He strives to serve as a key advisor throughout the loan process, specializing in business acquisitions and commercial real estate loans with a customer-centric approach. His consistent attention to detail in complex transactions and deep understanding of mortgage/commercial industry disciplines and government loan programs enhance Rod’s unique perspective. Prior to joining Live Oak, he worked for one of the nation’s largest SBA lenders and was a top producer. He joined Live Oak in 2019 and resides in Texas.
Nathan Sahar joined Live Oak Bank as a Senior Loan Officer and brings nearly two decades of unique SBA experience. Prior to joining Live Oak Bank, he was consistently a nationally ranked producer for originating SBA 7(a) and 504 loans. He has won numerous awards during his career and has helped lend out over $350 million in SBA loans. His specialties include business acquisitions and partner buyout as well as commercial real estate and construction. Nathan has dedicated his professional career to helping small business owners navigate through the intricacies of SBA borrowing with his thorough understanding of SBA lending policies and procedures, hands-on service, effective communication and ability to steer and successfully close deals.
Nathan began his career in Minneapolis and then moved to Northern California where he resides with his family of 5. He earned degrees in finance and entrepreneurial management from Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.
Brei Silvia joined Live Oak Bank in 2021 as vice president of small business lending. Over the course of her career, Brei has worked hand-in-hand with countless business owners, connecting the dots between their long-term goals and the funding they need to get there. She's focused on merger & acquisition, ground-up construction, veterinary and franchise lending. By leveraging her deep knowledge of SBA and conventional loans, Brei is passionate about helping her customers secure the funds they need to build a better business.
Jonathan joined Live Oak Bank as a vice president in September 2019. With extensive experience lending to small businesses, he specializes in SBA and USDA lending programs. Jonathan’s expertise lies in financing Employee Stock Ownership Plans, owner-occupied commercial real estate, M&A lending, partner buyouts, tenant improvements, equipment and ground-up construction.
Prior to joining Live Oak, Jonathan managed the east coast lending team for one of the largest non-bank SBA lenders. He also started a national SBA division for a bank in Boston, helping the bank earn a spot as one of the top 100 SBA lenders in their first year of production.
A New England native, Jonathan resides in New Hampshire with his wife, four daughters and three dogs. He serves on the Advisory Board for the New Hampshire Small Business Development Council and is an active member of the New England Business Broker Association. Jonathan is a graduate of Suffolk University in Boston, MA.
With extensive small business lending and credit experience, Kristen joined the Live Oak team in 2022 as vice president of small business lending. Throughout her career, Kristen has originated and closed countless SBA loans, earning recognition for closing over $50 million in SBA loans in a single year. Prior to her role as a lender, Kristen was on the SBA credit and underwriting team. This experience allows her to view each deal holistically, ultimately benefitting the customer. Kristen is a graduate of Miami University of Ohio and currently resides in Liberty Township, Ohio with her husband, stepdaughter and two sons. When she isn’t busy running her kids to all their sports, she enjoys various outdoor activities, including golf and skiing.
Jay Steiner joined Live Oak Bank as a vice president in 2019. He has over two decades of experience in small business lending, specializing in SBA lending programs to finance business acquisition, expansion and debt refinance. Prior to joining Live Oak, he was a top producer at regional banks in the Chicago market, with a national lending footprint. He is a graduate of Loyola University and serves the greater Chicago area, where he lives.
Tammy Teece joined Live Oak Bank as a vice president in 2019. She comes with extensive experience in the financial industry and was most recently a top producer in the West Florida market for originating SBA 7(a) loans for one of the nation’s largest lenders. Her areas of expertise include business acquisitions, partner buyouts, expansion, new construction, debt restructure and commercial real estate. Her underwriting, relationship management, and credit-decision making experience provide Tammy a unique perspective in the lending business. Tammy lives in Fort Myers, Florida, and is involved in the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida, Loan Brokers Association and the Florida Small Business Network.
For over two decades, John Thwing has been a significant leader in SBA lending. With a deep knowledge of SBA lending opportunities, John has closed an extensive number of SBA 7(a) and 504 loans. John specializes in business acquisitions, expansions, commercial real estate and partner buy-outs, helping countless small businesses fund their next step. Throughout his career, he’s earned the nickname "The SBA Guy." John joined Live Oak Bank in 2022 and resides in Minneapolis, MN.
Mike joined Live Oak Bank in 2021 and is a seasoned SBA lender. Mike is highly experienced in business acquisitions, commercial real estate, partner buy-outs and franchise financing. Mike lives in Fishers, Indiana with his wife and three children. Outside of Live Oak, he enjoys coaching his kids and spending time on the golf course.
Jim Vigna joined Live Oak Bank in April 2019. He has deep expertise in small business lending and has spent his entire career in the New York and New Jersey markets. Prior to joining Live Oak, he worked for one of the largest banks in the country, was the top SBA lender by volume multiple times and broke records for highest SBA production. His area of expertise is in business acquisitions, partner buyouts, expansion, new construction, debt restructure and commercial real estate. Jim received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Lehigh University and lives in New Jersey.
John Wahl joined Live Oak Bank in early 2018 and currently manages the Western United States for the general lending team. With deep SBA lending experience, John helps to acquire new clients in the business acquisition space for loans between $1M-$10MM. These opportunities include partner/manager buyouts, stock purchases and mergers; in addition to owner-occupied real estate and ground-up construction projects. In his most recent role, he worked at one of the nation’s largest banks, where he generated over $215 million in SBA loans and was consistently one of the top SBA lenders.
John is responsible for the cash flow analysis, structuring and initial credit underwriting of all M&A loan requests. He is skilled at guiding his customers through the SBA lending process and maintains strong relationships with leading brokers, exit advisors, CPAs and other industry groups. John received his Bachelor of Science with an emphasis in Finance from the University of Colorado in Boulder. He serves on several community boards in his hometown in Colorado and is an avid skier.
Tim Weinhold joined Live Oak Bank in 2022 as vice president of small business lending. Tim has 21 years of experience in SBA lending and has spent the last 15 years specializing in acquisitions and partner buyouts. In addition to his extensive experience, Tim excels at surpassing expectations and follows through on commitments. Tim has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Missouri, and an MBA from Webster’s University.
As a senior loan officer on Live Oak’s small business lending team, Jeannie joined the bank in 2021. With lending experience at some of the nation’s leading financial institutions, she brings a wide array of knowledge and expertise to the bank. Most of Jeannie’s career has been focused on lending to small businesses and franchises on a nationwide scale in childcare, quick-service restaurants, and other industries. Utilizing both SBA and conventional loan structures, her background includes specializing in financing mergers & acquisitions, expansions for franchise owners and second locations for owner-occupied real estate.
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