About the Council
The Advisory Council on Small Business, Community and Economic Development, Agriculture and Labor comprises diverse leaders who are experts in a broad range of industries or come from organizations that serve vulnerable populations. Council members advise Bank leadership about current economic conditions and emerging issues in their industries and communities. These discussions help inform Fed leadership who then contribute to national monetary policy decisions.
Map of Council Member Locations

Community and Economic Development Sub-Council
Pierre Batton
Director of Community Engagement
Pierre Batton is the director of community engagement at DTE Energy, where he leads statewide outreach efforts to strengthen relationships with customers and communities. He brings a proven track record of leveraging corporate responsibility and community investment to drive transformative impact. Previously, as vice president of global philanthropy for JPMorgan Chase in Michigan, Batton led the firm’s $200 million economic commitment to Detroit, deploying strategic investments in affordable housing, minority-owned small businesses, and workforce development. Passionate about equity-driven economic growth, he continues to champion innovative solutions that create lasting prosperity. Batton holds degrees from the University of Michigan and California State University, Long Beach.
Eva Brown
Head of Community Reinvestment and Partnerships
Eva Brown rejoined BMO in April 2024 as the head of community reinvestment and partnerships. In this position, Brown leads the organization’s Community Reinvestment Act outreach strategy and further advance BMO’s deep commitment to community and economic development through a comprehensive approach that includes traditional and emerging banking practices as well as corporate and social impact. Most recently, she served as the head of business growth and entrepreneurship and financial health and wealth for JPMorgan’s Advancing Black Pathways team. Brown also serves as first vice chair of the board of Women’s Business Development Center.
Lauren Dietz
Senior Planner / GIS Manager
Lauren Dietz is the senior planner and GIS manager for the Village of Waunakee, WI, and a member of the American Institute for Certified Planners (AICP). After receiving her bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dietz went on to obtain a Master of Public Policy from the University of Northern Iowa, and master’s degrees in community and regional planning and business administration from Iowa State University. She has more than 10 years of combined experience in municipal government and consulting for local governments and regional organizations of all sizes.
Manny Flores
President and CEO
Manny Flores is the president and CEO of SomerCor, an Illinois-based, U.S. Small Business Administration Certified Development Company. He joined SomerCor’s board in 2016 and became president and CEO in 2018. Previously, Flores served as a Chicago City Council member from 2003 to 2010 and as the director of the Division of Banking and acting secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation from 2011 to 2015, where he was charged with regulating state-chartered banks, credit unions, and other financial services companies. Flores holds a JD from George Washington University Law School and is a Leadership Greater Chicago fellow.
Rodney Francis
Executive Director of Workforce Development
Rev. Rodney Francis, executive director, leads workforce development strategies for 38,000+ healthcare employees. With 20+ years of executive leadership in workforce development and nonprofits, he also has extensive senior pastoral leadership experience. He contributes to workforce and community development as a board member of the National Youth Employment Coalition, a member of the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals, and a participant in the Marion County Youth Violence Prevention Committee. Rev. Francis holds degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary and the College of New Rochelle and completed executive leadership programs at Ohio State University, Washington University and Focus Leadership St. Louis.
Donna Givens Davidson
President and CEO
Donna Givens Davidson has over 35 years’ leadership experience in areas of youth and family development, community economic development, community partnerships, and community education. Now serving as president and CEO of Eastside Community Network, Givens Davidson has led several organizations. She sits on several boards and steering committees for local and national organizations. Givens Davidson hosts a weekly podcast, Authentically Detroit. Givens Davidson has earned a master's in educational leadership from Wayne State University, a bachelor's in political science from the University of Michigan and a certificate of completion from the Harvard University Summer Leadership Institute.
Hector Hernandez
Executive Director
Hector Hernandez is currently executive director of Southwest Economic Solutions DBA MiSide Wealth. Hernandez oversees all day-to-day operations of multiple satellite offices, which hold programs that include homeownership, workforce development, adult learning and financial literacy services. Hernandez also launched ProsperUs Detroit, a Detroit-based entrepreneurship program that was so successful, it became an independent free-standing 501c3 organization in October of 2020. Hernandez has over 20 years of experience in the local and state housing industry, having previously worked at both MSHDA and the Detroit Housing Commission. He currently serves on multiple local and national boards.
Rob Lockett
Executive Director
Rob Lockett serves as executive director for Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC) Detroit, where he leads day-to-day operations and management for the community development organization. Since 1990, LISC Detroit has deployed over $400 million in grants, loans, and program investments; leveraging more than $1.4 billion to support affordable housing development and preservation, small businesses growth, as well as workforce development and education opportunities for residents in Detroit. Nationally, LISC is the largest community development intermediary, combining corporate, government, and philanthropic resources to help community-based organizations revitalize neighborhoods across the U.S.
Jerrica Marshall
Executive Director
Jerrica Marshall serves as the inaugural executive director of The Directors Council (TDC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing disparities and inequities affecting Black residents of Polk County. Since its inception in 2004, TDC has worked to foster systemic change and improve the conditions of individuals in the communities it serves. In her role, Marshall leads a coalition of leaders committed to advancing these efforts through policy and advocacy initiatives rooted in the findings of the One Economy Report. A 2019 graduate of the African American Leadership Academy, Marshall is known for her collaborative leadership style, mentorship, and commitment to advancing equity. In 2024, Marshall was recognized as a Business Record Forty Under 40 honoree, a testament to her impact on Central Iowa and her leadership in driving positive, lasting change.
Steven Meyer
CEO
Steven Meyer serves as the chief executive officer of Intend Indiana, a nonprofit that connects people to opportunity and advances collaborative community development. Meyer oversees the strategic growth of the organization, including its two community development financial institutions (CDFIs), affordable housing development, and land banking initiative. During his tenure, Meyer has overseen the formation of two CDFIs, a merger of two vertically integrated nonprofit organizations, affiliation as a chartered member of NeighborWorks America, certification as a Housing Counseling Agency, and expansion of services to the entire state. Meyer is an active leader in community development, serving on the boards of local, statewide, and national nonprofit organizations. Meyer is a graduate of the IU McKinney School of Law and a licensed attorney.
Nicole Robinson
CEO
Nicole R. Robinson has spent her career building bridges between communities, individuals, government, and business leaders. Today, Robinson serves as the chief executive officer for YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, a social impact organization dedicated to eliminating racism and empowering women. Since joining YWCA Metropolitan Chicago as CEO in 2022, Robinson has been focused on building both community and organizational resilience as a foundation for continued growth as the organization supports families in their transition from an equitable recovery to an equitable future. She has been featured in Crain’s Business Chicago amongst the list of Notable Black Leaders and Executives and serves on the boards of Court Theatre and Erikson Institute and the Centene Health IL Subsidiary Board, as well as being a member of the Economic Club of Chicago.
Anna Shires
VP, Associate Director, Community Investment Outreach
Anna Shires is the Detroit-based vice president, associate director, community investment outreach, at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis. In this role, she works closely with affordable housing stakeholders, financial institutions, and critical community partners to increase investment across the state of Michigan to both build affordable housing as well as help residents obtain and sustain homeownership. Prior to joining the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis in 2020, Shires was the manager of housing development for the City of Detroit, where she led a team charged with investing the City’s affordable housing dollars into transformative housing projects. Shires holds a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Michigan.
Aaron Smith
Chief Bonds Program Director
Aaron Smith is the chief bond programs director at Iowa Finance Authority, where he oversees the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds along with other community development financing programs including the Single Family Homeownership and Beginning Farmer programs. Before joining the Authority, he helped municipalities and nonprofit organizations finance capital projects as a public finance investment banker. Smith holds master's degrees in finance and business administration and a bachelor's degree in international business. He is a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Financial Advisory Board.
Brett White
Executive Director
Brett White’s career has predominantly been focused on regional issues executed at community scale. His work has encompassed building and operationalizing a substantial number of bilateral partnerships between public and private sector institutions, which includes raising close to $500 million for community economic development projects and systems in 23 states and provinces. Over the past forty years, White has developed the specialized expertise of leading the comprehensive turnaround of cornerstone nonprofit/quasi-governmental organizations that were either too large or too important regionally to let fail.
Ryan Zerwer
President and CEO
Ryan Zerwer has led Forward Community Investments (FCI) as president and CEO since 2021. A seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and community leader, he is passionate about social impact work. His extensive professional background in corporate finance, operations, technology, and real estate provides him with a unique set of skills to lead FCI. Zerwer is steadfast in his commitment to creating a more equitable future for all Wisconsin communities. He serves on the board of directors for Goodwill Industries of SC Wisconsin and Porchlight Foundation and resides in Madison, WI, with his wife and two daughters.
Small Business, Agriculture and Labor Sub-Council
Shalini Alim, DNP, MSN, MBA, RN
President
Shalini Alim is director of cardiology, GI service lines, minimally invasive procedure suites, and interventional services at Eskenazi Health. As the president of the Indiana State Nurses Association, she is an advocate for the nursing profession and healthcare. With 28 years of nursing experience and over six years in executive leadership, Alim brings deep expertise in critical care, hospital operations, staff management, and bed utilization. Her current focus is on innovating cardiac, GI, interventional, trauma, and neuro-interventional services. As advocate for healthcare and nursing practice, she plays a pivotal role in various state committees, driving policy change and supporting the advancement of the profession.
Haven Allen
President and CEO
Haven Allen is CEO of mHUB and managing partner of mHUB Ventures, driving hardtech innovation and manufacturing entrepreneurship. Since 2017, he has positioned mHUB as a top U.S. innovation center, supporting 500+ startups and generating $1.89 billion in investments. Previously, he worked in economic development at World Business Chicago, Peace Corps Panama, and City of Chicago. Allen currently serves on 13 private and nonprofit boards. Allen is a Neubauer Civic Scholar Fellow at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan and a BA from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Thomas Call
Senior Commodity Risk Consultant
Thomas Call is a senior commodity risk consultant for Mid-Co Commodities, a subsidiary of the fourth largest cooperative in the United States, Growmark, Inc. Call works hand in hand with farmers and commercial elevators throughout Iowa and the Midwest to navigate the uncertain and volatile grain markets. This experience provides keen insight into the health of the rural economy. He has been involved in commodity markets in various roles since 2004. He is also actively involved in his local community through volunteer work at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in West Des Moines. Thomas lives in Waukee, IA with his wife, daughter, and two dogs.
Dan Culhane
President and CEO
Dan Culhane is the president and CEO of the Ames Regional Economic Alliance, leading a team of seventeen and overseeing initiatives across eight organizations in three counties centralized in Ames, Iowa, home to Iowa State University. During his tenure, he has led dozens of economic development projects with investment eclipsing over $2 billion and the creation of over 5,000 jobs. Dan holds a BS in urban planning from Iowa State University and certifications as a certified economic developer and certified chamber executive. He was honored with the Iowa Association of Business & Industry Leadership for Iowa award in June 2023.
Alexis Dishman
SVP, Small Business Chief Lending Officer
As CRF’s small business chief lending officer, Alexis Dishman is responsible for managing all aspects of the organization’s small business lending function including expanding the technical assistance program for customers, management of the lending team, and managing organizational risk. Dishman holds 20 years of corporate and nonprofit experience, including more than 14 years dedicated to small business lending. Prior to CRF, she served in leadership roles with Michigan Women, IFF, Bank of America, and Comerica Bank. Dishman is a graduate of Michigan State University where she earned a degree in finance. She also earned a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in finance from Wayne State University.
Stephanie Hopper
Co-owner and Operator
Stephanie Hopper is an active farmer in North Central Indiana on her family's multi-generational grain, hog, and beef operation. Hopper's focus on her farm and in her local community is to advocate within her roles, with the end goal being to secure the future of rural communities and agriculture. She currently serves on the Farm Credit Mid-America Board of Directors and Miami County Farm Bureau Board and is a 4-H volunteer in her county program. Hopper graduated from Purdue University with an associate’s degree in agricultural economics and from Indiana Wesleyan University with a bachelor’s degree in business.
Eric Isbister
CEO
Eric Isbister and his wife Mary own GenMet Corporation, a 50-employee metal fabrication company located in Mequon, Wisconsin. Prior to purchasing GenMet, Isbister built, tested, and designed nuclear submarines for the Navy at General Dynamics Electric Boat Division in Connecticut. He has a BS in electrical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He is a member of the board of directors for Beyond Vision, a not-for-profit corporation that hires people who are blind. Isbister is a member of the Waukesha County Technical College and Milwaukee Area Technical College Industry Advisory Boards and the Milwaukee School of Engineering Corporation Board.
Aaron Janik
Executive Director
Since 2015, Aaron Janik has served as the executive director of MARBA. He negotiates and administers over 20 collective bargaining agreements for the construction industry in the Chicagoland area. He holds a JD (2008) and an LLM (2019 with honors) in employee benefits from the John Marshall Law School. Previously, Janik worked for a law firm representing unions and as in-house counsel for a police union. Janek is deeply involved with both professional and community service organizations. He currently serves on a school board and coaches youth sports. He resides in the southwest suburbs with his wife and children.
Joe Kelsay
North America Food Systems Leader
Joe Kelsay is the North America food systems leader at Corteva™ Agriscience, a global agriculture company focused on enhancing farmer productivity. In this capacity, he supports market access and opportunities for farmers and food companies. Additionally, Kelsay actively manages his seventh-generation family farm business. Before joining Corteva, he served as the director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. A graduate of Purdue University in agricultural economics, Kelsay maintains a lifelong focus on agriculture and its role in people's lives. In his free time, he enjoys reading, traveling, and supporting FFA and 4-H projects with his family.
Tom Lutz
Executive Secretary-Treasurer
Tom Lutz serves 14,000 carpenters, millwrights, and floor layers as executive secretary-treasurer of the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights (MRCC). Since joining the MRCC 34 years ago, Lutz has worked as a business agent, apprenticeship instructor, and marketing director. In these roles, he helped create and implement programs to recruit, train, and support Michigan’s next generation of skilled trades workers and meet the needs of signatory contractors. Lutz serves as chair or trustee of various Michigan Carpenter pension, healthcare, and apprenticeship funds, and as an appointed member of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Executive Committee and State of Michigan’s Workforce Development Board.
Amy Rencher
SVP Small Business
Amy Rencher is the senior vice president, small business, at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation where she leads a $300 million portfolio of state and federally funded initiatives to serve small businesses in collaboration with hundreds of entrepreneurial ecosystem partners. Previously, she served seven years in progressive leadership roles at TechTown Detroit, developing and leading nationally recognized strategic partnerships and programming to main street and tech-enabled companies. She is an alumna of the Detroit Revitalization Fellowship and served as an AmeriCorps Member in Detroit and Boston. She holds a BA from Kalamazoo College and an MBA from Michigan State University.
Lou Sandoval
President and CEO
Lou Sandoval is a dynamic business leader who serves as the president and CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. The chamber represents over 3,000 members, including large corporations and small businesses. He is also an entrepreneur, corporate board member, and author. Known for his results-oriented approach, Sandoval excels in driving technology-powered transformations in consumer engagement for Fortune 100 companies. Since 2015, he has chaired the risk management committee and served on other committees at Wintrust Bank. He holds a BS in biochemistry from DePaul University, with minors in chemistry, physics, and psychology, and has completed executive work in business management and marketing at Northwestern’s Kellogg School.
Troy Uphoff
President
Troy Uphoff is president of Uphoff Farms, Inc., in Findlay, Illinois. He has a deep understanding of current economic events, farm credit issues and rural lending practices. Uphoff is recognized as a top producer by the National Corn Growers Association and has used his agronomic research to improve farm productivity and profitability. As a community leader, Uphoff has served on the board of the Illinois Farm Bureau; in addition he has served on the Illinois FSA State Committee. In the private sector, Uphoff has served on the board of Country Financial. He has a Bachelor of Science in agricultural economics.
Marshawn Wolley
President and CEO
Marshawn Wolley is the founder and CEO of Black Onyx Management, a consulting firm focused on empowering communities through research-based programs. He holds an MBA, MPA, MA in philanthropic studies, and an MSc in economics. Marshawn is a certified diversity executive, fundraiser, and financial marketing professional. A nationally recognized thought leader on public policy and small business development, he is an award-winning columnist and frequent national conference presenter.
Jamie Zastrow
Executive Director
Jamie Zastrow is the executive director of Progress Lakeshore, leading economic development in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. A Valparaiso University graduate with a BS in business administration, she is also a certified economic developer (CEcD) through the International Economic Development Council. With 30 years of experience across diverse industries–including manufacturing, healthcare, construction, and nonprofit leadership–Zastrow brings a wealth of expertise to her role. She chairs the Northeast Wisconsin Regional Economic Partnership (NEWREP), serves on the Wisconsin Maritime Museum Board of Trustees, and is a Chamber of Commerce Board member.
“The Fed has access to numerous data resources, but data alone can’t tell the full story of the state of the
economy. Our council members offer a range of timely, “boots on the ground” perspectives that help us
understand how
people and businesses are doing across our District. We use that information to guide our policy
making.”
—Anna Paulson, Former Executive Vice President and Director of Research, Federal
Reserve Bank of Chicago