Leadership Council & Pit Crew
Meet the team driving CLBA 2026 forward.
Explore each profile to learn more about the Leadership Council and Pit Crew.
CLBA LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
Website
https://newdaycommercial.com/
Contact Name
Dain K. Court, Chief Origination Officer, New Day Commercial Capital
Description
As Chief Origination Officer at New Day Commercial Capital, Dain K. Court leads nationwide origination strategy and oversees a high-performing sales team delivering customized financing solutions to investors, business owners, and brokers across the country. With over 20 years of experience in commercial and residential mortgage lending, he has built and led top-producing teams while structuring complex financing transactions. Before joining New Day, he served as Regional Sales Manager at Harvest Small Business Finance and held leadership roles at Plaza Bank. His expertise, strategic vision, and commitment to excellence continue to support the company’s national growth and reputation as a trusted direct lender.
Website
https://www.raincitycapital.com/
Contact Name
Dalton C. Elliott, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Rain City Capital
Description
Dalton Elliott is the Senior Vice President of Business Development at Rain City Capital, where he leads the firm’s third-party origination strategy.
Prior to joining Rain City, he built and scaled a national lender’s broker, table funding, and whole loan purchase channels—helping grow the platform to $2.5B in annual volume and through its acquisition by a publicly traded REIT. He also led strategic growth initiatives across inside sales, customer experience, and strategic partnerships.
He is a Furman University graduate and serves on the boards of the Greenville Humane Society and Upstate International.
Website
https://www.celticbank.com/
Contact Name
Jodi Niko, Senior Vice President, Business Development Officer, Celtic Bank
Description
Jody began her journey with Celtic Bank in 2012 and brings over 20 years of experience in commercial lending. Her expertise spans SBA, USDA, Conventional, and BIA lending across the nation, with a focus on financing CRE, business acquisitions, construction, expansions, start-ups, and franchises. Jody's deep knowledge covers every aspect of the lending process, including loan underwriting, documentation, credit policy, and leadership.
Website
https://rcncapital.com/
Contact Name
Stephen Ballard, Senior Partnerships Manager, RCN Capital
Description
Stephen Ballard, Senior Partnerships Manager, specializes in building and maintaining customer relationships, and educating potential clients on RCN Capital’s diverse product line. Joining the company in the summer of 2017, Stephen’s mission is to expand RCN’s saturation in local and national markets. His previous experience has been in education and customer relations, which will be used extensively at RCN Capital. Stephen graduated from the University of Connecticut Business School, with a degree in Finance.
Website
https://garringtoncapital.com/
Contact Name
Tammy Kemp, President, Chief Credit Officer, Garrington Group of Companies & Baker Garrington
Description
Tammy Kemp joined Garrington in 2016. As President, Chief Credit Officer, Tammy is responsible for the overall credit and risk strategy within the overall group. She and her team are responsible for all aspects of portfolio management. Ms. Kemp is a member of all of the firm’s Investment Committees.
With more than 25 years of experience in trade finance, asset-based lending, specialty finance and distressed lending in mid-market commercial lending throughout North America. Working exclusively for entrepreneurial alternative lenders, Tammy has strategically grown portfolios by focusing on curated client centric service balanced with robust risk management delivered by empowered and effective teams. Tammy has led client restructurings, underwritten and managed large debtor-in-possession financings both in Canada and the US.
Tammy has held various board positions within industry organizations including SFNet (Education Committee), IWIRC (Director) and SFNet Canada (Vice President).
Website
https://www.paradigmequipmentfinance.com/
Contact Name
Tyler Deters, Presidentt & CEO of Paradigm Equipment Finance
Description
Tyler Deters is a seasoned financial professional with expertise in equipment financing. As President & CEO at Paradigm Equipment Finance, he helps businesses secure the resources they need to grow and thrive. His deep understanding of finance, combined with a strategic mindset, allows him to craft tailored solutions for a wide range of industries.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Tyler is deeply committed to community service. As the former President of the Bountiful Rotary Club, he played a vital role in organizing charitable initiatives and fostering connections that drive positive change. His leadership within the club reflects his dedication to service, integrity, and making a lasting impact.
Tyler also values family above all. He and his wife, have three children. They love traveling and spending time in Mexico.
Whether in business, community leadership, or family life, Tyler strives to lead with purpose, integrity, and a commitment to excellence.
Website
https://www.nationalbusinesscapital.com/
Contact Name
Dominic Geraci
Description
Dominic serves as VP of Partnerships for National Business Capital. He boasts 23 years of sales experience, 10 years of managerial experience, and has been with National for over 8 years. His role at National focuses on managing and directing National’s team of Partner Relationship Managers and overseeing all partner accounts.
Dominic is also responsible for Financial Reporting, where he prioritizes results and revenue growth. Dominic is passionate about sharing his expertise and insight with business professionals, and regularly contributes articles on National’s blog.
CLBA PITT CREW
Website
https://clbassociation.com/
Contact Name
Terry Luker, Co-Founder, Commercial Loan Broker Association (CLBA)
Email
terry@acstn.net
Description
Terry Luker is a visionary leader in commercial finance and the host of the Deal Talk podcast. As the founder of Alternative Capital Solutions, Commercial Capital BIDCO, and part owner of both Credit Unity and the Commercial Loan Broker Academy, Terry’s wealth of experience and dedication to ethical practices have been foundational to the CLBA’s growth. His goal is to elevate the commercial lending profession by creating a community focused on education, integrity, and success.
Website
https://clbassociation.com/
Contact Name
Jeff Luker, Co-Founder, Commercial Loan Broker Association (CLBA)
Email
jeff@acstn.net
Description
Jeff Luker has an extensive background in commercial lending and shares Terry’s commitment to advancing industry standards. Involved in Alternative Capital Solutions, Commercial Capital BIDCO, Credit Unity, and the Commercial Loan Broker Academy, Jeff’s focus on strategic growth and relationship-building drives CLBA’s mission to foster a supportive, growth-oriented environment for brokers at all levels.
Website
https://clbassociation.com/
Contact Name
Cristina Darr, Executive Director, Commercial Loan Broker Association (CLBA)
Email
cristina@clbassociation.com
Description
Cristina leads the strategy and mission of the CLBA, ensuring everything we do supports the growth, professionalism, and long-term success of our members and the industry. With strengths in financial stewardship, detailed logistics coordination, and the strategic execution of high-impact events, she has a unique ability to marry big-picture vision with thoughtful planning—turning ideas into purposeful, memorable experiences. From budgeting and marketing to experience design and operational leadership, Cristina keeps the mission moving forward while making the journey collaborative, energizing, and even fun.
You should reach out to Cristina if you:
Have questions, ideas, or suggestions about how the association functions or ways we can improve.
Have Inquiries related to events, initiatives, or getting more involved with the association.
Website
https://clbassociation.com/
Contact Name
Scott DiBerardinis, Director of Development & Education Commercial Loan Broker Association (CLBA)
Email
scott@clbassociation.com
Description
Meet Scottie D., our Director of Development and Education.
Scottie plays a key role in building both the financial engine and intellectual capital of our association by cultivating strategic partnerships that create meaningful, mutually beneficial relationships with the partners who support our mission. He also leads the development of high-impact educational programming that provides our members with practical insights, forward-thinking strategies, and tools to elevate their businesses and the commercial lending industry as a whole. If you’re interested in partnership opportunities or contributing to our educational initiatives, Scottie would love to connect—reach out to start the conversation.
You should reach out to Scottie if you:
Want to build meaningful, mutually beneficial collaborations.
Want to shape high-impact educational programs that elevate the industry.
Website
https://clbassociation.com/
Contact Name
Leah Waldrop, Marketing Director, Commercial Loan Broker Association (CLBA)
Email
leah@acstn.net
Description
Meet Leah Waldrop, our Marketing Director. Her key function is to curate and drive the brand for our association and events. She excels at creating and nurturing our brand, voice, and marketing strategy. Her extensive event planning experience, combined with strong skills in marketing, advertising, and design, ensures we look our best and elevates the CLBA brand. Leah is also adept at building media partnerships that are mutually beneficial and deliver measurable results for all involved.
Website
https://clbassociation.com/
Contact Name
Jenna Seidel, Integrated Operations & Experience Manager
Email
jenna@clbassociation.com
Description
Meet Jenna Seidel, our Integrated Operations and Experience Manager. Jenna’s role is to support the mission of the CLBA while ensuring our partners, attendees, and members have a seamless and memorable experience at every touchpoint—from events to membership engagement. Her strength lies in blending operational processes with thoughtfully designed experiences that truly resonate. With a talent for planning, organization, and clear communication, Jenna keeps our members and attendees at the center of everything we do, helping bring our vision to life and further our mission of uplifting the industry.
You should reach out to Jenna if you: Have questions about event logistics, registration, or the attendee experience. Need help navigating your membership or partnership journey.