Lauren Butler
Impact Financing Initiative Relationship Manager, Truist
Lauren Butler currently serves as Relationship Manager for the Truist Financial Corporation Community Development Fund. He assists Truist and communities by providing access to below-market debt and equity capital relating to affordable housing, small business, and economic revitalization initiatives delivered by Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), nonprofit, and for-profit organizations.
Since being named to this position in May 2020, Lauren has been able to provide approximately $240 million in community development funding in support of Truist communities. With more than 30 years of banking experience, he has previously served as Senior CRA Governance Compliance Consultant and held various leadership roles in Community Development and Retail Banking. In addition to his leadership duties, Lauren is also personally involved in activities that support Truist’s commitment to community. He currently serves as Board Chair for Seniors on a Mission in Jacksonville, FL and has been an active supporter and board member for Junior Achievement of North Florida and ongoing volunteer for Junior Achievement.
Lauren earned a Bachelor's Degree in English and Communications from Mercer University. When he isn't working, Lauren enjoys spending time with family, gardening and travel.
Truist Financial Corporation is a purpose-driven financial services company committed to inspire and build better lives and communities. With 275 years of combined BB&T and SunTrust history, Truist serves approximately 12 million households with leading market share in many high-growth markets in the country. The company offers a wide range of services including retail, small business and commercial banking; asset management; capital markets; commercial real estate; corporate and institutional banking; insurance; mortgage; payments; specialized lending and wealth management. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Truist is the sixth-largest commercial bank in the U.S. Truist Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at Truist.com
David R. Punzak, Esquire
David Punzak has more than thirty-five years of experience representing clients in commercial finance transactions, mergers and acquisitions, leasing transactions, and general business/corporate matters. In addition, Mr. Punzak has provided pro bono legal services for various Florida nonprofits, earning him the American Bar Association’s National Public Service Award in 2006. His volunteer legal services translate directly into money that nonprofit organizations save on legal fees and closing costs. This allows them to put more funds into the important projects that benefit low-income families and neighborhoods throughout Florida.
Mr. Punzak’s career affiliations most recently include Tech Data Corporation (Assistant General Counsel and Director), Carlton Fields, P.A. (Shareholder), and Baynard, Harrell, Ostow & Ulrich, P.A. (Shareholder). He holds a Bachelor’s degree (1981) and a Juris Doctor degree (1984) from the University of Florida. Punzak has an extensive history of volunteering and community service in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area. He received the “Heroes Among Us” award from the St. Petersburg Bar Association and has chaired the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, the St. Petersburg Economic Development Corporation, and St. Petersburg’s Development Review Commission.
Loan Portfolio Manager
Jennifer Rainey manages the loan administration team that is responsible for all servicing of the Florida Community Loan Fund's community and economic development loan programs. Her team's work covers commitment letters, title and survey issues, internal preparation of loan documents, loan closings, administration during construction (including analysis and approval of draw requests), performance of site inspections and customer visits. The loan administration team also maintains the loan servicing system providing invoicing, loan history information, reporting functions and social impact tracking. Jennifer provides overall credit review assistance and support to the entire lending team.
Jennifer’s team also supports FCLF's New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program, screening and verifying site and project qualifications to establish NMTC pipeline. Her teammates represent FCLF's real estate and commercial loan interests during NMTC structure closings, and during project construction and disbursement.
Jennifer joined FCLF in November 2021, bringing with her over 35 years’ experience in the banking and finance industry. Prior to joining FCLF, she was employed at Truist Bank in the role of commercial Credit Operations Senior Manager and Bank of America as a Regional Office Administration Manager. She has an extensive background in all aspects of commercial real estate loan transactions. She earned both her Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Arts from Rollins College in Winter Park.
Ernest Coney, Jr.
CEO, CDC of Tampa
Ernest Coney, Jr., is CEO of the Corporation to Development Communities of Tampa (CDC of Tampa). He brought over 15 years of executive management-level experience in providing health, social and economic programs to benefit low to moderate income persons and the elderly. With an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and a master’s degree from the University of South Florida, he developed strong business acumen in the areas of management, finance, and performance improvement. In his previous position as COO of CDC of Tampa, Mr. Coney expanded the concept of community building “Brick by Brick and Block by Block” – creating jobs, providing entrepreneurship training, providing financial literacy, developing youth leadership, revitalizing commercial areas, and building affordable housing. The nonprofit corporation has also enhanced its reach, by helping over 1,000 individuals systematically break the cycle of poverty on an annual basisithin the first few years of his tenure as CEO, Mr. Coney leveraged over $50 million dollars in joint venture projects, to include real estate and program service projects. Most notably was the development of Fort King Colony, a 120-unit affordable apartment complex and Haley Park, an 80-unit senior housing complex. He has also helped to create two prominent county-wide, cross sector collaborations – Economic Prosperity Center and Safe & Sound Hillsborough, as well as, designed a national award-winning City-Wide Façade Program. Under his leadership the CDC has created Tampa Vocational Institute (TVI), to address the disproportionate rates of unemployment and underemployment in urban neighborhoods. TVI has increased CDC’s ability to address the growing “skills gap” and corporate training needs for local area businesses and individuals.
Over its 30 years, CDC of Tampa has generated more than $445.25 million in economic impact to the Tampa Bay Region, providing comprehensive community development strategies that connect workforce development, housing and real estate with education, community safety and resident leadership to drive economic prosperity.
Community Development Loan Officer
As a Community Development Loan Officer, Anna Upchurch Pernell underwrites community and economic development loans for Florida Community Loan Fund's commercial loan programs. Mrs. Pernell also provides technical assistance to borrowers throughout Central and Northwest Florida.
Mrs. Pernell brings 10 years of private sector experience in analytical, corporate sales and marketing roles to FCLF, in addition to 5+ years experience working with CDFIs and nonprofit organizations to promote underserved small businesses, community development, and community engagement. While working for the International Rescue Committee, a refugee resettlement agency, in their Salt Lake City office, and for a small business CDFI in Aurora, CO, CEDS Finance, Mrs. Pernell provided both capital and technical assistance to underserved entrepreneurs with a focus on community engagement and tailored technical assistance. Mrs. Pernell received her BSBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MPA, with a focus on nonprofit management, from the University of Colorado Denver.
Mrs. Pernell is driven by creating equitable opportunities in communities outside of the economic mainstream. Across Central and Northwest Florida she delivers loan capital to nonprofits and mission-driven for-profit developers of affordable housing, supportive housing, and facilities to meet FCLF's mission.