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Our Leadership


CEO & Co-Founder: Martin Eakes

Martin Eakes is co-founder and CEO of Self-Help and the Center for Responsible Lending. Read Martin's bio here.

Self-Help's Boards of Directors

Self-Help Credit Union

  • Doris Asbury - Retired Public Educator
  • Cameron Eagles - Director of Commercial Lending Operations, Self-Help
  • Martin Eakes, CEO - Self-Help
  • Ed Fulbright, CPA, PA - Fulbright & Fulbright (Audit & Strategic Planning Committees)
  • LaTorrie Geer - CommunityWorks, Chief Executive Officer
  • F. David Kearns - Retired (Treasurer)
  • Thomas King, VP, Florida Market Leader - Accretive Solutions (Secretary)
  • Deborah McKetty, SC Community Loan Fund - President (Chair)
  • Scott Misner - Public Realtions
  • Jackie Mondora - Digital Integration & Alliance Leader, Customer Service Engineer - Decision Support Operations GE Gas Power
  • Jose Oliva - Doctoral Student
  • Ivan Parra, Executive Director - North Carolina Latino Coalition
  • Tessa Petit – Co-Executive Director, Florida Immigrant Coalition, Inc.
  • Laura Pichardo-Cruz - Florida Legal Services, Attorney
  • Natalie Williams - Chief Operating Officer, Urban League Central Carolina

Updated 9/3/24

Center for Community Self-Help

  • Farad Ali, President, National Minority Supplier Development Council
  • Mike Bauders, Senior Analyst - Self-Help
  • Melvin Davis, Private Equity Investor and Attorney
  • Martin Eakes, CEO - Center for Community Self-Help
  • Michael Giarla
  • Lewis Myers (Chair)
  • Gene R. Nichol, Professor of Law and former Director of the Center on Poverty, Work & Opportunity - UNC
  • Linda Shaw, Retired (Affiliate Member Director)
  • Joseph A. Smith Jr, Senior Fellow Global Financial Markets Duke Law School
  • Anna Tefft - Chief Credit Officer, Partner Community Capital

Updated 9/3/24

Self-Help Federal Credit Union

  • Kafi Blumenfield, Founder/CEO - Alisyo
  • Tanya Branch, CPA
  • Jose Caballero Jr, Solano County Public Health Quality Improvement and Accreditation Coordinator
  • Terese Caro - CEO, Legacy Redevelopment Corporation
  • Maggie Cervantes, Executive Director - NEW Economics for Women (Secretary)
  • Martin Eakes, CEO - Self-Help
  • Jaime Hernandez, Area Branch Manager - Self-Help (Non-voting Observer)
  • Arnold Pugh, Retired - Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago; longtime Seaway member (Treasurer)
  • Carl Rist, Executive Director - Senior Director, Prosperity Now (Vice Chair)
  • Karen L. Walker, Vice President for Finance and Administration Chicago Theological Seminary

Updated 9/3/24

Self-Help Ventures Fund

  • Duanne Andrade – Chief Strategic and Financial Officer, Solar Energy Loan Fund
  • Elbert Avery, City of Durham Community Development Dept. Senior Business Services Manager
  • Marla Bilonick - President & CEO, National Association for Latino Commmunity Asset Builders (NALCAB)
  • Catherine Clark - CASE i3 Initiative on Impact Investing at Duke University, Director
  • Martin Eakes, CEO - Self-Help
  • Matt Hobbs, Vice President - Blue Heron Asset Management, LLC (Chair)
  • Tara Kenchen, Lawyer and Community Development Professional
  • Ajulo Othow – Founder & CEO, EnerWealth Solutions
  • Robert Schall, Retired President - Self-Help Ventures Fund
  • Ronn H. Stewart, II – Senior Vice President, Laurel Street Residential
  • Lynne Walker - P&L Inclusion Strategist

Updated 9/3/24