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Our Staff

Anne Adams, Director of Development and Communications

The Director of Development and Communications is responsible for cultivating the donor base and attracting adequate funding for the organization’s core programs. This includes managing fundraising events, writing grants, recruiting volunteers, and building relationships with individuals, corporations and foundations. Anne joined PeopleFund in 2005 as a Community Lender. She left PeopleFund for 1 year to return to a career in banking. She recently returned to PeopleFund to serve in this new role. Anne has had a 20 year career in high-level banking, serving as a Lender, District Manager and Relationship Manager. In her role, she has cultivated numerous relationships with individuals, institutions, and businesses. Anne has served as an active volunteer and board member in the nonprofit sector including Tapestry Dance Company, Junior League, and the Dahn Foundation. She has an M.A. from St. Edwards University in Critical Thinking and Writing and a B.A. in Marketing and Communications from Purdue University.

E. Nicole Thompson Beavers, Office Manager

Nicole has served as the Office Manager since 2005. She also serves as the Assistant to the Executive Director. In addition to her general administrative duties, she also provides support with the execution of PeopleFund special events, fundraisers and other projects. Nicole holds a B.A. in English (Linguistics) from Texas A& M University and is currently pursuing a M.A. in Developmental and Adult Education at Texas State University. Prior to joining PeopleFund, Nicole was an English teacher with American Youthworks Charter High School and was a substitute teacher for Austin Independent School District. For 8 years she conducted retail training as a merchandise coordinator with Levi Strauss & Co. In addition to her work with PeopleFund, Nicole designs apparel and volunteers with the Performing Arts Academy as a costume designer.

Barbra Boeta, Community Lender

As a Community Lender, Barbra is responsible for analyzing loan requests and building relationships with clients, community leaders, bankers and accountants. Prior to joining PeopleFund, Barbra worked in the Marketing Department of the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas as the Senior Office Assistant. Barbra has volunteered with the child life specialist at Austin Children’s Hospital and with SafePlace as a hospital advocate. Originally, from El Paso, Texas Barbra moved to Austin to continue her education. She received her B.S. in Psychology from St. Edward’s University.

J. Toufic Chahin, Community Lender

As a Community Lender, Toufic is tasked with assessing loan applicants and building relationships with clients, community leaders, bankers and accountants. Prior to joining PeopleFund, Toufic worked at the Institute for Advanced Technology at The University of Texas of Austin as a Research Engineer. Toufic continues to volunteer with Boys & Girls Club of Austin as a Technology Instructor for students at Webb Middle School. Originally from Houston, Texas Toufic returned to Austin from California after having previously received his B.A. in Mathematics and a M.S. in Science & Technology Commercialization, each from The University of Texas at Austin.

Tanya Ladha, Outreach and Research Manager

The Outreach and Communications Manager oversees programs to educate the larger Austin community about issues pertaining to financial stability and opportunity. She holds numerous forums throughout the year, including the PeopleTalk Speaker Series, the East Austin Economic Summit and Focus East. She also ensures the website and newsletter are effective methods of PeopleFund communicaton. Prior to joining PeopleFund, Tanya worked in Central America with a small women’s fair trade cooperative and has organized with various communities here in Austin and abroad. Tanya holds a B.A. in Economics and Government from the University of Texas at Austin.

Jaime Noyola, Director of Lending

Jaime manages the organization’s cornerstone lending program; overseeing the entire loan process and ensuring that all clients fully understand their responsibilities and the resources available to them. Prior to joining PeopleFund, Jaime worked with Frost National Bank and gained extensive knowledge in underwriting and departmental process development. He also owned his own private consulting firm assisting his corporate clients with all their finance needs. Jaime has a long-standing commitment to public causes and currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Business Capital and Procurement Committee of the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. In 2004 Jaime was honored as Frost Bank Volunteer of the Year. Jaime holds a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin.

Mary C. Palmer, Office Manager

Mary joined the PeopleFund staff in April 2008.  She brings with her a wealth of knowledge concerning the private financial sector from four years of experience at Guaranty Bank where she served in various roles representing the interests of both consumer and corporate clients.  In addition to this, she has undergone extensive academic training in the field of Non-Profit Management as a part of her undergraduate curriculum.  She earned her Individualized B.A. in Fostering Social Development from St. Edwards University.  Mary has attended many Austin City Council forums including the African-American Quality of Life Hearings and the Downtown Austin Plan Townhall Meeting.

Yubelly Perez, Loan Administrator

The Loan Administrator is responsible for client billing, portfolio reporting, Loan Committee organizing, and assistance with investor reporting and loan closings. Originally from Bogota, Colombia Yubelly Perez holds a B.A in International Relations from Universidad del Rosario (Bogota). Before joining People Fund Yubelly acquired loan administration experience working for two years as a Bilingual Administrative Assistant and Sales Consultant in a Manufactured Home Community in Austin, Texas. Now she is getting more experience and applying all her knowledge to her new role as a Loan Administrator at People Fund.

Debra Peterson, Finance Manager

The Finance Manager is a part-time position responsible for the generation of PeopleFund’s month and year-end financial reporting. This includes preparation of year-end audit schedules and coordination of audit procedures with external auditors. In addition, this position is responsible for reviewing PeopleFund’s internal control environment and creation of a template for annual budget and ongoing projections. Debra is a CPA who has managed her own accounting firm since 2000. Her firm serves businesses, nonprofits and performs financial audits. She currently works at PeopleFund, while continuing to serve other clients through her practice. Debra graduated from The University of Texas School of Law and received her BA in Government with Special Honors from The University of Texas.

Margo Weisz, Executive Director

Margo has served as the Executive Director PeopleFund since its infancy in 1995. Margo also serves as a consultant on a variety of projects, including organizational assessments, trainings, and research on small and minority business development. Margo has received wide recognition for her work. In 2006 she was chosen as a Profiles in Power winner from the Austin Business Journal, in 2004 she received the Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and in 2003 she was chosen as Austinite of the Year at the Austin Under 40 Awards. She was also chosen as a 2003 Marshall Fellow and in that role traveled to Europe to discuss transatlantic relations. Margo has a long history of community leadership. She serves as the President of the Board of the Austin Community Land Trust, and has served as the 2003 Chairwoman for the Mayor’s Small Business Task Force. She has served on the Executive Board of the Texas Association of CDCs and on the Texas Community Council for Washington Mutual. Margo is a frequent speaker at conferences including Opportunity Finance Network, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Texas Association of CDC’s and the University of Texas. Additionally, Margo has served as a Lecturer at the University of Texas McCombs School of Business where she taught a class on Community Development and Social Enterprise. Margo received her B.A. from Colorado College and her M.P.A. from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas.

Brad White, Enterprise Developer

Brad serves as the client Enterprise Developer, providing technical and strategic planning assistance to our clients. He also coordinates PeopleFund’s professional volunteer program, which pairs individuals in one-on-one mentorship roles with clients on specific project assignments. Prior to joining PeopleFund, Brad worked as a C.P.A. in public accounting at Price Waterhouse Coopers, and in the private sector as a finance and operations consultant for a number of clients in a variety of industries. Brad has also worked with community centered economic development organizations on a volunteer basis in New Orleans, LA and San Francisco, CA. Brad earned his BBA in accounting from The University of Texas at Austin and received his M.B.A. and M.A. in Latin American Studies at Tulane University.