You know us. The principals of sbaAccess have made SBA lending the primary focus of their careers for 20+ years, each, and are considered experts in the industry. Do the names Karen (High) McHugh and Brian Burke sound familiar? If not, let us introduce ourselves:

Brian Burke - principal

You know me. I have been active in all phases of SBA and commercial loans for many years with Small, Medium, Large and Non Bank Lenders. While building a national SBA presence at Bank One, I helped NAGGL and SBA streamline the SBAExpress program, helping it become the big impact program it is today. At CIT, I led a motivated team of sales and operations professionals who developed new vertical markets and posted record 7(a) volumes. More recently, I have consulted with lenders and borrowers all over the country, helping them position the right people in the right places within their organization. As a NAGGL instructor, I've helped lenders learn how to build a niche lending department and enhance their sales approach. I love to facilitate adult learning and actively coach individuals and groups to achieve more than they thought possible..

Karen McHugh - principal

You know me. I have been working in the SBA lending industry since 1984. For 11 years, I have worked as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders (NAGGL). Part of my job was to provide technical assistance to NAGGL members and develop the technical content in educational courses/products and conference events. I also served as an instructor and as a loan reviewer. Prior to my time with NAGGL, I probably walked in your shoes at some point in my lending career. I've worked for a Certified Development Company processing SBA 504 loans, a non-bank lender as a business development officer, as a consultant packaging and closing SBA 7(a) loans and a small community bank heading up a SBA loan department.

John Cumbey - senior associate

You know me. I spent 28 years in commercial banking primarily focused on lending to small businesses and loan workouts. During that time I conducted internal workshops in financial analysis and the legal aspects of lending and at one bank served on the loan committee. Another 12 years was spent as controller for small businesses where I got first hand exposure to the challenges faced by small businesses and the nuances of entrepreneurship. For the eight years prior to my "retirement" from banking, I managed the Special Assets Group for US Bank's SBA Division, overseeing a $1.6 Billion dollar servicing portfolio and a workout/liquidation portfolio exceeding $120 Million, consisting of 7(a), Express and 504 loans. Since 2004, I have been an instructor for NAGGL presenting the Servicing & Liquidation course. This combination of lending, workout and entrepreneurial experience has provided me with a background uniquely suited to assisting SBA lenders with workout & liquidation guidance as well as guaranty purchase issues.

Dustin Baker- alliance partner

You know me. I have been involved in the SBA lending sector since 1999. I began my career at NAGGL, where I handled member & corporate communications and helped organize lobbying efforts that contributed to significant improvements to SBA lending programs. Since 2004, I’ve served as Sr. Account Executive at an SBA-focused search firm, as Director of Recruiting for a national non-bank lender, and most recently as Principal and co-founder of C5 People Solutions, a recruiting and human capital consultancy that exists to ensure that its clients have the right people in the right places for the right purposes. My varied experience as both external recruiter and internal hiring manager gives me a unique understanding of how to communicate a client’s brand and value proposition to enhance its reputation in the market, and how to avoid the common pitfalls that accompany poor hiring decisions.