Capital Regional Development Council

SOUTHERN & CENTRAL NEW HAMPSHIRE FOCUS

STATEWIDE REACH FOR SBA 504

Board of Directors & Staff

Board of Directors

David Peterson

President, 2028
SVP, Merrimack County Savings Bank

Stephen Heavener

Executive Vice President &
Executive Director

Janet Ackerman

Vice President, 2028
Commercial Banking, retired

Joseph Conway

Treasurer, 2026
Commercial Banking, retired

Matthew Walsh

Secretary, 2027
Dep. City Manager for Development, Concord

Ryan Audley

Director, 2027
CEO, Audley Construction

James Goodhue

Director, 2026
SVP, Primary Bank

Adam Johnston

Director, 2028
Regional Commercial Bank Manager, NBT Bank

James Lynch

Director, 2027
SVP, Claremont Savings Bank

Lyndsee Paskalis

Director, 2027
Esq. SL&V, Commercial Real Estate

Peter Burger

Orr & Reno
Corporate Counsel

Staff

Stephen A. Heavener, Executive Director

Mr. Heavener has nearly 48 years of economic and community development experience as Executive Director of programs in New Jersey, Vermont, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Wyoming and Virginia. He supervises all staff, promotes CRDC financial assistance programs, assists with loan package structuring and manages board relations. Mr. Heavener also identifies and manages real estate development activities and develops new programs and policies in consultation with the Board of Directors. He earned the Economic Finance Professional designation from the National Development Council in 1990 and was a Certified Economic Developer as designated by the International Economic Development Council from 1994 to 2018. He earned a Masters in Public Policy from Rutgers University. He joined CRDC in November 2007. He is a native of Vineland, New Jersey.

Jennifer Boulanger, Senior Loan Officer

Jennifer Boulanger has over 30 years of commercial lending experience working for banks and regional development corporations in New Hampshire. Jennifer completed a commercial lender training course in the early 1990’s and later worked in all aspects of lending including commercial credit underwriting, commercial credit review, commercial loan officer, commercial credit training manager and as a volunteer managing outside loan funds for non-profits. Jennifer received her BS in Business Administration (accounting) and MBA from UNH Durham (finance) and as well has earned the designation of Certified Economic Development Financial Planner from the National Development Council (September 2015). Jennifer is a graduate of the Greater Concord Leadership Class of 2006 and Lakes Region Leadership Class of 2008. As a senior loan officer, Jennifer provides services including credit analysis, loan underwriting, loan servicing SBA 504 staff liaison and business development work with commercial lenders. In the Spring of 2018, Jennifer was recognized by the US Small Business Administration as the New Hampshire SBA Financial Services Champion. Jennifer resides in Northwood, NH with her husband and two children. She joined CRDC in October 2010.

Gabrielle Werffeli, Finance and Portfolio Manager

Gabrielle Werffeli joined CRDC in April 2024 with extensive experience in administrative and financial management. At CRDC, she is responsible for all aspects of financial operations, accounting, and reporting as well as supporting the administration of CRDC’s loan portfolios (SBA 504 and Economic Development). Prior to CRDC, Gabrielle served for 14 years as a Senior Administrator at Columbia University in New York as the Director of Budget & Finance of the Law School and the Director of Finance & Administration of the Department of Civil Engineering. Before her tenure at Columbia, she worked for seven years as an Operations and Risk Officer in asset management and investment banking. Gabrielle holds a Master’s degree in International Finance and Business from Columbia University. She was born and educated in Switzerland where she studied Humanities at the University of Zurich. Gabrielle now lives in Concord, New Hampshire.