Our Staff

Joe Battle, General Manager – Business Services is passionate about helping people and companies achieve their goals. He has years of experience advising NC entrepreneurs. Before joining CCI he led a state-wide team for CDFI business providing business counseling services. Joe also co-founded a successful business providing counseling services to small business owners.

Frank Del Villar, Capital Access Manager Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, Frank Del Villar, CFA immigrated to the United States in 1999 with an early passion for Finance and Business, and with an understanding of the big disparities in wealth and access to capital he witnessed personally growing up in a small Caribbean Island. After graduating in 2005 from Florida International University with a double-major in Finance & International Business, Frank has enjoyed a rewarding successful career in Real Estate Finance, Retail & Commercial Banking, Data Analytics, and Executive Leadership, working with some of the largest Financial Institutions across the United States such as Wells Fargo, Blackstone, Credit Suisse, and Self-Help Credit Union. As a passionate learner and practitioner of Finance and Economics, Frank attained his CFA Charterholder designation in 2013, which is one of the most rigorous and prestigious designations in the field of Investment Management.

Diane Lantz, Portfolio and Business Services Manager is passionate about helping small business. She has extensive experience in economic development lending and technical assistance. She was director of a non profit economic development finance agency for 25 years, worked as a business banker, underwriter and has come full circle back to her passion of helping small businesses grow and succeed.

Atiya Ward, Small Business Loan Administrator, passionately supports entrepreneurs on their journey to running successful small businesses. She has over 10 years of experience in the Executive Administration role, both in private and non-profit sectors. In addition to proudly serving as an onsite Licensed Notary, Atiya coordinates loan inquiries with borrowers, prepares credit reports, and coordinates systematic collections of clients’ financial statements. Atiya also coordinates development services, loan files, and collections as needed. “The key is to aim to make a difference in people’s lives, no matter how big or how small.”