Staff
The team assembled for the challenges of the coming years brings a level of competency, professionalism, dedication and vision well equipped to successfully respond to the changing face and services of The Support Center. The extraordinary passion the team brings for quality and excellence is reflected in all of the services offered by The Support Center.
Lenwood V. Long, Sr., President/CEO
As President of the North Carolina Minority Support Center, Lenwood serves as the primary visionary and Chief Executive Officer. Lenwood has over twenty-five years of business management experience and has worked extensively with community economic development organizations. Through his work with nonprofit organizations dedicated to empowering underserved communities in the most rural parts of North Carolina, Lenwood has gained invaluable experience with directing major community and economic development projects, inter-government relations, contract management, disadvantaged business enterprise program management, and program and community advocacy. Lenwood holds a Masters of Urban Administration from Georgia State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from St. Augustine’s College.
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Roberta McCullough, Vice President, Business Services & Operations
Bringing over 23 years of experience in the financial services field, Roberta McCullough serves as The Support Center’s Vice President of Business Services & Operations. As such, Roberta leads, innovates, and manages The Support Center’s Small Business Lending Programs, which encompass a variety of services ranging from training and research to affiliate community development credit unions (CDCUs), to providing capital access to business owners in low-to-moderate income communities in North Carolina. Prior to joining The Support Center, Roberta served as Regional Director of Self-Help Credit Union for over a decade. She received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Shaw University and is currently pursuing at MEd in Math Education from North Carolina State University.
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Awamary Lowe-Khan, Chief Financial Officer
Awamary Lowe-Khan joined The Support Center as our Chief Financial Officer in 2011. She has more than 10 years of experience in financial accounting and management. Prior to working for The Support Center, Awamary worked for Point Click Technologies, LLC in Raleigh, NC as their chief financial officer and chief operating officer and the Tammy Lynn Center for Developmental Disabilities as chief financial officer. Before that, she spent 8 years at the Regional Triangle Area Chapter of the American Red Cross as their regional finance executive. Her experience with entrepreneurs and non-profits have given Awamary a great background for The Support Center, where she will oversee all of our financial endeavors, including those involving our small business and home lending programs. She has a certificate in Non Profit Management from Duke University and is certified as an assisted housing manager at the U.S. Department of Urban Housing Development. She received a MBA in Corporate Financial Management from Upper Iowa University and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Shaw University.
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Vicki Lee Parker, Development and Communications Director
Prior to joining The Support Center as Development and Communications Director, Vicki Lee Parker worked for nine years as a business reporter for the News & Observer in Raleigh covering entrepreneurship, the mortgage crisis, the manufacturing industry decline, technology, and consumer finance issues. Vicki has also written for the Wall Street Journal covering commercial developments in major cities and Washington D.C. politics. Most recently, she has been a contributing writer for Black Enterprise Magazine on personal finance issues. She specializes in strategic planning and program funding development. Vicki is an active member of the Grantsmanship Center, the National Black MBA Association, National Congress of Black Women and the Triangle Business & Professional Women Organization. She has a Master of Business Administration from Meredith College in Raleigh and a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from American University in Washington, D.C.
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G. Edward Timberlake, Small Business Lending Manager
Joining The Support Center Staff in 2010, Edward serves as liaison between The Support Center’s affiliates CDCUs and the Small Business Lending Programs. Additionally, he oversees underwriting, marketing strategies, and provides credit unions with assistance to foster healthy relationships between business owner and credit union officers. Edward has expansive experience in management, business banking and commercial loans. Collectively, he brings to The Support Center over ten years of business lending experience. Edward also serves as Chairman of the Durham Young Professionals (DYP), a group for burgeoning professionals through the Durham Chamber of Commerce. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a minor in Finance from North Carolina Agriculture and State University.
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Sonia Jones, Housing Resource Director
Joining The Support Center in June 2011 as the Housing Resource Director, Sonia serves as liaison for the credit unions by assisting them with all facets of mortgage lending. This includes assistance in creating marketing materials, training, compliance, and preparing applications to participate in various mortgage lending programs. Additionally, Sonia oversees loan packaging, underwriting for the credit unions, marketing strategies, and maintains accurate record keeping of approved loans, while tracking demographic information associated with closed loans. Sonia brings over ten years of experience in mortgage origination and servicing. She will complete her studies for a BA in Finance, with a concentration in Business Management, in December 2011.
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Sadaf Knight, Policy and Research Director
Sadaf Knight serves as The Support Center's Policy and Research Director. She provides research and analysis on public policy issues related to community development financing and economic development. Sadaf brings extensive experience in public policy research, particularly in the areas of economic and workforce development. Prior to joining The Support Center, Sadaf served as a Policy Analyst and Community Leadership Fellow at MassBudget, an independent research organization focusing on state-level economic issues that impact low- and moderate- income people in Massachusetts. Sadaf received a Bachelor of Science degree in Conservation & Resource Studies from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master of Urban Planning from Columbia University.
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Regina Durham, Executive Administrative Assistant
New to The Support Center in 2011, Regina Durham serves as an Executive Administrative Assistant to the President, Lenwood V. Long, Sr. Regina has 20 years of experience working in administrative and managerial positions. Prior to joining The Support Center, she worked with the New Jerusalem Church in Wake Forest as an Administrative Assistant and Youth Leader. She holds a Bachelor in Science Degree from East Carolina University in Interior Design/Art. She is currently attends the NJC Leadership Development Institute Ordination’s program as a Minister in Training.
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Sarah Grimme, Development and Policy Associate
Sarah Grimme serves as the Development and Policy Associate at The Support Center where she assists the Development and Communication Director as well as the Policy and Research Director with development and research activites, including the oversight of the Capacity Grants. Prior to joining The Support Center, she worked with Bay Area Legal Services, Inc. and clerked with the 13th Judicial Circuit Courts for Hillsborough County in the state of Florida, focusing on residential foreclosures and consumer law cases. She is a member of the National Lawyers’ Guild, a bar organization dedicated to making progressive changes to our political and economic system. She holds a Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law and a Bachelor in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Political Science/Sociology.
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Susan C. Sauro, Staff Accountant
Susan Sauro became The Support Center's staff accountant in 2011. She brings with her nearly 20 years of professional bookkeeping, human resources and general accounting experience from private business industry. She also possesses a wealth of business computer software application skills and database management ability, both essential tools needed to ensure the proper fiscal management of The Support Center. Susan received her accounting training from Edinboro University in Edinboro, Pennsylvania.
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Devin Daniels, Receptionist
Joining The Support Center in January, 2012 as the Receptionist, Devin will serve as the first point of contact between The Support Center and our community. Devin brings with her experience in working with office and administrative computer programs, which she will be using to assist the small business department with our expanding loan programs. Devin looks forward to attending Wake Tech Community College in the fall, to earn her Office Administration Diploma.
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