Over the last fifteen years, Deborah Temple has been an integral part of the entrepreneurship work of Communities Unlimited which includes the development of business lending models for entrepreneurs and businesses in high poverty areas. Her interest in small business development began while working in private banking and turned into a lifelong passion when she joined Southern Bancorporation in 1992 and had the opportunity to focus on small business development in underserved, predominantly rural areas of the south.
As Director of Lending for Communities Unlimited she manages a $12 million portfolio that includes water and wastewater loans to rural municipalities providing a healthy environment for citizens, loans to help small businesses start, grow and transition their businesses to support local economic development and small consumer loans offered with partners to address specific needs.
Ms. Temple is passionate about working with existing and new partners to provide critical loans and to identify innovative models that can be tested or replicated in areas of high poverty.