The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center’s Heather Robinette, Eileen Devereux, Patricia Long, and Juliana Echeverri have been certified by the National Development Council as Economic Development Finance Professionals with emphasis on Business Credit Analysis.
The four earned the professional credential in June after completing a series of intensive NDC training courses and examinations. Each course lasts five days and concludes with an exam.
Individuals working in the field of economic development receive instruction in business credit analysis, real estate financing, loan packaging, deal structuring and negotiating, and creating and implementing development programs.
Robinette is ASBTDC’s entrepreneurial services manager and oversees the consulting staff. Devereux and Long are business consultants. All three are based at the ASBTDC lead center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Echeverri is a business consultant for the ASBTDC regional office affiliated with the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
The center’s consultants work one-on-one with small business clients, providing confidential, no-cost guidance to current and prospective business owners. Areas of assistance include business planning, financial analysis, market research, loan proposal preparation, online and traditional marketing, growth and expansion planning, management and profitability.
“I commend these members of our team. As a nationally recognized program, NDC certification demonstrates their capability to assist Arkansas small businesses with a broad range of financial projects,” said ASBTDC State Director Laura Fine.
Since 1969, NDC has trained professionals working in the fields of economic and housing development. Participants come from city and state governments, public agencies, community-based organizations, professional organizations and banks.
For more information about NDC, visit ndconline.org.