Coleman Movers & Shakers — Pat MacKrell, Don Jackson, and Ben Raju
October 8, 2020
By Caity Roach
Contributing Editor, Coleman Movers & Shakers
Coleman Movers & Shakers — Pat MacKrell, Don Jackson, and Ben Raju
Pursuit Announces CEO Succession Plan
Following a 20-year career with Pursuit, President and CEO, Pat MacKrell, has announced his retirement effective December 31, 2021. Tom McHale, senior vice president and a 23-year veteran of Pursuit, will succeed MacKrell as CEO effective January 1, 2022.
“It has been a tremendous honor to serve as president and chief executive officer of Pursuit alongside our hardworking team,” says MacKrell. “I am thrilled to be working with this leadership group over the next year to ensure a successful transition and to position Pursuit to continue to respond to the needs of business owners for years to come.”
Along with McHale, Jim Conroy has been promoted to executive vice president and president of Pursuit CDC, Bryan Doxford will now serve as executive vice president and chief operations officer, Jim Goldrick will serve as executive vice president and as Regional President, and Chris Levy, will serve as executive vice president and head of credit.
“I’m honored to be leading the Pursuit team,” says McHale. “Jim, Bryan, Jim, and Chris—as well as our entire staff—bring decades of experience and immeasurable commitment to their work. Together, we will be focused on continuing to advance our long-standing mission while continuing to innovate to ensure business owners’ financing needs are met.
Don Jackson Joins Truliant Federal Credit Union as SBA Director
“I look forward to leading and growing our SBA loan platform with the goal of becoming one of the top SBA lenders in our markets,” says Truliant’s new SBA Director, Don Jackson. “We are in a great position to grow and I look forward to adding the necessary talent that will help our small business clients to grow and create jobs.”
In this new role, Jackson will be responsible for leading and growing Truliant Credit Union’s SBA loan program across its regional divisions, including building a regional team of loan originators as well as developing and implementing an SBA business platform to streamline processes and create efficiencies for SBA Lending.
Jackson is based out of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Ben Raju Named District Director of Small Business Administration’s Los Angeles District Office
As district director, Ben Raju will continue the Los Angeles District Office’s efforts to meet the needs of its vibrant small business community as they are faced with unprecedented challenges. Additionally, he will be directly responsible for the delivery of SBA programs and services to aspiring and existing small business owners, SBA lenders and partners, which include business advisory services, capital access programs, entrepreneurial development, international trade development and contract procurement assistance.
Throughout his federal career, Raju has represented the SBA in various capacities throughout the United States, including as a representative in SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance, and as Assistant District Director of Lender Relations, and most recently as Deputy District Director for the Los Angeles District Office where he was responsible for providing the leadership, management and oversight required to optimize the deployment of all SBA programs and services.
Raju is passionate about utilizing his experience to assist the diverse small business community and engage the district’s many resources, ideas, industries, and cultures to create a strong eco-system where commerce can continue to thrive locally and have a dynamic global influence.