Movers & Shakers: Eric Bacon, Kevin Gallagher, Nathan Ray & Kent Knapp

November 20, 2025

by Bob Coleman
Founder & Publisher

Movers & Shakers: Eric Bacon, Kevin Gallagher, Nathan Ray & Kent Knapp

Eric Bacon Promoted to Senior Vice President, Managing Director of SBA 504 Loan Originations at SomerCor

Eric Bacon has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Managing Director of SBA 504 Loan Originations at SomerCor. Eric is named as one of Illinois’ top SBA 504 producers, demonstrating exceptional expertise, leadership, and dedication to supporting small business growth.

Since 2020, Eric has closed 241 SBA 504 loans, representing more than $720 million in total project costs. His production volume and proven track record position him among the most accomplished SBA 504 lenders in the state. Throughout his tenure, Eric has been recognized for his deep understanding of SBA lending programs, strong relationships with lending partners, and commitment to delivering a customer-centric experience for borrowers.

In his new role, Eric will oversee SomerCor’s SBA 504 loan origination strategy, leading efforts to drive continued growth while expanding the organization’s service footprint across Illinois and beyond. His leadership will play a key role in strengthening SomerCor’s mission to provide accessible, impactful financing solutions for small businesses.

 
Kevin Gallagher Joins Servbank as Executive Vice President – National Director of Government Guaranteed Lending

Kevin Gallagher has joined Servbank as Executive Vice President and National Director of Government Guaranteed Lending. In this role, he leads the bank’s Government Guaranteed Lending division and is responsible for building out a national SBA 504 and 7(a) platform, as well as expanding conventional financing offerings. His focus is on creating a streamlined and efficient process to support small businesses across the country.

Kevin brings extensive experience in SBA and small business lending. Prior to joining Servbank, he served as Senior Vice President and Director of SBA Lending at Dime Community Bank, where he oversaw all aspects of the SBA department. His responsibilities included loan origination, closings, servicing actions, 1502 reporting, secondary market loan sales, and liquidation. During his tenure, he managed a team of senior SBA business development officers and helped grow the bank’s SBA 7(a), 504, and Express loan portfolio.

Before Dime Community Bank, Kevin was Director of SBA & Small Business Lending at Cross River Bank, where he managed the SBA department and contributed to the growth of their SBA 7(a), 504, and Express lending programs.

 
Nathan Ray Returns to Huntington National Bank as VP – SBA Product Specialist Sr.

Nathan Ray has started a new role as VP – SBA Product Specialist Sr. at Huntington National Bank, supporting the Central Ohio Business Banking Team while continuing to assist partners nationwide in driving SBA loan growth.

Before his recent return to Huntington, Nathan built a substantial career foundation during his 13 years with Huntington National Bank. He brings a strong background in originating and closing both M&A and start-up transactions, with skills spanning cash flow analysis, commercial lending, and credit analysis. He holds an MBA in Business Finance from Franklin University and has specialized expertise in industries such as FedEx/trucking, gas stations and C-stores, hotels, liquor stores, retail, food and beverage, and home healthcare.

Most recently, Ray served as Vice President of Business Development – SBA & USDA at Celtic Bank from June 2019 to November 2025. In this role, he originated loans across SBA and USDA programs while collaborating with a national network.

 Kent Knapp Announces New Role as Vice President, Senior SBA Portfolio Manager at Flushing Bank

Kent Knapp has accepted a new role as Vice President, Senior SBA Portfolio Manager at Flushing Bank, where he will oversee SBA portfolio review and management to support the bank’s commitment to small business growth. He looks forward to applying his background in accounting, underwriting, forecasting, and risk management to strengthen the bank’s SBA portfolio and enhance service to small business clients.

With more than 34 years of experience in financial management, commercial credit, and leadership, Kent most recently served as co-owner and CFO of Generations Concrete & Construction, a company he helped launch in 2020. During his five years there, he guided the business from start-up to more than $6 million in revenue and completed over 500 projects, while overseeing financial operations, residential sales, estimating, and strategic planning.

Founding the company was a professional and personal milestone, following his 27-year career at JPMorgan Chase & Co. Before his move into entrepreneurship, Kent held multiple leadership roles at JPMorgan Chase, contributing to commercial credit growth, global risk management efforts, system automation, and organizational process improvements. Throughout his career, he has focused on aligning financial strategy with business goals and delivering value-driven solutions.