Movers & Shakers: Kirk Beason, Heidi Whitesell, Ninel Struzska & Raquel Zippilli Join Capital Bank

December 18, 2025

Bob Coleman
Founder & Publisher

Movers & Shakers: Kirk Beason, Heidi Whitesell, Ninel Struzska & Raquel Zippilli Join Capital Bank

Capital Bank, N.A. has announced the expansion of its SBA team with the addition of four experienced SBA professionals, strengthening the bank’s national small business lending platform.

“This expansion represents a deliberate investment in the future of our SBA business,” says Steven Poynot, President and COO of Capital Bank. “With the depth of talent joining our team, we are better positioned to serve entrepreneurs with the speed, insight, and partnership they expect from a leading national lender.”

Kirk Beason Named Head of SBA

Kirk Beason has joined Capital Bank as Head of SBA, bringing more than 25 years of experience leading government-guaranteed lending platforms at scale. His background includes executive oversight of SBA, USDA, and commercial lending operations, with an emphasis on platform design, credit governance, and national program growth.

Kirk’s career has focused on building repeatable SBA infrastructure through aligning credit policy, operations, and production to support sustainable expansion. At Capital Bank, he will be responsible for setting SBA strategy, overseeing program execution, and positioning the bank for continued national growth.

Heidi Whitesell Joins as SBA Sales Executive

Heidi Whitesell has joined Capital Bank as SBA Sales Executive, adding national sales leadership and deep SBA expertise to the bank’s growing team.

Heidi is an industry-recognized SBA leader who has built and led national sales organizations, including serving as President and COO of a national SBA lender. Her experience spans sales, operations, and production, with a career dedicated to helping business owners access growth capital.

Throughout her career, Heidi has focused on building long-term relationships with referral partners, structuring financing solutions across the business lifecycle, and helping entrepreneurs remain well-capitalized as they scale.

Ninel Struzska Appointed Senior Credit Officer

Ninel Struzska has joined Capital Bank as Senior Credit Officer, bringing more than 20 years of hands-on SBA and commercial credit experience. Unlike platform leadership roles, Ninel’s background is rooted in day-to-day credit execution—underwriting oversight, loan structuring, and portfolio risk management.

She has managed high-volume SBA 7(a), SBA 504, USDA, and asset-based lending pipelines, supporting annual originations of up to $550 million while maintaining strong audit and SBA review outcomes. Her expertise includes credit approvals, regulatory exams, and mentoring underwriting teams in fast-paced lending environments.

At Capital Bank, Ninel will oversee credit quality, underwriting consistency, and portfolio performance across the SBA platform.

Raquel Zippilli Joins as SBA Relationship Liaison

Rounding out the new additions, Raquel Zippilli has joined Capital Bank as SBA Relationship Liaison. In this role, she will support due diligence and coordination across SBA loan programs, helping ensure consistency and efficiency throughout the lending process.