Movers & Shakers: Leland Willis, Amber Dorland & Echelon Bank

July 16, 2026

Bob Coleman
Founder & Publisher

Movers & Shakers: Leland Willis, Amber Dorland & Echelon Bank

Leland Willis Promoted to SBA Underwriting Team Lead at United Community

United Community has promoted Leland Willis to SBA Underwriting Team Lead, recognizing the leadership role he has been performing since late 2024. In his expanded position, Willis leads SBA underwriting activities across the bank’s footprint markets, oversees process improvement initiatives, mentors underwriting staff, and supports credit quality and operational consistency.

The promotion also includes $1 million single-signer authority, enabling Willis to independently approve SBA loan requests, modifications, and related credit decisions up to that threshold. He serves as a key resource for SBA lending across the organization while partnering with senior leadership on strategic underwriting initiatives.

Willis brings more than 25 years of commercial banking and SBA lending experience to the role. Before joining United Community in 2020 as a Senior SBA Underwriter, he held lending and credit leadership positions at BBVA, Regions Bank, First Southern Bank, and Bank of America, building expertise in commercial credit, SBA underwriting, portfolio management, and loan structuring.

He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Finance) from the University of Florida and an Associate of Arts from Santa Fe Community College.

Amber Dorland Joins MultiFunding as Business Loan Advisor

Amber Dorland has joined MultiFunding LLC as a Business Loan Advisor, bringing more than a decade of SBA and commercial lending leadership to the financing advisory firm.

Dorland most recently served as SVP and Head of SBA and Government Guaranteed Lending at Fresno First Bank, where she led the bank’s SBA lending platform. Her career also includes leadership roles as SVP/SBA Credit Director at Pacific Premier Bank and VP, SBA Underwriting Manager at Umpqua Bank. She also serves as a NAGGL Instructor, helping educate SBA lending professionals nationwide.

In announcing her new role, Dorland said the move will allow her to provide entrepreneurs with a broader range of financing solutions beyond traditional SBA lending. She emphasized her continued commitment to supporting small businesses and collaborating with lending partners across the industry.

Dorland earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from San Diego State University.

Echelon Bank Receives SBA PLP Status

“This will be an important part of Echelon’s business. Excited to add SBA to the mix!” shares Chris Kneer, Chief Banking Officer at Echelon Bank, on Linkedin.

Echelon Bank has received approval to participate in the SBA’s Preferred Lender Program (PLP), expanding its ability to provide SBA financing to small businesses throughout the Tampa Bay market.

The locally owned community bank will offer SBA loans to help businesses start, acquire, grow, and expand, complementing its relationship-focused approach and local decision-making. The addition of PLP authority strengthens Echelon’s commercial lending platform and provides Tampa Bay businesses with another local source for SBA financing.