Meet the Staff

Camille Walker Banks Photo

Camille Walker Banks

Executive Director

Camille Walker Banks is a lifelong Detroiter and seasoned economic development leader that serves as the Executive Director of LISC Detroit. Camille is an accomplished executive and transformative leader with extensive experience in community and technology-driven economic development, coalition building, place-based innovation, strategic planning, and advancing underserved communities.

Prior to joining LISC, Camille launched a technology training program, NPower Detroit, providing over 200 young adults access to meaningful employment in technology related careers. Enlisting the support of workforce development funders, Camille achieved an increase in the program “graduates” average salary increase of 519 percent. Before NPower Detroit, Camille launched and led the highest performing site for Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses initiative at Wayne State University. Having unprecedented access to capital, over 500 entrepreneurs across the Midwest were able to grow their businesses, while building a strong, ongoing community. Earlier, during her tenure with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Camille implemented key state and local initiatives around economic development and community revitalization resulting in over $5.5B in new capital investment and the creation of over 5,000 new jobs.

Camille holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Urban/Regional Planning with economic development focus from Wayne State University. 

Victor Abla

Regional Preservation Director

vabla@lisc.org
(313) 265-2893

During his 24 years at LISC, Victor Abla has administered over $6.7 million in grants, has underwritten and overseen $68 million in loans and has facilitated over $55 million in Low Income Housing and New Markets Tax Credits equity investments. His recent achievements include the implementation of the Detroit Housing for the Future Fund (DHFF) and facilitating the Toledo YR16 Initiative.

Additionally, he has provided technical assistance and training for the Neighborhood Partnership Academy (NPA) and the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Commercial Revitalization (ONCR), including having a seat on the board. He also oversaw the planning process that lead to the formation of the Southwest Detroit Development Collaborative (SDDC).

Prior to LISC, Abla was an AmeriCorps member working at Core City Neighborhoods. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and Masters of Urban Planning, both from the University of Michigan.

Anthony Batiste

Director of Lending and Portfolio Management

abatiste@lisc.org
(313) 265-2892

With over 12 years at LISC, Anthony Batiste currently serves as the Director of Lending and Portfolio Management for the local Detroit office. While at LISC, Batiste has been responsible for underwriting over $30 million in lending for real estate development projects.  Batiste is also the local contract for LISC Small Business Lending and Economic Development.

Earlier in his banking career, Batiste also managed a Loan Initiative Program which targeted start up and early stage businesses before moving on to manage larger business lending relationships.  His previous experience includes over 18 years of proven commercial lending experience in both developing and managing commercial loan relationships for businesses of varying sizes and industries. 

Jacqueline Burau

Director, Economic Opportunity

jburau@lisc.org
(313) 265-2822

Since 2000, Jacqueline Burau has honed her professional skills and has worked her way through the ranks within the LISC organization.  Since 2012 Jacqueline Burau has led LISC’s Financial Stability and Economic Opportunities portfolio which includes directing and managing the LISC investment to support the local financial opportunity and workforce programs, including the Financial Opportunity Center network of 13 Greater Detroit Centers for Working Families. These are neighborhood-based centers offering integrated services of career development and placement, financial coaching and credit-building, and income support access as well managing as LISC’s role as the One Stop Operator for Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation (DESC).

Previously, Jacqueline managed the Michigan Neighborhood AmeriCorps Program, an initiative of the University of Michigan. She is a member of the Detroit Workforce Leadership Academy, class of 2017, part of the Economic Opportunity Fellows Network, a network of leadership and fellowship programs run by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program (EOP).  Within this Network, EOP connects national and local leaders from across sectors —nonprofit, government, business, philanthropy, academia, and more —to advance policies and practices with the potential to help low-and moderate-income Americans thrive in today’s economy.  She received her bachelor’s degree in Human Resources: Training and Development from Oakland University.

Kiara Conway

Assistant Program Officer, Economic Development

kconway@lisc.org
(313) 265-2827

Kiara joined the LISC Detroit team in July 2023 with a wealth of experience in providing support services, and professional and life coaching to youth and families in the higher-education arena. Kiara actively collaborates, internally with partners and stakeholders, to identify opportunities for alignment and coordination to increase LISC impact relating to workforce, financial stability and overall economic development efforts.

Brandon Ivory

DHFF Program Officer

bivory@lisc.org
(313) 265-2890

Brandon Ivory joined LISC Detroit in 2004 as an Assistant Program Officer working on capacity building for community development corporations and currently serves as the Building Sustainable Communities liaison to the Grandmont Rosedale neighborhood. Previously, he was employed with United Way Community Services (now known as United Way for Southeast Michigan) in community planning. Ivory has over ten years of experience working in several human service organizations that focused on the betterment of youth and families in Michigan. He has a Master’s of Social Work from Wayne State University and a Bachelor’s of Social Work from Saginaw Valley State University.

Ramona McArn

Program Assistant

rmcarn@lisc.org
(313) 479-2074

Ramona McArn brings over twelve years of administrative experience with her to the LISC Detroit office. She attended Eastern Michigan University where she studied Human Resources and worked as a student assistant to the Vice President of Enrollment Services for three years. Upon graduation, she worked in an office administrative position with the Wayne State University Department of Pediatrics. Ramona has provided excellent attention to detail, donor database management and fund development and has effectively supported nonprofit organizations with an equity/social justice focus such as the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion and the Anti-Defamation League of Michigan (ADL). Ramona has also provided back office administrative support for property management companies, supporting the back-office and tenant relations for a large housing complexes throughout the metro-Detroit region.  

Michelle B. Rubin

Program Officer, Economic Development

mrubin@lisc.org
(313) 265-2891

Michelle Rubin joined LISC Detroit in June 2022 as an Economic Development Program Officer. In this role, Michelle implements LISC Detroit’s economic development strategy, including managing a portfolio of place-based community-centered economic inclusion plans and small business support programs. Prior to LISC, Michelle worked in several roles aimed at supporting and strengthening communities, including over four years of experience in local government. Most recently, Michelle served as the Associate Director of American Rescue Plan Act Projects with the City of Detroit's Department of Innovation and Technology. Previously, she was a Senior Budget and Policy Analyst at the City Budget Office in Portland, Oregon. In that role, Michelle was responsible for providing funding and policy analysis on the City of Portland's portfolio of community development and housing programs and designing community engagement initiatives. Michelle holds a Master of Public Policy, Master of Urban and Regional Planning, and a B.A. in Political Science all from the University of Michigan.

Alese Springer

Senior Program Officer, Housing

aspringer@lisc.org
(313) 612-4712

Alese Springer began her journey on the LISC Detroit team in March 2023 overseeing Detroit home repair programs including the 0% Interest Home Repair Loan Program and Delray Home Improvement Program, the financial review of existing projects, asset management, and federal and state compliance within the organization.

Prior to joining LISC Detroit, Alese played an intricate role in spearheading new disposition programs like the non-profit occupied program at the Detroit Land Bank Authority. Her greatest accomplishments in that role include increasing closing production by 90% in less than one-year and closing the most properties in DLBA history within a one-week and one-month timeframe. As a community lender, Alese is very active. Notably conducting home buying seminars, providing financial literacy for Low/Mod income buyers, non-profit organizations, and small business owners. She credits her roots in retail banking for her ability to forge and leverage relationships leading to her engagement in high profile activations such as PPP, HUD, CDBG, MSHDA and LIHTC.

Albert Wolschleger

Credit Risk Analyst

awolschleger@lisc.org
(313) 265-2889

Albert, also known as Al, joined LISC Detroit in February 2021 as a Credit Risk Analyst. Al has seven years of experience in real estate with much of that being in developing affordable housing. Prior to joining LISC, Al was part of the development team at Community Housing Network, securing Low Income Housing Tax Credits and Federal Home Loan Bank funding for 70 new units of housing. Al also is certified by the National Development Council as a Housing Development Finance Professional, has experience in real estate sales, and is a licensed residential builder. He holds a Master’s of Urban Planning from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor’s of Science in Television and Digital Media Production from Ferris State University.