by Rachel Hazzard
May 27, 2026
Categories: Team Members,
When people think about business growth in Philadelphia, they often picture storefronts expanding, new equipment arriving, or a long-envisioned project finally breaking ground. But behind each of those milestones is something less visible but absolutely essential—capital. PIDC’s Lending Team plays a central role in making capital accessible for business owners across the city.
They’re problem-solvers, relationship-builders, and financial experts who help clients navigate everything from simple transactions to complex financing structures. Their work is rooted in a shared goal: ensuring businesses in every neighborhood have the opportunity to grow and thrive.
Building Opportunity Through Capital
Lending at PIDC is about more than financing—it’s about partnership. The team works with a wide range of clients, including businesses, nonprofits, and real estate developers.
Whether it’s supporting a business purchasing its first building, helping a nonprofit upgrade its facilities, or providing working capital to stabilize operations, the lending team focuses on meeting clients where they are and helping them move forward with confidence.
Their approach blends financial expertise with a deep understanding of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods, industries, and economic landscape—ensuring capital flows where it can create the most impact.
Meet the Team
Alyssa Carrow
Credit Analyst
6 Months at PIDC
Alyssa plays an important role in supporting PIDC’s Lending Team throughout the underwriting process. She works closely with loan officers to analyze transactions, review client credit, spread financials, and help prepare the credit memos that inform PIDC’s lending decisions. In addition to supporting day-to-day lending operations, she also helps businesses explore financing solutions that support energy efficiency and long-term sustainability improvements.
Favorite Project: Alyssa’s favorite project was working on the commercial mortgage financing for Uniform Gear. The project gave her the opportunity to deepen her underwriting experience while helping the client become an owner-occupant and invest in their long-term future.
Carmel Deane
Senior Loan Officer
8 Years at PIDC
Carmel specializes in delivering flexible financing to businesses and non-profits across a wide range of industries in Philadelphia. Her portfolio includes business and economic development loans, helping clients access the capital and training resources they need to grow, invest, and build long-term stability.
Favorite Project: Some of Carmel’s favorite projects include financing for Riverwards Produce’s second location in Old City, supporting leasehold improvements and equipment purchases; helping Mickie Davis Hair Studio purchase its South Philadelphia location; and working with Past Your Bedtime Daycare to purchase its space on North 63rd Street.
Heather Hanowitz
Vice President & Managing Director of Lending
11 Years at PIDC
Heather leads PIDC’s Lending group and is responsible for the organization’s business development and lending activities to small and midsize commercial businesses, non-profits and real estate developers, with an emphasis on serving Philadelphia’s most vibrant yet underbanked communities. Her team of eight passionate professionals originate, underwrite and deploy flexible and affordable financing to fill critical funding gaps for commercial real estate projects, equipment purchases and working capital needs.
Favorite Project: Heather will always gravitate towards historic preservation and adaptive reuse projects that celebrate the incredible architecture Philadelphia has to offer. Two of her favorite examples include, True Hand’s award-winning project in Fishtown which turned a 150-year old former church into a creative studio and primary residence; and Smith + Roller’s recent acquisition of an early 20th century bank building with plans to convert it into a banquet hall and commissary kitchen for another favorite PIDC-client, Strother Enterprises.
Ricky Huynh
Senior Loan Officer
3 1/2 Years at PIDC
Ricky works closely with Philadelphia businesses and organizations to help structure financing solutions that support growth, expansion, and long-term impact. His work spans the full client journey—from early conversations and relationship-building to underwriting and navigating more complex funding opportunities tailored to each project’s needs.
Favorite Project: While Ricky doesn’t like to play favorites, he highlighted a recent project with SEAMAAC, a nonprofit serving immigrants from all backgrounds, refugees, and economically marginalized communities throughout South Philadelphia, as especially meaningful. PIDC supported the organization’s relocation to a new headquarters in Southeast Philadelphia, a move that will help SEAMAAC expand its impact and nearly double its service capacity for the community.
Stephen McAlpine
Business Development Manager
1 Years at PIDC
Steven focuses on identifying new opportunities across Philadelphia that PIDC’s lending team can support. His work centers on building relationships in the market, surfacing potential projects, and helping connect businesses to the capital and resources they need to move forward.
Favorite Project: One of Steven’s standout projects so far is the Pine Valley Pickleball project, a development that reflects growing demand for community-oriented recreation and activity spaces.
Lawrence McCommie
Senior Vice President & Chief Credit Officer
14 Years at PIDC
Lawrence leads PIDC’s Financial Services Group, overseeing a team of 16 responsible for originating, structuring, underwriting, closing, and managing a $500+ million portfolio of loans and investments. With more than 35 years of experience in commercial lending and real estate finance, he brings deep expertise in complex, multi-layered capital structures that support affordable housing, neighborhood revitalization, and economic development across Philadelphia.
Favorite Project: Two of Lawrence’s memorable recent projects are Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School and YouthBuild Philly Charter School, both of which reflect his long-standing commitment to supporting education and opportunity pathways for young people in Philadelphia.
Evelyn Montalvo
Manager, Loan Administration
16 Years at PIDC
Evelyn is the “Starter & Closer” in the lending process, supporting both the beginning and final stages of each loan. She gets involved at application intake by organizing borrower files for underwriting, including pulling credit and background checks, city tax clearances, and conducting initial due diligence. Once a loan is approved, she transitions into the “Closer” role—issuing commitment letters, coordinating closing documentation with borrowers and internal teams, and ensuring all requirements are in place for settlement.
Favorite Project: Evelyn has supported many projects over the years, with a particular appreciation for PIDC’s Contract Line of Credit borrowers. She values seeing long-term clients grow their businesses over time and expand their credit lines, viewing it as a reflection of the impact PIDC has in helping businesses strengthen operations and scale.
Carole Ng
Underwriter
7 Months at PIDC
As an Underwriter, Carole supports PIDC’s Lending Team by assisting in the underwriting of commercial loans and contributing to the credit review process. Her work helps ensure each transaction is carefully evaluated and structured to support both borrower needs and PIDC’s mission.
Favorite Project: Her favorite projects are always the ones she is currently working on, as each one contributes in a different way to supporting businesses and driving impact across Philadelphia.
Camille Simpkins
Senior Business Development Manager
4 Years at PIDC
Camille works at the intersection of market insight, relationship-building, and cross-functional collaboration to connect Philadelphia businesses with PIDC’s capital, technical assistance, and development resources. She engages directly with businesses across the city to understand their needs and match them with opportunities that support growth and long-term success. Through these efforts, she helps ensure businesses can access the tools and support needed to drive innovation, investment, and job creation across Philadelphia.
Favorite Project: One of Camille’s favorite projects was supporting Carefully Caring Home Care Agency, a non-skilled home care agency serving elderly residents in Philadelphia and surrounding counties. The company is 100% woman- and minority-owned and PIDC provided a commercial mortgage loan to help the business secure permanent office space and support its continued growth in delivering care to the community.
Continuing to Invest in Philadelphia
As Philadelphia’s economy continues to evolve, so do the needs of its businesses. PIDC’s Lending Team is focused on adapting alongside them—refining products, strengthening partnerships, and expanding access to financing for entrepreneurs at every stage.
Their work remains grounded in a simple idea: when businesses have the capital they need to grow, entire communities move forward with them.
Capital You Need to Grow
PIDC has financing resources to serve the unique needs of all established Philadelphia-based businesses, nonprofits, and real estate developers.