Meet the Community Capital New York Team

Prior to joining Community Capital New York as Interim President and CEO, Ian worked in the New York region nonprofit community for more than thirty‐five years.  He most recently served as Interim Executive Director at Greater Newark Conservancy, Volunteers of Legal Service and at Riverdale Neighborhood House. A CPA based in NYC, Ian retired in 2019 as a partner at RSM where he led the northeast nonprofit audit, tax and consulting practice. Ian has served higher education and nonprofit organizations including private foundations, international, membership and cultural groups, colleges and universities, K‐12 schools, and trade and professional associations. Ian also has served for many years in leadership roles on nonprofit boards. He is currently board chair at Nonprofit New York.

Ian offers extensive experience guiding and advising nonprofits with organizational challenges and in transition.

Kate Conlan joined Community Capital New York in October 2021, previously serving on the Board of Directors for four years.

Before involvement with Community Capital New York, Kate worked at The Acceleration Project as Director of Client & Partner Development and as a business consultant. She delivered business development services to women and underserved populations, empowering them to start or grow their businesses.

Kate has been active on several non-profit boards in Westchester County. She served as President of Maroon and White, the Scarsdale High School sports booster organization, and the PTA President for the Edgewood School in Scarsdale, where she lives with her husband and four children. Kate has a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical and Materials Engineering, and she received an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Kelly Almanzar joined Community Capital New York in March 2023. He oversees all aspects of our affordable housing and small business lending programs.

Kelly’s career in lending spans more than two decades. He has worked at national banks, community banks and nonprofit institutions, serving in key roles such as Director of Lending, National Product Manager and Residential Lending Manager.

Growing up in New York City as the son of immigrants from Ecuador and the Dominican Republic, Kelly understands the challenges people in underserved communities face as they seek to build better lives for themselves and their families. Throughout his career in mortgage and business lending, Kelly has focused on meeting the needs of first-time homebuyers and low-to-moderate income borrowers, and he brings that same focus to his work at Community Capital New York.

As Chief Lending Officer, Kelly leads our lending team in securing financing for developers of high-quality affordable housing in the Hudson Valley and providing small business loans and technical assistance to members of underserved communities to help them start, build and sustain successful businesses and create jobs.

Kelly is a graduate of Lehman College of the City University of New York and speaks fluent Spanish. He lives in Stamford, Conn., with his son and daughter and enjoys running and motorcycle riding.

Veronica joined Community Capital New York in February 2022 as a Special Projects Officer. She coordinates and collaborates with various county agencies to develop and administer all aspects of government grant programs and works in partnership with our business partners to prepare technical assistance.

Veronica also prepares reports for CCNY’s Board of Directors and contributes to New York State and SBA reporting responsibilities. Additionally, Veronica works closely with the Small Business team to offer workshops and assists clients with bookkeeping needs.

Previously, Veronica worked in corporate retail for over 12 years providing administrative, project management, and finance/accounting support. Throughout her career, she exhibited the ability to juggle multiple projects and work collaboratively with several teams to further exceed team expectations.

Veronica is thrilled to have joined Community Capital New York to support and help small businesses in underserved communities. In her role, she’ll Identify new business opportunities for the Small Business Lending Program through their work with small business grantees, networking, lead generation, and referrals to increase loan production, improve profitability, and develop partnerships in their specific geographic areas.

Yaka Oyo is a seasoned professional with over 15+ years of experience in Residential Real Estate, specializing in Community Development within the vibrant landscape of New York City. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Yaka’s deep understanding of the market and unwavering commitment to affordable housing initiatives have made him a trusted resource in the field.

In June 2023, Yaka joined CCNY as the VP of Affordable Lending, with a strategic focus on providing more funding options for Affordable Housing Developers in New York State.

Yaka’s journey in Community Development began as a respected CRA Loan Officer at M&T Bank, where he spearheaded the mortgage lending efforts in Low-Moderate Income neighborhoods for M&T. The mortgage crisis of 2008 served as a call to action and he immersed himself in all facets of Affordable Housing Development. More recently he spent several years at HPD managing development projects from conception, through predevelopment, and concluding with construction. Through his efforts at HPD, over 120 affordable HDFC Co-op units were brought to life, positively impacting the lives of countless individuals and families in the New York City Area.

Throughout his career Yaka has honed invaluable skills in Relationship Management, Underwriting, Credit, Risk Mitigation, and Program Management. These proficiencies, combined with his unwavering passion for affordable housing, have contributed to a substantial increase in the stock of quality, affordable housing options throughout the five boroughs. Outside of New York his altruism has carried him to volunteering in Port Au Prince, Haiti shortly after the deadly earthquake in 2010 as well as time spent volunteering at the Buduburam Refugee Camp in Ghana.

With an unwavering commitment to excellence and a profound understanding of the complexities of the affordable housing landscape, Yaka Oyo is poised to lead impactful and transformative initiatives at Community Capital New York. When he’s not working or volunteering – you might find him, as he puts it- “just on my road bike enjoying the journey.”

Erika M. Fermin is a versatile professional with twenty years of experience in the real estate industry and a strong background in sales, management, support, and marketing. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Mercy College and an Associate in Applied Science degree in Multimedia Development and Management from The College of Westchester.

In her current role as Loan Officer for Community Capital New York, Erika is able to live her passion of helping others achieve their dreams. She has gained valuable expertise in loan transactions and compliance through her previous work for a large financial institution. Erika’s dedication to serving her community is evident as the PTO President and Board Member at The Charter School of Educational Excellence. With her extensive knowledge and experience, Erika is well-equipped to provide exceptional service in Westchester, Rockland, and the Bronx. She is committed to making a positive impact and using her skills to assist individuals in realizing their business goals.

Lisbel Rosario, with over 15 years of diverse financial experience, excels in both independent and team-based work. Holding licenses in Life Insurance, SIE, Series 6, Series 63, and Mortgage, she specializes in personalized financial planning. Her role as a Commissioned NYS Notary Public underscores her trustworthiness and ethics.

Fluent in English and Spanish, in Lisbel’s role as a Loan Officer at Community Capital New York, she contributes significantly to the company’s mission of providing capital to Black, Hispanic, and low-income small businesses. Lisbel holds a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts focused on Black Studies from SUNY New Paltz and is a well-rounded professional dedicated to excellence in all she does.

Kellie Dallura joined Community Capital New York in 2018 as a Loan Associate.

She works closely with the lending team to support the operations and organizational workflow for small business loan applications. She also helps manage our impact data and reporting and keeps the team organized.

Previously, Kellie worked as the Assistant Office Manager for a medical team and has spent most of her career supporting the operations of medical offices. She is committed to helping the lending team at Community Capital New York as we serve small business owners.

Rita Vanessa Siniscalchi is a Digital Marketing and Communications Specialist with over 11 years of experience in spearheading strategic marketing initiatives for multicultural small business owners, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit organizations. She excels in delivering high-performance campaigns and achieving clients’ goals both online and offline.

In her role as a Marketing and Communications Associate, Rita Vanessa leverages her expertise in project management to execute tailored digital marketing campaigns that enhance brands’ online presence and communication across various industries.
Certified as an entrepreneurial business advisor by Cornell University, Rita Vanessa has not only honed her skills but also gained recognition as a featured speaker and workshop facilitator at NYC Social Media Week. Additionally, she has represented clients at the Facebook Community Summit.

As a native New Yorker, Rita Vanessa has collaborated with companies nationwide, refining her ability to lead both in-person and remote teams in the execution of marketing campaigns. She is skilled at empowering teams, generating innovative solutions, and consistently surpassing long and short-term objectives.

Rita Vanessa’s diverse background and extensive experience align with CCNY’s mission to drive capital, develop properties, and transform neighborhoods. Her contributions play a pivotal role in expanding the organization’s impact.