The Lighthouse Team
With more than 175 years of collective experience, the professional staff which makes up the Lighthouse Team is uniquely qualified to creatively structure, document, fund and service an asset based loan which meets a client’s unique needs and challenges. This Team includes:
J. Brad Leach
President and CEO
Mr. Leach is responsible for the overall strategic direction of Lighthouse Financial providing oversight for credit and portfolio decisions, along with marketing and business development initiatives. In addition, he also maintains the relationships with Lighthouse’s financial partners. Mr. Leach has over 27 years of experience in finance, banking and commercial lending with 23 of those years spent with Lighthouse. Prior to joining Lighthouse, Mr. Leach worked in commercial banking as a Vice President with Bank of America. Mr. Leach earned a BSBA in Management and MBA in Finance both from Appalachian State University. In addition to leading the Lighthouse team, he is an active member of the Secured Finance Network, Turnaround Management Association, and the Risk Management Association.
Mark Walling
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Walling is responsible for overall loan operations and ensuring that Lighthouse adheres to established credit policy and procedures. In addition, he serves on the credit committee in an underwriting and credit decision capacity. Mr. Walling has more than 40 years of experience in accounting, financial analysis, loan underwriting, loan documentation and loan administration with 31 of those years spent with Lighthouse. Earlier in his career, Mr. Walling worked in accounting at Guilford Mills. Mr. Walling holds a BS in Accounting from High Point University and MBA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Mr. Walling is also a member of the Secured Finance Network.
Todd Miller
Executive Vice President, Chief Credit Officer & Portfolio Manager
Mr. Miller is responsible for managing client relationships and supervising the overall credit quality of the portfolio. He also serves on the credit committee and assists with daily loan operations. Mr. Miller has 37 years of experience in the banking and asset based lending industries, with 25 of those years spent with Lighthouse. He also serves on the credit committee, underwrites new loan opportunities, and assists with daily operations. Earlier in his career, Mr. Miller was a Vice President with SunTrust Bank serving in several capacities including Small Business Underwriting Manager, Special Assets Officer, Senior Credit Analyst and Loan Review Officer. Mr. Miller holds a BSBA in Finance from Western Illinois University.
Ben Riley
Senior Vice President, Marketing & Business Development
Mr. Riley is responsible for overall marketing strategy and activities along with sourcing, structuring, and closing new client relationships in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest regions of the Lighthouse marketing territory. He has over 26 years of experience in asset-based lending, commercial finance, and other credit-related products, nine of those with Lighthouse. Earlier in his career, Mr. Riley worked with Gibraltar Business Capital, Marquette Commercial Finance and Diamond Business Credit, all in business development roles. He also served as Senior New Business Agent with Euler Hermes ACI, the world’s largest trade credit insurance company. Mr. Riley holds a BA in Business and Economics from Randolph Macon College. Mr. Riley is an active member of the Secured Finance Network and is a Director of the Carolinas Chapter of the Turnaround Management Association.
Daniel Ellis
Senior Vice President, Account Executive
Mr. Ellis is responsible for managing client relationships and ensuring credit quality within a given portfolio. He also serves on the credit committee, assists with daily loan operations, and leads activities for Verification Management Company, a Lighthouse subsidiary. Mr. Ellis has 21 years of banking and accounting experience, thirteen of which were spent in portfolio management, loan review, and risk management roles with various financial institutions, seven of those with Lighthouse. He also has more than seven years of audit and consulting experience with multiple accounting firms, both regional and national. Earlier in his career, Mr. Ellis worked with Carolina Bank, RSM McGladrey, and Sharrard McGee & Co. P.A. Mr. Ellis holds a BS in Business Management with an Accounting Emphasis from Emory and Henry College.
Dylan Zimmerman
Vice President, Business Development Officer
Mr Zimmerman is responsible for marketing the products of Lighthouse Financial Corp. in the lower Southeast and sourcing, structuring, and closing new client relationships. He is an industry veteran with over six years of experience in asset-based lending and commercial finance most recently as Vice President, Business Development with Sallyport Commercial Finance, LLC. Earlier in his career, Mr. Zimmerman worked with Accord Financial Corp. as a Business Development Officer. Mr. Zimmerman holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of South Carolina and is active in the Secured Finance Network, Turnaround Management Association, Association for Corporate Growth.
Austin Campbell
Collateral Analyst & Marketing Associate
