About Us
Meet Our Board
Rashad Morris
Board Chair
Rashad Morris is a Program Officer with the Bullitt Foundation in Seattle where he works with nonprofits in the areas of climate, toxics, urban sustainability, and renewable energy. He is deeply committed to integrating social justice with environmental sustainability and economic development. Rashad holds a Juris Doctor from the UC Berkeley School of Law and a Bachelors in Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University.
Ken Takahashi
Vice Chair
Ken Takahashi is the Vice President of Community Engagement for JPMorgan Chase & Co., serving the Pacific Northwest region. In this position, Ken provides grants to nonprofits that support small business growth and affordable housing development, and he works closely with low-income communities in advancing their wealth building strategies. Ken has over 20 years of economic development experience. Prior to joining JPMorgan Chase, Ken worked
for the City of Seattle – Office of Economic Development as the Director of Commercial Affordability and also as a real estate attorney in the private sector. Ken holds a Juris Doctor from Washington University School of Law and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Rochester.
Virginia Calvin
Virginia Calvin is an entrepreneur who owned a children’s apparel design and manufacturing company for 13 years in Seattle, WA. Originally outsourcing the product manufacture to Hong Kong and British Columbia, she eventually shifted production to her family-owned factory in Seattle. She joined the Board of Directors of Evergreen in 1996 and has always
found it fascinating to see what other small businesses are doing, what goals and opportunities they perceive, and how they make their financial decisions. In 2001 she sold her business to a New Jersey firm and has since worked as a residential real estate broker for Windermere Real Estate. Virginia is bilingual in Spanish and English, with a BA from University of Colorado and an MA from the University of Michigan. She lives in South Seattle.
Tina Houston
Tina Houston is the Principal of Houston Consulting & Associates (HCA). She has 17 years’ experience working in the private and public sectors. Prior to forming HCA, she led the implementation of the Northwest’s, first-of-its-kind Financial Empowerment Center, providing free financial counseling and education services to low-income populations.
Tina has a strong commitment to economic justice and workforce development and continues to partner with nonprofit organizations such as Seattle Goodwill Industries and Shift Community Resources to improve the financial capabilities of low-income families in King and Pierce Counties. She has served on numerous committees to improve the economic equity of women, immigrant and minority populations in the Northwest. Tina holds Financial Counseling certifications from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Cities for Financial Empowerment (CFE) and Central New Mexico Community College (CNE). She holds a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts and Master of Business Administration.
Thomas Kuljam
Thomas Kuljam is a graduate of Washington State University, and he currently serves as the Director of Veterans Incubator for Better Entrepreneurship (VIBE) and teaches for the University of Washington – Tacoma. As a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force and a successful entrepreneur, Thomas joins Evergreen Business Capital’s Board of Directors with
25 years of commercial banking experience, including SBA lending, commercial lending, portfolio management, and marketing and business development. Thomas’ entrepreneurial aspirations have also led to the startup of multiple businesses around the Puget Sound Region, including a business consulting firm working for Los Angeles County, and the City of Tacoma and has helped many local businesses make an impact in their community. Thomas also devotes a great deal of time and energy to other local boards and organizations, including the Pierce County Veterans Advisory Board, YMCA, and International Community Health Services.
Beto Yarce
Beto Yarce is the Executive Director for Ventures Nonprofit, an organization with the mission of empowering individuals with limited resources and unlimited potential to improve their lives through small business ownership. Beto started his first business at the age of eight years old selling candy and continued over the years, selling all kind of products from bags
to magazines, a restaurant, a coffee shop, a family business of jewelry and folk art. Beto received a degree in International Business from the Instituto Tecnologico de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO) in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and a certificate in Non-profit/Public/Organizational Management from the University of Washington. Beto received the Small Business Administration (SBA) Director Excellence Award in 2016, Nonprofit of the Year by GSBA in 2016, Innovation Award by Puget Sound Business Journal, City of Seattle Emerging Leader Pride Award, Crosscut Business Courage Award in 2018 and Outstanding LGBTQ Business Leaders award for Puget Sound Business Journal 2019.
Karen McIver
Karen McIver has 30 years of commercial banking experience focused on lending and risk. She currently is a Senior Vice President at Columbia Bank in Tacoma, Washington. At Columbia she has responsibility for Credit Analytics, Construction Loan Administration, Appraisal and Environmental Services, and is the credit administrator for the Home Builder
Finance Division. Prior to joining Columbia she was a Senior Vice President at Key Bank with responsibility for credit risk management of Home Builder Finance, Community Development Lending and Income Property Real Estate. She also served as a corporate ethics officer. Karen holds an MBA from Seattle Pacific University and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Saint Mary where she has served as a Board Trustee.
Stacy Tomuro
Stacy Tomuro is a Senior Vice President and Director of Mainland Commercial Real Estate Lending for First Hawaiian Bank’s Commercial Real Estate Division. Previously he was with First National Bank Alaska, Corporate Lending Division in Anchorage, Alaska, having been with FNBA since 2001. Stacy has over 30 years of banking experience focused on
commercial lending, portfolio and risk management, and asset growth. He is a graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School and the University of Washington. In addition, he has served on several other boards, organizations, and committees including the United Way of Anchorage for many years and the Alaska Loan Advisory Committee for EBC since it was formed in 2014.
In Memory of Rosario Arias De Carroll
“Rosario had a strong presence on the Evergreen board, serving since 2015. Rosario was dedicated to assisting small minority-owned businesses, especially providing tools to learn financial education. Rosario had a tremendous commitment to Evergreen Business Capital and Evergreen Business Capital Community Finance as evidenced with her service as our Treasurer and Foundation Vice Chair. We, and the people that benefited from her selflessness, will miss Rosario.”
— Rashad Morris, Board Chair and Patti Kibbe, CEO
Rashad Morris
Board Chair
Rashad Morris is a Program Officer with the Bullitt Foundation in Seattle where he works with nonprofits in the areas of climate, toxics, urban sustainability, and renewable energy. He is deeply committed to integrating social justice with environmental sustainability and economic development.
Rashad holds a Juris Doctor from the UC Berkeley School of Law and a Bachelors in Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University.
Ken Takahashi
Vice Chair
Ken Takahashi is the Development Finance Advisor at the City of Seattle – Office of Economic Development with over 18 years of economic development experience. He is the lead manager for the City’s economic development financing programs including the New Markets Tax Credit program, SBA 7a loan program (in partnership with CDFI Grow America
Fund) and HUD Section 108 loan program. Prior to working for the City of Seattle, Ken worked as a real estate attorney. Ken holds a Juris Doctor from Washington University School of Law and Bachelors in Political Science from the University of Rochester.
Jack Brummel
Past Chair
Jack Brummel was the Executive Director of Northwest Access Fund and continues in a consulting role with the organization. He joined the Access Fund in the summer of 2013 after spending 26 years with the Washington State Senate, primarily as lead staff for committees addressing economic development, financial institutions, commerce, labor, and workforce
development issues. While with the Senate Jack developed legislation relating to employment of people with disabilities, creating individual development accounts, and supporting micro-enterprise development. Prior to work with the Senate, Jack was the Administrator for the Northwest Intertribal Court System and the National Director of the Law Students Civil Rights Research Council. Jack’s education includes a BA in Political Science from Washington State University, a JD from the University of Washington, and a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley.
Virginia Calvin
Virginia Calvin is an entrepreneur who owned a children’s apparel design and manufacturing company for 13 years in Seattle, WA. Originally outsourcing the product manufacture to Hong Kong and British Columbia, she eventually shifted production to her family-owned factory in Seattle. She joined the Board of Directors of Evergreen in 1996 and has always found it
fascinating to see what other small businesses are doing, what goals and opportunities they perceive, and how they make their financial decisions. In 2001 she sold her business to a New Jersey firm and has since worked as a residential real estate broker for Windermere Real Estate. Virginia is bilingual in Spanish and English, with a BA from University of Colorado and an MA from the University of Michigan. She lives in South Seattle.
In Memory of
Rosario Arias De Carroll
“Rosario had a strong presence on the Evergreen board, serving since 2015. Rosario was dedicated to assisting small minority-owned businesses, especially providing tools to learn financial literature. Rosario had a
tremendous commitment to Evergreen Business Capital and Evergreen Business Capital Community Finance as evidenced with her service as our Treasurer and Foundation Vice Chair. We, and the people that benefited from her selflessness, will miss Rosario.”
— Patti Kibbe, CEO and Rashad Morris, Board Chair
Tina Houston
Tina Houston is the Principal of Houston Consulting & Associates (HCA). She has 17 years’ experience working in the private and public sectors. Prior to forming HCA, she led the implementation of the Northwest’s, first-of-its-kind Financial Empowerment Center, providing free financial counseling and education services to low-income populations.
Tina has a strong commitment to economic justice and workforce development and continues to partner with nonprofit organizations such as Seattle Goodwill Industries and Shift Community Resources to improve the financial capabilities of low-income families in King and Pierce Counties. She has served on numerous committees to improve the economic equity of women, immigrant and minority populations in the Northwest. Tina holds Financial Counseling certifications from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Cities for Financial Empowerment (CFE) and Central New Mexico Community College (CNE). She holds a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts and Master of Business Administration.
Phil Jones
Phil Jones was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Harborstone Credit Union in January 2009. Harborstone Credit Union, headquartered in Lakewood, WA, is a state-chartered and federally-insured credit union with sixteen branches located throughout King, Pierce, and Thurston counties in Washington State. Phil is active in several credit union industry associations and local community service organizations.
He also served as a Board member of the South Sound YMCA and the Olympia Symphony Orchestra. He further served as Chair of the Board of the Northewst Credit Union Association for a period of seven years and currently, serves as Chair of the Board of Business Impact Northwest.
Phil earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from the University of Oklahoma and a Master’s Degree in Finance from the American University in Washington, DC.
Thomas Kuljam
Thomas Kuljam is a graduate of Washington State University, and he currently serves as the Director of Veterans Incubator for Better Entrepreneurship (VIBE) and teaches for the University of Washington – Tacoma. As a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force and a successful entrepreneur, Thomas joins Evergreen Business Capital’s Board of Directors with 25 years of commercial banking experience, including
SBA lending, commercial lending, portfolio management, and marketing and business development. Thomas’ entrepreneurial aspirations have also led to the startup of multiple businesses around the Puget Sound Region, including a business consulting firm working for Los Angeles County, and the City of Tacoma and has helped many local businesses make an impact in their community. Thomas also devotes a great deal of time and energy to other local boards and organizations, including the Pierce County Veterans Advisory Board, YMCA, and International Community Health Services.
Beto Yarce
Beto Yarce is the Executive Director for Ventures Nonprofit, an organization with the mission of empowering individuals with limited resources and unlimited potential to improve their lives through small business ownership. Beto started his first business at the age of eight years old selling candy and continued over the years, selling all kind of products from bags to
magazines, a restaurant, a coffee shop, a family business of jewelry and folk art. Beto received a degree in International Business from the Instituto Tecnologico de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO) in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and a certificate in Non-profit/Public/Organizational Management from the University of Washington. Beto received the Small Business Administration (SBA) Director Excellence Award in 2016, Nonprofit of the Year by GSBA in 2016, Innovation Award by Puget Sound Business Journal, City of Seattle Emerging Leader Pride Award, Crosscut Business Courage Award in 2018 and Outstanding LGBTQ Business Leaders award for Puget Sound Business Journal 2019.
Karen McIver
Karen McIver has 30 years of commercial banking experience focused on lending and risk. She currently is a Senior Vice President at Columbia Bank in Tacoma, Washington. At Columbia she has responsibility for Credit Analytics, Construction Loan Administration, Appraisal and Environmental Services, and is the credit administrator for the Home Builder
Finance Division.
Stacy Tomuro
Stacy Tomuro is a Senior Vice President and Specialty Lending Director at First National Bank Alaska, Corporate Lending Division in Anchorage, Alaska, having been with FNBA since 2001. Stacy has over 30 years of banking experience focused on commercial lending, portfolio and risk management, and asset growth. He is a graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School and
the University of Washington. In addition, he has served on several other boards, organizations, and committees including the United Way of Anchorage for many years and the Alaska Loan Advisory Committee for EBC since it was formed in 2014.
