Staff
Salli Martyniak, president
sallim@forwardci.org
With a background in finance and an unwavering passion for social change, Salli Martyniak, together with staff, has had the pleasure of seeing Forward Community Investments (FCI) reach record levels of growth. Salli was born in Detroit, where she thrived on the diversity of the city. “Driving through town meant traveling from one culture to another to another,” she remembers. “Each neighborhood was wonderfully alive with its own language, religion, and traditions.”
After receiving a business degree from the University of Wisconsin, Salli served in various management roles with the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, US Bank, Associated Bank, and the QTI Group. She became the executive director of FCI in 2003, when it was still known as The Dane Fund. Under her direction, FCI has expanded the scope of its services to include providing vital technical assistance and financial management advice to nonprofits through workshops and seminars across the state. Salli supports a friendly workplace environment, complete with dogs – which is why her dog, Marley, can often be found in her office. Salli appreciates the challenge of working with nonprofits in every corner of the state. As the only Wisconsin-based loan fund dedicated to working with nonprofits, it means that FCI has a challenge and corresponding opportunity to reach 16,000+ nonprofits in Wisconsin.
Carrie Vanderford, vice president-lending services
carriev@forwardci.org
Carrie joined FCI in 2010 as vice president of lending services. Prior to joining the FCI team, Carrie worked as a senior consultant for Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP. In her position, she gained experience with a national base of clients engaged in community development in low income communities. While at Baker Tilly, Carrie assisted CDFIs, non-profit organizations, and community development entities with raising and deploying of a variety of economic development and affordable housing financing tools including low income housing tax credits, new markets tax credits, tax incremental financing, historic tax credits, and CDFI grants and loans. Prior to her position with Baker Tilly, Carrie worked at the City of Kansas City, Missouri as part of the City’s development finance division where she was an integral part of a team responsible for conducting front end financial analysis of economic development projects seeking public subsidy. While at the City of Kansas City, Carrie developed the City’s NMTC program and led the City’s efforts to apply for and win its first allocation. Carrie’s career also includes experience in public housing program evaluation, affordable housing development, and social and economic impact analysis. She received her master’s degree in City Planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree from William Jewell College.
Tracy Hubbard, vice president - operations
tracyh@forwardci.org
Tracy assists Forward Community Investments with day-to-day functions and long-term strategic development. She loves the challenge and involvement of working with nonprofits. She brings with her a variety of skills and disciplines from her experience as the Director of Finance and Operations at the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce (GMCC) for seven years. At the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, Tracy’s main role was supervising all functions of internal accounting and operations planning for the GMCC and all of its related entities. Tracy has also been the publisher of The Business Beat, the GMCC membership magazine, and overseen events including the production of the GMCC annual dinner with 1,200 attendees. Tracy is currently working on her business degree from Edgewood College.
Carol Baron, loan portfolio manager
carolb@forwardci.org
Carol began her career at Dane County Title Company where she did everything from research, to final title policies to closings. From there, she went to First Wisconsin Mortgage where she gained experience in every aspect of Residential Lending. Carol earned a degree from Patricia Stevens in Milwaukee in Public Relations. She currently lives in Albany, where she is a mother of three and grandmother of one.
William W. Sayles, chief financial officer
williams@forwardci.org
Bill has 30 years experience in the credit union industry. He was formerly Vice President Finance at Corporate Central Credit Union where he was responsible for the investment and finance functions of CCCU. CCCU is a $2.0 billion wholesale financial institution serving credit unions in Wisconsin and the upper Midwest. Previously, Bill was the Managing Director of the Center for Credit Union Innovation in Madison, Wisconsin. He is the author of “Small Business: The New Frontier,” “Serving Members Around the Globe: United Nations Federal Credit Union Expands Operations to Foreign Shores,” and “Small Credit Union Data Processors: Survey Results”.
He has been a frequent speaker to credit union groups on business lending, check cashing and strategic planning. Bill is a Chartered Financial Analyst and member of the CFA Institute and the Madison Investment Management Society. He is a securities broker and has received Series 7, 24, 27 and 63 licenses.
Ben Williams, program coordinator
benw@forwardci.org
Ben Williams joined Forward Community Investments after spending several years in Chicago as a management consultant working on strategy, marketing and operations management projects with a focus on organizational growth and change. Prior to working in Chicago, Ben graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison with degrees in marketing, management human resources, and psychology. Ben is returning to graduate school to pursue a master’s degree at the La Follette School of Public Affairs within the University of Wisconsin.