Debbie Shipman has been named president of the Northwest Business Development Association, and longtime president Gil Acevedo plans to stay on with the nonprofit to help with the transition until May, when he plans to retire.

Shipman says her goal for the NWBDA is to continue to build on the foundation established under Acevedo’s leadership to provide loan services in partnership with lenders and the U.S. Small Business Administration.

“We will continue to focus on servicing our customers, lenders and communities to promote growth and job opportunities through our low down payment, long-term, fixed-rate financing solutions for small-business owners,” she says.

NWBDA, currently located at 9019 E. Appleway Blvd. in Spokane Valley, was created in 1982 by the city of Spokane and has since operated as a self-sustaining nonprofit.

The organization is licensed by the SBA to administer the SBA’s 504 loan program, which helps small-business owners buy or improve buildings or acquire long-term equipment to create jobs.

Acevedo had led NWBDA since 2005, and the agency’s staff has grown to 25 employees from 10 employees originally.

Shipman joined NWBDA in 2006 as a business development officer.

The NWBDA serves all of Washington state, 10 northern Idaho counties, and 10 northern Oregon counties.

The loan volume for NWBDA for fiscal year 2104 ended Sept. 30 was $53.9 million on 71 loans, compared with $57.7 million on 90 loans in 2013.

While recent loan numbers are down steeply from the 2011 record of $73 million on 112 loans, NWBDA’s loan portfolio is stronger than ever, Acevedo says.

He says the loan portfolio grew by $20 million in 2014 to bring the total portfolio to $370 million.

“Ten years ago, the portfolio was $90 million,” Acevedo says.

Shipman says she’s expecting an uptick in new loans, because all of NWBDA’s business development officers are seeing a recent increase in activity.