March 17, 2025 (San Diego, CA/Arlington, VA) – Two CDC Small Business Finance loan officers have been recognized as the best in the nation by The Coleman Report, a leading banking publication that honors the best in small business lending practices.
Miriam Torres Baltys was named the “Woman Lender of the Year” and Kelly Klein was one of just four people to be recognized in the “Emerging SBA Lenders of the Year” category.
Coleman Report’s awards celebrate the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) lending professionals who are truly moving the needle in SBA lending and empowering America’s entrepreneurs. Torres Baltys and Klein were honored at the publication’s awards summit on March 13 in Orlando, Florida.
Baltys’ and Klein’s awards are a nod to the commitment by CDC Small Business Finance and the Momentus Capital branded family of organizations to providing a continuum of capital — including financial capital, knowledge capital, and social capital — in order to create more opportunities for small business owners and the communities they serve.
Miriam Torres-Baltys: Woman Lender of the Year
Miriam Torres Baltys is a Senior Small Business Loan Officer based in San Diego, California. She has been dedicated to serving small businesses for more than 20 years. Her tenacity in securing funding for entrepreneurs, especially those who’ve been rejected multiple times by traditional lenders, has resulted in her becoming Southern California’s go-to lender for Community Advantage SBLC loans and SBA Microloans.
“I get to make a palpable difference on a daily basis in small business owners’ lives, in their employees’ lives and in our community,” Torres Baltys says.
In 2024 alone, Torres Baltys secured financing for 61 business owners totalling over $9.8 million through CDC Small Business Finance, part of the Momentus Capital branded family of organizations. Since starting with the organization in January 2018, Torres Baltys has procured funding for 348 business owners totalling over $48.9 million. The impact of her work can be seen in the creation and retention of approximately 1,586 jobs.
For example, an entrepreneur with 14 years of experience was seeking financing to help with inventory, working capital, and marketing for their startup e-commerce manufacturer. They were six months into the pre-revenue stage when they were declined by the bank. The startup business had already injected its own money and needed more capital to deliver its products to clients. Torres Baltys was able to help them with a $125,000 Community Advantage SBLC loan to help them make their products.
“Miriam brings significant experience in lending, is deeply committed to the community, and demonstrates professionalism and compassion in everything she does,” says Susan Lamping, Vice President of Sales for CDC Small Business Finance. “She consistently goes above and beyond for her clients and referral partners, earning widespread recognition and accolades from community partners. Her contributions are invaluable to the small business lending ecosystem.”
Kelly Klein: Emerging SBA Lenders of the Year
The “Emerging SBA Lenders” category showcases lending professionals younger than 40 years old. Kelly Klein has emerged as a strong loan officer and manager at CDC Small Business Finance and is proving to be a transformative leader in mission-based small business lending.
As Internal Sales Manager, Klein leads a four-person loan officer team, which takes on all prospective borrowers coming from SBA Lender Match, and all other inbound digital referral sources. These tend to be the borrowers who need the most direction and hand-holding to bridge the gap between their needs and the services CDC Small Business Finance can provide them.
“Often these borrowers have been turned down by traditional lenders. We want to hear them out and see if we can help them out,” Klein says. “I really enjoy learning their stories and why they are excited to start or expand their businesses. We are then able to guide them through the process, and it is so fulfilling when we are able to approve funding for many of these entrepreneurs who might have previously given up hope.”
Klein set new sales records in her first year and maintained her status as a top producer for five consecutive years. In her seven-plus years with CDC Small Business Finance through 2024, she is responsible for over $49.9 million in loans, helping 468 small businesses and creating or retaining nearly 1,900 jobs. Her efforts in 2024 alone resulted in over $6.2 million in loans helping 51 small businesses to create or retain 87 jobs.
Since transitioning into a managerial role in 2023, Klein continues to be one of the top performers while simultaneously enhancing the internal sales team’s performance. Under her leadership, her team has experienced remarkable growth, with several of her team members increasing the number of their funded loans by 30-45%.
“Kelly has played a key role in streamlining processes and driving efficiencies at CDC Small Business Finance, enabling us to better support our community’s entrepreneurs in securing the financing they need,” said Lamping. “Her passion for service, unwavering dedication to her team, and commitment to making a meaningful impact have been integral to our company’s growth and success in serving the community.”
This is the second time that CDC Small Business Finance’s team members have been recognized in Coleman Report’s awards. In 2022, Ken Rosenthal and Stacey Sanchez received top honors from Coleman Report as two of just five people to be recognized as its SBA Business Development Officers of the Year.
The Momentus Capital branded family of organizations has also received several other awards and honors in recent years:
- Momentus Capital was named the #3 large-sized nonprofit to work for, and the #17 overall, by The NonProfit Times in its 2024 awards.
- Capital Impact Partners was honored by the Novogradac Journal of Tax Credits with its 2024 Real Estate QLICI of the Year award — which recognizes investments in the development, management or leasing of real estate — for its work with Whitman-Walker’s Max Robinson Center in Washington, D.C.
- Team member Tony Barengo was honored in the San Diego Business Journal’s Leaders of Influence in Commercial Real Estate awards in 2024 (PDF).
- Team member Susan Lamping was named to the San Diego Business Journal’s Women of Influence 50 Over 50 list in 2024.
- The Washington Business Journal honored Momentus Capital President and CEO Ellis Carr on its “Power 100” list in 2023 and again in 2024. Mr. Carr was also recognized in 2022 by the Washington Business Journal as the Nonprofit Leader of the Year, and was named by Fast Company to that publication’s 14th annual list of the Most Creative People in Business.
- Team member Miriam Torres Baltys received the Financial Services Champion of the Year” award from the SBA’s San Diego District Office in its 2023 National Small Business Week Awards.
- Chief Human Resources Officer Kimberly Dorsett was named one of DCA Live’s 2023 HR Leaders of the Year and was named to the 2024 Leaders of Distinction list in HRO Today’s CHRO of the Year awards.
- Momentus Capital was nominated to the Washington Business Journal’s Inno on Fire awards in 2022 for helping to fuel the region’s economy.
- CDC Small Business Finance finished Fiscal Year 2022 as the foremost SBA 504 and Community Advantage lender and Fiscal Year 2023 as the #1 Community Advantage lender in the United States.
- CDC Small Business Finance was named the Community Advantage Lender of the Year in the SBA’s Michigan District for Fiscal Year 2023. CDC Small Business Finance was also named the Community Advantage lender of the year and a Top 10 lender of the year in the SBA’s Michigan District for Fiscal Year 2022.
- CDC Small Business Finance also was named the top SBA Community Advantage lender in the Fresno (Calif.) District for Fiscal Year 2022.
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About CDC Small Business Finance
CDC Small Business Finance, part of the Momentus Capital Branded family of organizations, is transforming how capital and investments flow into communities to provide people with access to the capital and opportunities they deserve. As the nation’s leading mission-based small business lender, CDC Small Business Finance works to champion key issues of equity, social justice, and economic justice by deploying mission-driven financing to the small businesses that are the backbone of their communities and the country.
CDC Small Business Finance delivers small business and commercial real estate loans paired with technical assistance to bolster entrepreneurship, economic development, and job creation.
We offer numerous loan products, including the Small Business Administration (SBA) 504 commercial real estate loans, SBA Community Advantage loans, and SBA Microloans. In addition, we offer non-SBA products to provide more equitable access to credit for those unable to qualify for traditional financing. CDC Small Business Finance also offers free business advice to support potential borrowers in getting loan-ready and to help our current borrowers grow and expand their businesses.
Since 1978, CDC Small Business Finance has provided more than $21.3 billion in financing to 12,500 borrowers and helped create and preserve over 217,000 jobs.
With headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, and San Diego, California, Momentus Capital operates nationally with a focus on larger urban areas and cities in Arizona, California, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Texas, and the Washington D.C. metro area.
Learn more at cdcloans.com and momentuscap.org.
About Momentus Capital
The Momentus Capital branded family of organizations refers to the combined operations of Capital Impact Partners and CDC Small Business Finance, as well as their affiliates, Momentus Direct Capital, and Momentus Securities (an SEC-registered broker-dealer, MSRB-registered, FINRA/SIPC member). While each organization under the Momentus Capital brand still operates as a separate entity, their clients will now have access to more resources and products.
The Momentus Capital branded family of organizations is transforming how capital and investments flow into communities to provide people access to the capital and opportunities they deserve. We are working to reinvent traditional financial systems that have failed to address systemic issues of inequality, economic empowerment, and the widening wealth gap by offering a continuum of financial, knowledge, and social capital to help local leaders build inclusive and equitable communities and create generational wealth. This includes a comprehensive package of loan products, impact investment opportunities, training and business advising programs, and technology solutions that advance locally-led solutions.
Leveraging more than 80 years of combined experience, more than $3 billion in assets under management, and strong community engagement, we have delivered $24 billion in financing, created and preserved 298,000 jobs, and served 14,350 small businesses and 6 million people across our history.
With headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, and San Diego, California, Momentus Capital operates nationally with a focus on larger urban areas and cities in Arizona, California, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Texas, and the Washington D.C. metro area.
Learn more at momentuscap.org.