Personnel

Dana P. Sumner - President

Dana P. Sumner is a co-founder of Development Finance Training and Consulting Inc. (DFTC) and has worked in the financial arena for over 25 years.  Mr. Sumner has originated thousands of loans and has been responsible for management of commercial loan portfolios as a Senior Commercial Lender for institutions in both the private and private non-profit sectors.  While working for some of the largest banks in New England he became interested in teaching and after completing his MBA in Finance he became an adjunct faculty member at Thomas College teaching Financial Management and Economics.  He has continued his involvement with the Banking industry by lecturing for the New England College of Finance and presenting to numerous Banking and Credit Union organizations in the areas of loan underwriting, cash flow analysis, operational issues, loan documentation and construction lending.  He continues his involvement with entrepreneurs by working with the USDA, EDA, SBA and various Economic Development organizations providing hands on assistance in the areas of business plans, strategic management and financial management.  He is a certified instructor for the Nxt Level entrepreneur training and Fast Trac entrepreneur training.

Vincent DiCara – Vice President

Vincent DiCara is a co-founder of Development Finance Training and Consulting, Inc. (DFTC) and has been involved in evaluating the credit needs of businesses for over twenty-four years in a number of capacities, including business advocate, lender, credit analyst and trainer.  Since 1995, Mr. DiCara has developed and conducted a wide variety of training programs for individuals who work in the financial services industry sector.  His training clients have included organizations in the credit union, banking, economic development, and community development fields.  Recent assignments have been with the Hawaii Credit Union League, the Maine Credit Union League, the Credit Union National Association (CUNA), the New England College of Finance, the West Virginia, South Dakota and Kentucky Bankers Association, and Chapters of the Center for Financial Training (CFT) in Southern New England, Northern New England, New York, Ohio, Missouri, Minnesota, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kansas, Colorado, and Miami, Florida.   Training clients in the economic and community development sectors include the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO), and the Neighborworks Training Institute.   Mr. DiCara’s training programs have become known for their ability to foster an informal and participatory environment in which students are empowered to learn.

Mr. DiCara is a graduate of Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine and received a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the University of Maine.  A native of Boston, Massachusetts, he has been a resident of the State of Maine for the last thirty-five years.

Erik R. Pages - Consultant

Erik R. Pages is the President of EntreWorks Consulting, an economic development consulting and policy development firm focused on helping communities and organizations achieve their entrepreneurial potential.   EntreWorks works with a diverse base of clients including state and local governments, Chambers of Commerce, business leaders, educational institutions, and non-profits.  These customers all share a commitment to innovative economic development strategies that build wealth and build communities.  Since its founding, EntreWorks has worked with customers in twenty-eight states and overseas.
 
Dr. Pages regularly speaks across the country on issues of community and economic development.  He also serves as a trainer for leading business, government and economic development organizations, and has led over 100 workshops on innovative economic development strategies.  He has served as an official advisor to the White House Conference on Small Business, and has testified before Congress on numerous occasions. 

He received his Ph.D. from Georgetown University, where he now serves as an Adjunct Professor.  He is a graduate of Dickinson College (Phi Beta Kappa) and the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.  He has written and published widely on business trends, economic development, technology policy, and national security policy.  His publications include the book, Responding to Defense Dependence, and more than fifty reports and journal articles. His work has been featured in national and international media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, USA Today, and National Public Radio.