Financial Empowerment Summit

Josefina has more than 30 years of banking experience and has been Vice President and Branch Manager at Burke & Herbert Bank since 2011, following branch management roles at Capital One Bank and Old National Bank. A graduate of the Virginia Bankers School of Bank Management at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, she has worked throughout her career to make finance understandable to the public, including writing monthly columns for local newspapers and producing public television programs on money matters for consumers and business owners. Today she works closely with local businesses and community organizations, advising on their financing and banking.

Jacqueline is a member of Industrial Bank’s Executive Leadership Team, overseeing its branch network, operations, call center, and electronic banking. A Bowie State University graduate, she earned Bank of America’s Community Investment President’s Award while managing branches across Prince George’s County and led SunTrust’s largest deposit branch before joining Industrial Bank in 2009. She created the bank’s financial literacy curriculum, took it into the DC Jail in 2018, and co-founded the JEEP Program, which now brings financial education and banking access to people in correctional facilities in five states. She served eight years on the Prince George’s County Workforce Development Board and has received the county’s Community Women Leaders Award.

Zoila brings more than 20 years of mortgage industry experience to her role as Senior Mortgage Loan Officer at USA Loans, where she leads Team Zoila in guiding first-time homebuyers, experienced homeowners, and real estate investors. Having once believed homeownership was out of reach as a single mother, she understands firsthand how life-changing owning a home can be. Since beginning her career in 2003, she has made educating and empowering others central to her work, and today she is especially dedicated to helping the Hispanic community and women build wealth through financial education, homeownership, and real estate investing.

Cintya is Executive Director of Latinas Leading Tomorrow (LLT), where she empowers youth through leadership development, mentoring, STEM exposure, and college and career exploration. Under her leadership, LLT received the Arlington Chamber of Commerce’s 2026 Nonprofit of the Year award. A first-generation immigrant from El Salvador and the first in her family to graduate from college, she is a University of Maryland pre-med alumna with a background in public health, public policy, and international development from Harvard University, where she is pursuing a master’s degree in sustainability. Her experience includes advocacy supporting passage of the Affordable Care Act under the Obama administration and the implementation of USAID-funded programs across the globe. Before joining LLT, she oversaw international development programs valued at more than $140 million across 12 countries.

Alessandro is the founder and CEO of USA Loans, which he established after decades in the mortgage industry built on problem-solving, leadership, and a deep understanding of the mortgage process. Under his leadership, the company is guided by the belief that a mortgage company should do more than provide financing, creating opportunities, empowering families, and helping people achieve financial stability through homeownership. Known for his forward-thinking approach and his ability to recognize potential in others, he has built a company where knowledge, integrity, and personal growth come first.

Dr. Tih Koon (Alex) Tan is Professor of Finance in the School of Business and Public Administration at the University of the District of Columbia, where he chairs the Department of Accounting and Finance. He has taught finance for nearly 20 years, including two years at Shenzhen University, and his research spans corporate finance and governance, executive compensation, and international finance. His work on how finance is taught has been published in Advances in Finance Education.

Athena brings more than 25 years of banking experience to Atlantic Union Bank, where she is Vice President and Manager, helping businesses and consumers meet their lending and deposit needs. She specializes in optimizing cash flow through deposit and cash management solutions and in helping clients protect themselves against fraud. A Virginia native with a B.A. in Economics from Virginia Tech, she has built her career on trusted, long-term client relationships and personalized service grounded in a deep understanding of the local market.

Dayana has spent more than 21 years in banking, rising from financial advisor and branch manager to leading the M&T Bank team that helps small and mid-sized businesses grow through lending, treasury management, and strategic banking. She holds an MBA in finance and international business, serves on the board of Latinas Leading Tomorrow, and has been named to Washington Business Journal’s 40 Under 40.

Lakeysa brings nearly 30 years in banking, from her start as a teller to leading a branch as Assistant Vice President at Industrial Bank, where she advises consumer and business clients across the DC area. She leads the bank’s financial literacy outreach, teaching in local high schools and bringing financial education into the DC and Prince George’s County detention centers. Her work has been recognized by the Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program, and she serves with the Collective Empowerment Group and the Prince George’s County Business Roundtable.