Executive & Senior Management

President | Chief Executive Officer

James H. Bason sets and refines the broad strategic direction for the organization and leads a highly collaborative team in the execution of all programs and services. Mr. Bason provides tactical oversight for all aspects of our programs, staffing, operations, monitoring and reporting of social impact outcomes.

James H. Bason is an experienced financial executive with a history of providing comprehensive lending management expertise. Prior to joining TruFund Financial, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Lending Officer at Carver Bancorp, a nationally recognized community banking organization where he served in various executive roles during his nine-year tenure. During this time, he successfully drove organizational growth to build the loan portfolio from $250 million to $675 million and developed and implemented policies and procedures to enhance financial controls and to improve lending and loan servicing operations.

Previously, Mr. Bason served in positions of increasing responsibility at The Bank of New York, formerly as Vice President of Commercial Real Estate Lending and Community Development. Prior to that, Mr. Bason was the Community Reinvestment Act Officer at Barclays Bank in New York.

He earned a B.S. in Business Administration from the State University of New York at Oswego and a Banking Diploma in Finance from the American Institute of Banking. He recently completed a Citi/Opportunity Finance Network (OFN)-sponsored leadership training program for Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) executives at Wharton University. He completed his Formal Bank Credit Training Program at the Bank of New York.

Senior Vice President | Structured Lending & Investments

Jerrel is responsible for building and executing TruFund’s equity investment platform. He leads fund management, capital initiatives, relationship management, underwriting, and portfolio support, focusing on investments in historically under-resourced developers of affordable housing. Jerrel has a 15+ year banking background that includes LIHTC investments, construction loans to all asset classes, and Fannie Mae loans for affordable housing cooperatives. Jerrel holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, an MBA from the University of Maryland College Park, and a Master of Professional Studies in Real Estate from Georgetown University. He also holds the CFA’s Private Markets and Alternative Investment Certificate. 

Senior Vice President | Chief Lending Officer

OC Isaac is a seasoned financial executive with over 15 years of experience in lending, credit administration, and mission-driven economic development. He currently serves as Chief Lending Officer at TruFund, where he leads strategic lending initiatives to expand access to capital for small businesses and underserved communities.

OC began his career in investment banking at Lehman Brothers and Bank of America Merrill Lynch, specializing in capital markets and structured finance. His commitment to equitable economic development led him to the CDFI sector, where he first served as a Presidential Appointee under President Obama at the Small Business Administration (SBA). As a Special Advisor in the Office of Capital Access, he played a key role in shaping small business lending policies and programs at the national level.

Throughout his career, OC has led innovative lending programs across multiple sectors. As Senior Vice President and Chief Credit Officer at Locus Bank, he oversaw a diverse portfolio, including housing, renewable energy, and small business financing. Previously, as Chief Credit Officer at PCR Business Finance, he launched the People of Color Business Elevation Fund, which provided over $10 million in capital to underrepresented entrepreneurs, and successfully revitalized the organization’s SBA lending platform.

With expertise in impact-driven finance, OC remains committed to fostering economic equity and strengthening communities through responsible lending.

Senior Vice President | Chief Credit & Compliance Officer

Michael Vaugh is Senior Vice President and Chief Credit & Compliance Officer for TruFund Financial Services, Inc. Mr. Vaugh is responsible for TruFund’s credit risk management division, which includes underwriting and approval, credit administration, portfolio analytics, credit risk rating methodologies, counterparty risk, and problem loan management. Mr. Vaugh is an experienced commercial credit manager with formal credit training from Omega Performance. Mr. Vaugh has management and underwriting experience with Commercial Real Estate, Small Business Lending and C&I Lending. Over his 14 years of industry experience, he has worked with a variety of businesses such as Fortune 500 financial institutions, federal credit unions and nonprofit community development financial institutions (CDFIs). Mr. Vaugh holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Business Administration from East Stroudsburg University.

Executive Vice President | Chief Operating Officer

As the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Evans focuses is on spearheading strategic initiatives that enhance financial resilience and operational efficiency. This commitment is reflected in our strategic vision and annual business plan.

Dr. Evans’ responsibilities extend to refining systems, processes, and policies, ensuring TruFund’s operations comply with the organization’s mission. By optimizing resources across all business lines, Dr. Evans will lead driving cost-effectiveness and support TruFund’s goal of revitalizing communities and fueling job creation.

Dr. Evans holds advanced degrees in organizational and business psychology, business administration, and entrepreneurship. With over 20 years of experience as a business and economic development professional having worked in both the government and nonprofit sector, Dr. Evans has extensive experience in development strategy consulting, federal fund administration to include Community Development Block Grant funds (CDBG); strategic partnership and relationship management. Kim joined TruFund in 2012 and was responsible for resource development, strategic partnerships, and program implementation in the Louisiana market.

Prior to joining TruFund, she served in roles of increasing responsibility with the State of Louisiana Department of Economic Development; City of New Orleans Department of Economic Development; United States Department of Commerce–Minority Business Development Agency and Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation–Urban Entrepreneur Partnership. As a management and strategy consultant with CCMG Management, Dr. Evans served as senior business and municipal strategist. In addition to her professional achievements, Dr. Evans is deeply committed to volunteerism within the local community through various board appointments and ministry service.

Senior Vice President | Chief Financial Officer

Stephanie Kabore Turquin is an accomplished Certified Public Accountant with over 15 years of progressive experience in global financial management, strategic planning, and operational transformation. She is recognized for her ability to lead cross-functional teams, optimize financial systems, and deliver measurable business impact across diverse industries, including social enterprises, wealth management, real estate, and financial consulting.

In her previous role as Global Finance Director at myAgro, an award-winning social enterprise, Stephanie managed a $40M annual budget and long-term financial planning exceeding $120M. Her leadership has driven key initiatives such as securing over $100M in funding, streamlining global reporting processes, and implementing the Sage Intacct ERP system, resulting in over $1M in annualized savings. She also managed grants and financial management for high-profile donors and provided strategic insights to executive leadership and board members.