The Citizen Potawatomi Community Development Corporation relocated in January 2019 from the second floor of the First National Bank & Trust Co. building in Shawnee, Oklahoma, to its current location at 1545 Gordon Cooper Drive near Tribal headquarters.
Those attending Family Reunion Festival can take advantage of credit and budgeting sessions, student loan counseling and small business consultations offered through its knowledgeable staff. Employees will be available by appointment and during the enterprise’s open house on Friday, June 28 from 5 to 7 p.m. and Saturday, June 29 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“Financial fitness is the cornerstone for living a balanced and secure life, and if properly managed, can ensure a secure tomorrow,” said CPCDC Consumer Lending Manager Tina Herndon.
Festival services
The CPCDC’s task is to finance, promote, educate and inspire the entrepreneurial growth, economic opportunity and financial well-being of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation tribal community and other under-served Native populations through its resources. The CPCDC staff look forward to the Tribe’s annual event and consider it an opportunity to engage with CPN members on a large scale.
“During Festival, we have a rare chance to meet face-to-face with CPN business owners to help them strategize how to accomplish their entrepreneurial vision,” Herndon said. “Our commercial team is extra eager to help budding businesses realize their potential and help guide them to making their business dreams come true.”
The CPCDC provides services that extend beyond typical investors, and it has greater loan approval flexibility compared to traditional credit institutions. During Festival, CPCDC staff can assist CPN members with their budgets, credit and student loan debt as well as provide small business consulting.
“Our experienced commercial loan professionals are also entrepreneurs, so this provides an extra incentive for them to stay up-to-date on any law changes that affect business owners,” she said. “Our commercial team are trained to identify weaknesses and strengths and to form a strategy for success. We also work closely with a robust referral network to help our entrepreneurs thrive.”
Herndon recommends Festival attendees who want to participate in the CPCDC’s services to make an appointment and bring valid forms of ID. Walk-ins are welcome, but those with an appointment will receive priority. To schedule an appointment, call 405-878-4697.
For those unable to attend Festival, the CPCDC can provide all of its resources via the phone. However, the CPCDC requires remote clients to have a valid email address to send and receive pertinent documents.
Database
As an extension of the CPCDC’s dedication to serving Tribal members, Community Development Corporation Office Manager and Credit Counselor TaRena Reece is requesting information to create a database of CPN member-owned businesses across the United States.
Tribal citizens with businesses can provide the CPCDC their information during Festival, but for those who are not able to attend, the CPCDC requests completing the questionnaire at cpn.news/database.
Learn more about CPCDC’s resources at cpcdc.org.