Meet the Board

Robbie Faucett
President

Robbie Faucett is the President of the RMA Upper SC Chapter and the Southeast Regional Manager of Flexent, the asset-based lending subsidiary of Chesapeake Bank. In this position, he maintains relationships with peer and client banks, accountants, and financial intermediaries. Robbie started his corporate finance career in 1996 and was involved in a commercial finance startup in 1999, where he was Executive Vice President. Robbie joined Chesapeake Bank in 2012. With his 27 years of asset-based lending experience, Robbie enjoys creating accessible working-capital solutions with his partner banks to help their C&I customers fund operations and growth without cash constraints.

Blake Norris
Secretary

Blake Norris serves as our Secretary and a Jr. Commercial Real Estate Portfolio Specialist at United Community Bank. In his role, Blake is focused on underwriting commercial real estate loans over $5MM and maintaining credit quality for multifamily, industrial, self-storage, and office/flex assets. UCB’s CRE group managed over $1.6Bn in loans and participations that are mainly focused in the Southeast US. He is a graduate of the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega, GA and has been in the banking industry for 3 years. He has been in the Greenville area for 2 years since moving from Northeast Georgia and is excited to assist with revitalization of the RMA chapter. Outside of work, Blake enjoys spending his days on Lake Hartwell with his chocolate lab, traveling, and spending time with his family.

Diana Garrett
Treasurer

Diana Garrett serves as our RMA Upstate SC Treasurer. Outside of the RMA, she is a Director of Risk Governance and Control within TD's Enterprise Risk Management function. Diana joined the banking industry as an internal auditor in 2006 and has held various risk and control positions across the three lines of defense. Most recently her focus is in Environmental and Social Risk Management at TD Bank. Diana holds an undergraduate degree in Accounting from USC Upstate and an MBA from Webster University. Currently, she is working to complete her MA in Legal Studies. Diana has been in the Greenville, SC area for ~22 years after relocating from South Africa. In her free time, she serves as a Committee member for her local Scouting Pack and Troop and loves the outdoors (including the SC heat).

Eric Carnell
Financial Oversight Chair

Eric Carnell is a Commercial Real Estate Portfolio Manager at United Community Bank and the Upper SC RMA’s Financial Oversight Chair. In his role, Eric is focused on underwriting large construction loans for multifamily, industrial-warehouse, self-storage, and office/mixed-use assets. He works with relationship managers across UCB’s footprint on deals over $5mm, and their CRE group manages a total of $1.6Bn in loans and participations across the Southeast. Eric has been in banking for 20 years, half as a commercial lender and half in underwriting. His favorite part is breaking down a complex deal and communicating it to credit partners in a way that is understandable and transparent, and hopefully with parameters that everyone can agree on. When he’s not calculating proforma debt yields, you’ll find Eric doing fun things with his kids or hiking up the backside of a big mountain somewhere. 

Collin Mackie
Membership Chair

 Collin Mackie serves as our Membership Chair and is Capital Business Funding's National Sales Manager. His territory includes North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. He spent 18 years in the banking industry, and was part of a startup community bank, now called Southern First, in 2000. From 2008 -2017, he served a Regional Vice President with Associated Receivables Funding located in the Upstate of South Carolina. He has served as a board member for the Commercial Finance Associates (CFA)-Carolinas Chapter, board member for RMA Greater Charleston Chapter, and is involved in other national trade organizations in the field of Commercial Finance.

Doug Appleby
Programming Chair

Doug Appleby is our Programming Chair and a financial advisor with Pinnacle Financial Partners’ Small Business Administration lending team in Greenville, SC. He has worked in the banking industry since 2010 and has served in a variety of roles. In working with clients, he takes time to understand their business, the people involved, their history, and future plans so he can create a first-class experience. He values strong communication and dedication to each client. Doug is a graduate of Clemson University. He and his wife and two daughters live in Greenville, SC. When not engaged with family or a client you can find him on the golf course.