In July of 2022, GLCF welcomed the addition of Lexi Woods, General Counsel, to the GLCF team!  Lexi’s primary focus at GLCF is in our Closing Department. She uses her legal expertise to streamline the closing and funding process and ultimately allows GLCF flexibility and control over the timing that outsourcing cannot always provide.  GLCF is only one of a very small percentage of CDCs in the nation that has made this commitment to hiring an on-staff General Counsel, and we are the only CDC in Michigan to do so.

“At GLCF, we realize getting loans funded as quickly and as accurately as possible is the name of the game.  Most importantly, our borrowers want to lock in their interest rate for the 10, 20, or 25-year term, and our lenders want to be paid down as quickly as possible.  The addition of Lexi and her expertise to our already experienced closing team allows us to identify potential issues before they become problems and ultimately fund the loans quicker and more efficiently,” said Julie.

As always, GLCF still depends on its outside designated closing counsel to thoroughly review each loan package prior to documents being executed and to ultimately close each loan.  However, the work Lexi and the rest of the team does before their review helps us streamline the overall process and allows us to better serve the small businesses and lending partners we work with.

Lexi also has extensive data privacy and security knowledge and is instrumental in helping our organization stay on top of this complicated and ever-changing landscape.  Our goal is to ensure we continue to have the appropriate policies and protocols in place to keep our data secure in the ever-changing world of cybersecurity.

Originally from Panama City, FL, Lexi attended Aquinas College and fell in love with the Grand Rapids area.  She obtained a Law Degree from the University of Notre Dame and relocated back to Grand Rapids upon graduation.  Lexi has spent most of her career at Warner Norcross + Judd, mainly in the transactional real estate and data privacy/security divisions.  With a strong passion for the community, she sought out GLCF due to its commitment to the growth of Michigan businesses.  She is excited to use her skills to help small businesses and local communities thrive.  In her free time, Lexi loves to travel, watch baseball, spend time with her family, and be by the water any chance she can.  Lexi can be reached at (616) 323-1280 or at Lexi@glcf.org.