Mike Thomas (CPA) is the founder, Chairman and Investor in USAF I, II, III and Thomas USAF Group, LLC. He founded USAF I, the original purchaser of interest only (“IOs”) portions of SBA and USDA loans, in 1986. In 2011 he founded his fifth USAF fund, McDonald USAF, LP and in 2015 he announced the formation of his sixth fund, USAF 6, LP. Mike has been in the government guaranteed loan business for over 35 years with $3 Billion in loans originated and $3 Billion in loans purchased in the secondary market. He headed the Small Business Administration (SBA) Transition and Reorganization for President Jimmy Carter. As a partner at Ernst & Young, he set up the Ethanol Guarantee Loan Program for the US Department of Energy.
Mr. Thomas co-authored the SBA Model Service Provider Agreement. He founded and managed eight lending and investment institutions specializing in SBA and USDA loans, including B&I Lending, the #1 USDA RD Lender in the nation from 1997 to 2001. He also served as a founder and President of the National Rural Lenders’ Roundtable in both 1999 and 2000.
Mr. Thomas is a frequent speaker at Rural Economic Development conferences. He currently functions as the Chairman of Thomas USAF Group, LLC. He is also a member of both the National Rural Lenders and Secondary Market Hall of Fame.