Phillipsburg resident Alvita Ayers has been promoted at Unity Bank.

The Clinton-based financial institution recently announced Ayers’ elevation to vice president and SBA manager. In the new role, she will work to expand Unity Bank‘s Small Business Administration loan portfolio and to meet new and existing customer needs.

“Alvita has been a valuable member of the Unity family for eight years so we are thrilled to announce her promotion,” said Unity Bank President and CEO James Hughes in a statement. “She is a business lending veteran who brings significant experience to her new role.

“Unity has long been one of the most active SBA lenders among community banks and we are confident the program will continue to enjoy success in the future,” he added.

Ayers has more than three decades of experience in the industry; she joined the bank’s SBA and commercial lending teams in 2014, having previously held a variety of roles at different regional and national banks.

Unity Bank is a preferred lender in the SBA’s primary offerings for startups and small businesses, the 7(a) Loan Program, which can help obtain financing when that option isn’t available through normal lending channels. The bank said it also takes part in the SBA 504 Loan Program, which offers long-term, fixed-rate loans to small businesses so that they can acquire fixed assets to aid their expansion or modernization.

“I am looking forward to this opportunity to lead and grow the Unity SBA lending program,” Ayers said. “We can match businesses with the right program to assist businesses and, as a preferred lender, can approve loans without prior SBA review and help business owners get the money they need quickly.”

Last month, the bank expanded its physical footprint with the opening of a new branch in Ocean County.