David Frances is the Director of Specialty Lending (formerly Chief Credit Officer) at CCBank, where he leads all credit, lending, special assets, and fintech-partner portfolios for a rapidly growing community bank. With more than forty years of experience in U.S. banking, Frances has built a career at the intersection of risk management, regulatory compliance, and innovative credit product development. His expertise spans commercial, agricultural, mortgage, and consumer lending, with deep specialization in subprime and near prime consumer finance. He oversees multiple high-volume fintech partnerships, each utilizing distinct machine learning credit models, which has given him unique operational insight into model governance, fairness, and explainability.

Frances is currently pursuing dual doctorates in Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning and Business, where his research examines how explainable machine learning and alternative credit metrics can expand access for credit-invisible and underserved borrowers while maintaining compliance with ECOA, Regulation B, UDAAP, and federal model risk management expectations. His work blends technical rigor with real-world banking judgment, emphasizing the responsible and human-centered application of AI in financial services.

As a faculty member and speaker, Frances is known for translating complex risk and regulatory concepts into practical guidance for bankers, boards, and fintech leaders. His teaching focuses on modern credit risk practices, fair lending considerations in AI, and the strategic challenges community banks face in an increasingly data-driven lending environment. He brings a clear, candid, and applied perspective drawn from decades of frontline leadership and ongoing scholarly research.