Spotlight: SBA lenders 2013

"This program will enable small business owners to refinance existing commercial mortgages, lowering their monthly mortgage payments to take advantage of historically low interest rates," she said.James BattagliaCommunity West Bank3001 Douglas Blvd., Roseville, 95648, www.communitywestbank.com, 916-780-3102

James Battaglia is the Division Manager for SBA lending throughout California for Community West Bank. His SBA career began in 1985, and he has been with Community West Bank since 2003. Mr. Battaglia has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Oregon.

Mr. Battaglia said that the economy in the North Bay and Northern California in general has stabilized, but growth is gradual.Sherrill StocktonExchange Bank545 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 95401, www.exchangebank.com, 707-524-3102

[caption id="attachment_73336" align="alignleft" width="200"] Sherrill Stockton[/caption]

Sherrill Stockton is a senior vice president and SBA administrator at Exchange Bank, a position she holds after more than 20 years working in the SBA world. In that role, she is responsible for the management of the SBA department and the sourcing, underwriting, funding and selling of SBA loans.

Ms. Stockton, a graduate of Stanford University, joined Exchange Bank to help launch their SBA department in 2009, achieving “preferred lender” status in two months. She is on the board of directors of the National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders, and was appointed to the trade group's executive committee this year. She also chairs the group's Technical Issue's Committee. In addition, she is also the board president of Community and Family Services Agency and a board member of the American Heart Association.

Demand for financing from small businesses is on the upswing, attributed to the companies that have survived the recession and have built a foundation for growth in the post-recession economy, she said.

"I think the economy is healing," she said. "The survivors are ready to expand."

Ms. Stockton said she considers her three young adult children to be her life’s best work.Barbara LarsonFirst Community Bank438 First St., Santa Rosa 95401, www.fcbconnect.com, 707-636-9711

[caption id="attachment_73337" align="alignright" width="200"] Barbara Larson[/caption]

Barbara Larson is vice president and commercial loan officer at First Community Bank.

Ms. Larson has been in the banking industry since 1996, and joined First Community Bank in 2008. She specializes in commercial lines of credit, equipment financing and SBA financing. The bank describes her as a client favorite who brings a wealth of business expertise and customized personal service to each relationship.

The bank encourages community service, and Ms. Larson shares her time and talent in through a number of community organizations. She is the current treasurer of the Santa Rosa West Rotary Club, a position she has held for nine years. As a longtime advocate for children, young adults and seniors, she also serves as the treasurer for the Elder Care Expo board of directors.Laura GuerreroFirst Northern Bank1455 Oliver Road Fairfield, CA 94534, www.thatsmybank.com, 707-469-2122

[caption id="attachment_73338" align="alignleft" width="200"] Laura Guerrero[/caption]

Laura Guerrero is an assistant vice president and small business loan officer at First Northern Bank, where she is responsible for helping small-business owners secure financing under the SBA 504 program.

Ms. Guerrero has been an SBA banker since joining First Northern Bank in 2006. She has at least 10 years of experience in financial services. Prior to joining the bank, Ms. Guerrero performed financial and marketing analysis for Mid-Valley Properties, a property management firm in Fair Oaks, Calif.

First Northern Bank has been designated as a Small Business Administration Preferred Lender since 2002.

“SBA loans are essential for small businesses that are just starting out and are in need of capital to fund new business ventures. Helping small-business owners grow their business is very rewarding,” Ms. Guerrero said. 

Ms. Guerrero is currently serving her second year on the board of directors of Soroptimist International of Vacaville. She holds a bachelor of arts in business economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara.Randall BehrensHeritage Bank of Commerce740 Fourth St. #114, Santa Rosa 95404, www.heritagebankofcommerce.com, 707-528-8685

[caption id="attachment_73339" align="alignright" width="162"] Randall Behrens[/caption]

Randall Behrens has been with Heritage Bank of Commerce for five years and doing SBA loans for 12.

Prior to Heritage, he worked for Wells Fargo and Greater Bay Bank. He graduated from the University of Washington's Pacific Coast Banking School this year.

Mr. Behrens grew up in Healdsburg. He studied economics at Sacramento State University and was a stock broker at Morgan Stanley in Sacramento prior to his career in banking.

Heritage Bank of Commerce, a more than $1.3 billion bank, lends throughout the Bay Area.

Mr. Behrens is the local lender for the North Bay.Jason EhnRedwood Credit Union3033 Cleveland Ave., Santa Rosa, 95403, www.redwoodcu.org, 877-545-4100

[caption id="attachment_73340" align="alignleft" width="200"] Jason Ehn[/caption]

With 15 years of experience in SBA and commercial lending, Jason Ehn is the Senior SBA loan officer for Redwood Credit Union. In addition to facilitating programs like the 7(a) and 504 programs, he also advises the institution concerning various regulatory changes.

Mr. Ehn graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, with a degree in American literature and culture and a specialization in business & administration. He is in his third and final year of the Western Credit Union National Association Management School.

Redwood Credit Union is an SBA preferred lender, a designation that Mr. Ehn said is a source of pride. He said the providing capital to small business is an important role in a community, helping to spur job and economic growth.

Mr. Ehn is also a member of the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce’s steering committee for Leadership Santa Rosa.Sheila CargillSAFE-BIDCO1377 Corporate Center Parkway, #A, Santa Rosa, 95407, www.safe-bidco.com, 707-577-8621

[caption id="attachment_73341" align="alignright" width="200"] Sheila Cargill[/caption]

Sheila Cargill is a vice president and senior loan officer at SAFE-BIDCO, where she is responsible for underwriting loan applications, packaging SBA, closing and otherwise what she calls “taking a loan from start to finish.”

Ms. Cargill’s career in lending began when she was a teller in 1969. She held a number of positions in the following years and was among the first women to complete Wells Fargo Bank’s commercial, real estate and consumer lending management programs in the early 1970s. She calls her current role at SAFE-BIDCO very rewarding, helping to provide SBA loans or other forms of financing for businesses and helping to serve those who have failed to qualify for financing from other lenders.Joe SmithSonoma Bank3558 Round Barn Blvd. #300, Santa Rosa 95403, www.bankwithsonoma.com, 707-568-1876

[caption id="attachment_73342" align="alignleft" width="200"] Joe Smith[/caption]

Joe Smith has been with Sterling Bank, which does business as Sonoma Bank in California, for half a decade. He is the senior vice president and manager for all SBA lending at Sonoma Bank. He graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in finance, and started his banking career in 1989.

Mr. Smith has been an SBA banker since 1993 and has managed SBA divisions since 1995. He has helped a number of community banks establish an SBA lending operation, including one of the East Coast's largest SBA lending operations under First Union Small Business Capital.

He has been the executive vice president and national sales manager for a top 20 non-bank lender as well as president of an SBA business industrial development company that specialized in SBA direct lending. In 1999 he was awarded the SBA Financial Advocate of the Year award for the state of Tennessee, and he is an active member of the National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders with years of service on numerous NAGGL committees. He has served as a board member of the Sonoma County YMCA since 2010.

Sonoma Bank serves as a hub for Sterling's SBA lending, and has been a major player in North Bay SBA lending for several years. Sterling has made moves to expand its SBA lending efforts as well, including the acquisition of small-loan specialist Borrego Springs Bank last year.Bill FogartySummit State Bank500 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa, 95403, www.summitstatebank.com, 707-568-6000

[caption id="attachment_73343" align="alignleft" width="200"] Bill Fogarty[/caption]

Involved in banking since 1988, Bill Fogarty has held a variety of roles before assuming the position of chief credit officer at Summit State Bank, ranging from commercial lender to CEO. A graduate of the University of Phoenix and the Pacific Coast Banking School, he oversees lending and credit administration at the Santa Rosa-based bank.

Mr. Fogarty counts the close relationships he has cultivated with clients among his greatest professional achievements, along with his work to help them achieve goals through required financing. Loans backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration help to provide that financing, encouraging entrepreneurship. Summit State Bank is a preferred lender with the SBA, and is also an active participant in other lending programs like the California State Loan Guarantee Program.Francine BoardsTravis Credit UnionOne Travis Way, Vacaville 95687, www.traviscu.org, 707-469-1964

Francine Boards became vice president of business lending at Travis Credit Union in early 2012, a position that also oversees SBA lending. As the first person appointed to the newly created position, Ms. Boards is charged with boosting the institution’s efforts in commercial lending. She served as senior commercial credit officer at the credit union since 2009.

Prior to joining Travis, Ms. Boards held senior management positions for commercial lending operations at One California Bank, Mechanics Bank and Civic Bank of Commerce. She has a total of 24 years of financial industry experience and is a graduate of the MBA program at St. Mary’s College of California as well as Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington.Barbara MorrisonTMC Financing440 Pacific Ave., San Francisco, 94133, www.tmcfinancing.com, 888-989-8855

[caption id="attachment_73345" align="alignleft" width="200"] Barbara Morrison[/caption]

Barbara Morrison is the founder and president of TMC Financing, a certified development company that has provided over $7.2 billion in financing for more than 4,200 businesses throughout California and Nevada for more than 30 years.

She is also the founder and board president of Working Solutions, a nonprofit organization that assists underserved micro-entrepreneurs with accessing capital to start and grow their businesses. The nonprofit recently opened an office in San Rafael's Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center.

Prior to founding TMC Financing, Barbara served as deputy director of the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development in San Francisco, and prior to that she worked for five years in investment banking.Bob MooreUmpqua Bank2426 6th St., Eureka, 95501, www.umpquabank.com, 707-269-3120

[caption id="attachment_73346" align="alignright" width="200"] Bob Moore[/caption]

Bob Moore is senior vice president and manager of the Government Guaranteed Lending Division for Umpqua Bank, overseeing SBA and other types of government-backed lending for Umpqua in regions including the North San Francisco Bay Area.

Mr. Moore has served in his current role since 1997, formerly with Humboldt Bank before the bank merged with Umpqua. In addition to SBA lending, he oversees efforts in loans backed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other government-guaranteed programs.

Mr. Moore graduated with a bachelor's degree in business management and a minor in economics from Humboldt State University, and is a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington.

Umpqua Bank is pushing aggressively in North Bay SBA lending, after increasing its foothold in the market with the acquisition of Novato-based Circle Bank in 2012, he said. His team in the North Bay includes Michael Rice, who headed SBA lending at Circle Bank, and Lee Reposa, whose history includes roles at Sterling Savings Bank.

"We're really excited about the merger," Mr. Moore said. " I think you're going to see a lot more of Umpqua in the future."Ole TustinU.S. Bank101 California St. #130, San Francisco 94111, www.usbank.com, 415-357-1722

[caption id="attachment_73347" align="alignright" width="200"] Ole Tustin[/caption]

Ole Tustin is a vice president in the SBA division of U.S. Bank, having spent more than 15 years at the bank in the Bay Area and also with the former Bank of Commerce that joined with U.S. Bank in 2001. He graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in international relations.

Mr. Tustin said that he takes pride in facilitating a smooth lending process, as well as the impact that financing from U.S. Bank has had in helping to grow North Bay businesses through the years.Tracy SheppardWells Fargo Bank, N.A.200 B St., #204, Santa Rosa, 95401, www.wellsfargo.com, 707-584-3208

[caption id="attachment_73348" align="alignleft" width="202"] Tracy Sheppard[/caption]

Tracy Sheppard is the business development officer managing Wells Fargo’s SBA lending business in Sonoma, Marin and Napa counties. His responsibilities include loan sourcing and generation, structuring loan proposals, initial underwriting and analysis and monitoring of loans through the funding process.

With a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of California, Davis, Mr. Sheppard has been in banking for 15 years and with Wells Fargo since 2008. He is a Santa Rosa resident.