By Joyce C. Dimaculangan

Bank of the West is pleased to announce that Taralee Muhli has joined the business as Vice President, SBA Business Development Officer. In this capacity, Muhli will focus on providing SBA 504 and 7(a) loans to small-and medium-sized business clients in Tacoma and the surrounding areas.

Muhli brings over 18 years of commercial real estate industry experience in both SBA and conventional lending. She has expertise in commercial banking, SBA, and commercial real estate.

She spent most of her career at Wells Fargo, where she held various roles in SBA and commercial banking. Most recently, she served in Middle Market Commercial Banking, where she managed a portfolio size of $65MM. Before that, she served as an SBA Business Development Officer, where she generated $60MM in loan volume in which most of that was 7(a).

In addition to her career, she is active in the community in Kent. She is an instructor for the Commercial Brokers Association (CBA) and a Co-Chair with the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) South Sound Committee. She is also a certified personal trainer and competes in fitness competitions.

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By Joyce C. Dimaculangan

Horizon Community Bank in Arizona is pleased to announce that Senior Commercial Banking Manager Scott Dickman has been promoted to Market President of Greater Maricopa County,. where he is in charge of all aspects of bank operations in Maricopa County.

He joined the Bank in September 2015 and this career advancement recognizes his impressive results and the Bank’s confidence in his leadership abilities.

As Market President, his responsibilities include leadership of 14 employees, guidance of the bank’s deposits, lending programs and other programs responsible for the Bank’s profitability and day-to-day operations.

Dickman has 38 years of experience in the financial services industry, particularly in business development, management, operations, credit functions, cash management and custom loan structuring.

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By Joyce C. Dimaculangan

Alliance Bank, a privately owned community bank in St. Paul, Minnesota, announced that Jonathan Chaffee has been promoted to Vice President, SBA Lending Officer. In his new role, Chaffee is in charge of the company’s SBA lending programs.

His responsibilities include managing new and existing client relationships with small businesses located in the Minneapolis and Saint Paul area. He will also provide business bank loans that include working capital, term loans, or real estate acquisitions as well as providing a full array of complementary banking services.

Chaffee has 15 year of banking experience. He joined Alliance Bank in 2010 as Assistant Vice President of Small Business Administration Lending. Previously, he spent six years with Lake Area Bank as an Assistant Vice President. He also was a Business Development Analyst for PayPal, Inc.

Chaffee obtained a BBA degree in business from the University of Minnesota Duluth.

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By Joyce C. Dimaculangan

Fidelity Bank in Georgia announced the addition of Thomas S. Koether to its SBA Lending Team as SBA Business Development Officer. In his new role, Koether is focused on assisting small business with their unique financial needs. He is based at the Windward Branch.

Koether brings to Fidelity Bank more than 30 years of experience in banking and SBA lending in the metro Atlanta area. His expertise includes small business lending, commercial lending, and SBA.

Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President, SBA and Commercial Lending at Embassy National Bank. His prior roles include senior management roles at Touchmark National Bank, Georgia Trust Bank (now Community & Southern Bank), Community Trust Bank (now SunTrust Banks, Inc.), and First Cherokee State Bank.

Koether obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing from Kennesaw State University. He also earned an advanced banking degree from the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University.

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By Joyce C. Dimaculangan

Union Bank announced that Myles Walters has joined the company as a Business Development Officer for the Small Business Administration (SBA) group. As BDO, he is responsible for providing lending solutions to small business owners through SBA and other government loan programs and for identifying and developing new client relationships primarily for the Los Angeles and South Bay regions.

Based in Los Angeles and Torrance, Walters brings ten years of experience in the financial industry to his new role. His areas of expertise include commercial lending, underwriting, and small business lending.

Most recently, he served as a Senior Vice President at Spectrum Commercial Lending, where he focused on originating and managing owner-occupied commercial real estate loans, including conventional, SBA 504 and 7(a) loan products. He also served Spectrum Commercial as a Senior Closing Analyst and Loan Analyst.

“Myles is a strong addition to our growing team,” said Managing Director Kirsten “Didi” Hakes. “With his SBA lending background and general financial industry experience, he will help enhance service for our valued clients and work to cultivate new relationships with business owners throughout the Greater Los Angeles region.”

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By Joyce C. Dimaculangan

State Bank of Southern Utah announced that Evan Thomas has joined its loan team as Commercial Loan Officer, Vice President. Thomas brings to SBSU 10 years of lending experience in Southern Utah, with focus on commercial real estate development and SBA loans for local businesses.

One of his loans allowed a growing Southern Utah business to build a substantial addition to their facility and provide working capital to position them for significant growth in the future.

Thomas earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Brigham Young University. He completed his master’s degree in business administration at Utah State University. He is currently part of the Exchange Club as State Bank’s representative. He was also a member of the Hurricane Rotary Club.

About State Bank of Southern Utah
Founded in 1957 and based in Cedar City, Utah, State Bank of Southern Utah offers a full range of banking and financial services, specializing in commercial loans, mortgages, financial accounts, investments and insurance, and merchant services. State Bank of Southern Utah is a subsidiary of Southern Utah Bancorporation.

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By Joyce C. Dimaculangan

First Choice Bank in California has named John Harelson as the Regional Vice President of its branch in Solana Beach. In this role, Harelson will be in charge of growing the Bank’s presence in San Diego County.

Harelson has more than 27 years of banking experience, specializing in dealing with commercial real estate owners, investors and developers, manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, construction companies, and service businesses.

Prior to joining First Choice Bank, Harelson worked as SVP and Manager at Citizens Business Bank, SVP at Torrey Pines Bank, VP/Commercial Lender at the Bank fo the West (Sanwa Bank), and VP/BDO at California Bank & Trust.

“We are committed to serving the banking needs within our communities and are excited to have someone with John’s background on our team in Solana Beach,” said President and CEO Robert Franko. “His background, experience and commitment to the community make him a valuable resource for local business owners and individuals.”

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By Joyce C. Dimaculangan

Signature Bank of Georgia named Julie Sloan as Vice President and Operations Manager of its SBA Lending team, where she will be responsible for handling the processing, underwriting, and closing functions of loans.

Sloan has almost 20 years of experience in the banking industry. Prior to joining Signature Bank of Georgia, she worked as an SBA Closing Specialist at Live Oak Bank.

Her previous roles include SBA Loan Administrator at RBC, and Post Closer at First Century Bank. She also spent years with community banks, including Flag Bank, KeyWorth Bank, Hamilton State Bank, and others.

“Julie is a great addition to our team,” said Susan Kite, the Bank’s Managing Director of SBA Lending. “She has proven expertise in managing the processing, underwriting and closing functions of SBA 7(a) and SBA 504 loans. Her understanding of SBA lending and knowledge of workflow requirements will elevate our client service capabilities to an even higher level. Best of all, Julie’s customers rave about her.”

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By Joyce C. Dimaculangan

First Choice Bank recently named Nicole Swain as Chief Banking Officer. Reporting to Robert Franko, the Bank’s President and CEO, Swain will manage First Choice Bank’s Private and Commercial Banking Sales Groups.

In her new role, Swain will focus on growing First Choice Bank’s core deposits and lending services through her own and her team’s efforts. Her promotion follows the rapid growth in the company’s unique business model.

The 25-year industry veteran joined First Choice Bank in 2013, assuming the post of Senior Vice President of business development. Prior to that, she served as Senior Vice President at Beach Business Bank.

“Nicole’s leadership and banking expertise, along with her attention to the overall client experience, have had a tremendous impact on the success of our business,” said Peter Hui, the Bank’s founding chairman.

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By Joyce C. Dimaculangan

Bristol County Savings Bank announced that Tim Chaves, Assistant Vice President of Commercial Lending, has been named “Banker of the Year” by the South Eastern Economic Development (SEED) Corporation. SEED Corporation is a regional nonprofit economic development corporation certified by the U.S. Small Business Administration that finances all types of small businesses in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Among 21 candidates, Chaves was chosen based on the volume of loans he made in participation with SEED and for exemplifying the spirit of small business assistance.

“Tim is always enthusiastic about working with new and existing clients to find the best financing package to meet their needs,” remarked Len Sullivan, First Executive Vice President & Senior Loan Officer, Bristol County Savings Bank.

He added that, “This often requires participating with the Small Business Administration through the SEED Corporation. Tim was thrilled to not only be recognized by SEED, but to also be able to provide financing to many small businesses though SEED’s innovative loan products.”

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