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Maria Contreras-Sweet, selected to succeed Karen Mills at the Small Business Administration, has a background in lending to Hispanic groups and women. But bankers hope she'll focus on shifting the SBA to more online loans.
February 3 -
United Community Bank (UCBI) in Georgia is expanding its Small Business Administration funding by acquiring a portion of Business Carolina's (BCI) operations.
May 8
Seacoast Commerce Bank (SCCB) in San Diego
The office would be Seacoast's 12th that focuses on SBA lending. The $346 million-asset bank currently operates loan production offices throughout the Southwest and Pacific Northwest, including in Bellevue, Wash., Phoenix and Houston. It also operates commercial banking branches in San Diego and Los Angeles.
The bank also hired Craig Sherle, a local banker with small business experience, to manage the new office.
"Craig has advocated for small businesses throughout his career and has been an outstanding producer of SBA loans, specifically for the small business owners who want to buy, construct, refinance or expand their own facility," said David H. Bartram, a division manager for SBA lending at Seacoast, in a May 28 press release.
The opening of the Boise office is the latest example of a community banks are expanding its SBA lending
