Umpqua Bank Kicks Off Small Business Week with Made to Grow Grant Campaign

Nominations are open for the inaugural Umpqua Bank (NASDAQ:UMPQ)Made to Grow Grant campaign, which will recognize small businesses that are helping to inspire thriving communities. This effort kicks off during National Small Business Week, May 4-8, 2015, and brings to life Umpqua’s ongoing commitment to help small businesses grow.

Starting today, small business owners can enter to win Umpqua’s Made to Grow Grant grand prize by visitingfacebook.com/umpquabank and sharing a short video on how $10,000 can grow their business and local community. In addition to the $10,000 prize, the winning business will also be featured in Umpqua’s Local Spotlight program, which features the products of local vendors for sale in select Umpqua stores.

“At Umpqua, we recognize the important impact small businesses have in our communities,” said Ray Davis, president and CEO of Umpqua Bank. “More than half of all Americans either own or work for a small business, which create nearly two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year. Umpqua’s Made to Grow Grantcampaign is an opportunity for us to celebrate and give back to small businesses in the communities we serve.”

In addition to the grand prize grant winner, five contest participants will receive their choice of a business-building package developed to address some of the issues small business owners confront most often. They include:

• Umpqua Bank Financial Counseling: Financial advice on all things small business.


• Social Media Specialist: Expert assistance on a company’s social media presence.


• Digital Review: A review of digital and print assets from a creative professional.


• Storefront Facelift: A refresh of a company’s digital or physical storefront.


• Logo Redesign: Hand-crafted redesign of the company’s logo.

Small businesses are an essential part of the country’s economic vitality, accounting for between 60 and 80 percent of jobs in the US, according to several sources. Umpqua Bank’s Made to Grow Grant campaign is one of multiple programs the company has developed to support the growth of small businesses. Others include Local Spotlight, as well as a comprehensive selection of business banking and lending products and services.

Submissions for the Made to Grow Grant are due by May 20. Entries must be within Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho and Nevada to qualify. Finalists will be announced on May 27 and the winner selected by popular vote. Umpqua will announce the recipients of the grant and business-building tools on June 8.

For more information on the Made to Grow Grant campaign or to submit your video, visitfacebook.com/umpquabank. For inspiration to help your small business grow, visit umpquabank.tumblr.com.

 

About Umpqua Bank

Umpqua Bank, headquartered in Roseburg, Ore., is a subsidiary of Umpqua Holdings Corporation, and has locations across Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California and Northern Nevada. Umpqua Bank has been recognized for its innovative customer experience and banking strategy by national publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, BusinessWeek, Fast Company and CNBC. The company has been recognized for the past eight years in a row on FORTUNE magazine's list of the country's "100 Best Companies to Work For."

Billie Jo Cusack Earns Construction Elite Award from Umpqua Bank

Umpqua Bank has recognized Billie Jo Cusack as a 2014 Construction Elite loan officer.  The award goes to the top construction and renovation loan specialists in the Home Lending division.

“To attain this Elite status, our loan officers must place a concentrated focus on our products that allow borrowers to build or renovate their dream home,” says Susan Brown, Umpqua Bank, SVP Construction and Renovation Manager.  “The resurgence of renovation and construction will help alleviate the housing supply shortage that exists in many of our communities.”

Cusack has lived in Washington her whole life and has spent the last 17 years in Redmond. She has been in the mortgage business for 15 years and has been ranked as a top producing loan officer in her region for the last 14. She loves spending time with her family and friends and loves to be outside in the water. Cusack says that she just likes to be here and help clients build their dreams. Cusack reports to Branch Manager, Scott Clirehugh and works out of Umpqua’s Bellevue office at 10500 NE 8^th St. Ste. 1776.

Sunwest Bank Continues Expansion with Addition of Four New Executives

Sunwest Bank, a community bank with 9 regional branches across the western United States, today announces the hiring of four new executives in its Seattle, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake City area locations. The strategic appointment of these hires marks the continued expansion of the community bank by further growing its Washington presence and creating a new Los Angeles office, as well as the first Utah location in Sandy. Steve Smith joins Sunwest Bank as the new Washington Market Area President. The Bank appointed David Schwartz to manage its Los Angeles market as Senior Vice President and Senior Relationship Manager. In addition, the Bank named Chad Canter as the Utah Market Area President and Russell S. Taft as Senior Vice President, Senior Relationship Manager. Both will be based in the Salt Lake City market area.

“Adding Steve, David, Chad and Russell to our growing team emphasizes our commitment to growing our Washington and California markets, as well as expanding the Bank’s reach into new regions,“ said Chris Walsh, president and CEO of Sunwest Bank. “Their extensive knowledge of finding profitable niches in the commercial banking sphere will allow us to grow our client base, as well as our loans and deposits, as we continue to develop our business across the western United States.“

As the Washington Market Area President, Steve Smith is responsible for building the Bank’s presence and directing a new team in the greater Seattle area. His tasks will also include advising businesses on a variety of matters including optimal financing solutions for working capital, international trade, equipment, and real estate as well as cash management and commercial credit cards. Previously, Mr. Smith was Vice President, Senior Relationship Manager at East West Bank and Vice President, Relationship Manager at Washington Trust Bank. He graduated from the University of Washington with a Master’s in Business Administration.

David Schwartz joins Sunwest Bank as Senior Vice President and Relationship Manager for the Los Angeles market, and brings a background in commercial banking. Mr. Schwartz will support the bank’s regional initiatives and overall business and community development efforts in the area. As a single point of contact for his clients, he will be responsible for maintaining and growing their loan and deposit portfolios. Prior to joining Sunwest Bank, Mr. Schwartz was Vice President and Senior Relationship Manager at Torrey Pines Bank and Vice President of Commercial Banking at Boston Private Bank and Trust. He attended the University of California, Los Angeles, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics.

As the Utah Market Area President, Chad Canter will lead the organization's economic and community development efforts and oversee the full range of Sunwest Bank's financial services throughout the state. Mr. Canter will also focus on continuously improving the client experience and leveraging market opportunities. Previously, he served as Vice President and Principal Relationship Manager at Wells Fargo, where he managed banking relationships for small- to mid-size businesses. He attended the University of Utah, graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Mass Communications.

The Bank also appointed Russell Taft as Senior Relationship Manager of the greater Salt Lake City area. Mr. Taft will focus on expanding the Sunwest Bank brand and product suite into the Utah market, primarily through new commercial loans, deposits and treasury management products. A 30-year banking veteran, he has experience in internal loan audit, credit administration, credit management, and managing various lending group functions. Mr. Taft comes to Sunwest Bank after spending 17 years at Zions First National Bank as Senior Vice President of the Commercial Lending Division. A graduate of the University of Utah, he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management before earning his Master’s of Business Administration at the American Graduate School of International Management’s Thunderbird program. He is also a graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School.

“Our regional teams play a critical role in overseeing and coordinating company resources to ensure we are making meaningful contributions to our local communities,” said Chris Walsh. “Expanding our reach into Los Angeles and Utah are exciting milestones for us. We are confident that bringing in team members with strong expertise will provide a solid foundation in the Los Angeles and Utah markets and we are looking forward to helping new clients in those areas to grow their businesses.”

About Sunwest Bank

An established community bank, Sunwest Bank has offices in California, Arizona, Washington, Utah and Idaho. Sunwest Bank offers a wide range of financial products to individuals, professionals, homeowner associations, and small- to mid-sized businesses.

Tyler Burkland Returns to US Bank, Leading Commercial Banking Team in Bellevue

U.S. Bank has named Tyler Burkland to lead the commercial banking team in Bellevue, Wash. He is making a return to U.S. Bank, where he previously worked from 2005 to 2008 as a commercial banking portfolio manager and credit analyst in Seattle.  

“We are pleased to have Tyler back and leading our middle market banking in Bellevue,” said Chris Heman, president of U.S. Bank in Washington. “He brings solid experience managing a large portfolio and bringing clients exactly the type of credit and banking products they need to grow their business. We look forward to sharing his expertise in the region.”

In addition to past experience managing a $1.3 billion middle market portfolio throughout Washington, Oregon and Western Canada, Burkland has expertise in technology and special industries, along with strong deal structure experience that includes syndications.

Burkland leads a team of 13 in commercial banking. He is based at the U.S. Bank offices at 10800 NE 8th Street in Bellevue.

Burkland is a University of Washington graduate with a business degree in finance.

About U.S. Bank
U.S. Bank has 130 employees and 5 branches in Bellevue, with 1,377 employees and 92 branches in the greater Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area.  U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB), with $403 billion in assets as of December 31, 2014, is the parent company of U.S. Bank National Association, the 5th largest commercial bank in the United States. The company operates 3,176 banking offices in 25 states and 5,022 ATMs and provides a comprehensive line of banking, brokerage, insurance, investment, mortgage, trust and payment services products to consumers, businesses and institutions. Visit U.S. Bancorp on the web at www.usbank.com.