Pat Thomson, President of NDC’s small business lending company, Grow America Fund (GAF), was part of a panel of experts for the recent webinar, “SBA Lending Programs and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.” Thomson’s presentation, “Small Business Lending in the New Environment,” described GAF’s business model and provided lenders with advice on identifying lending partners and surviving the current credit environment.
The 90-minute webinar was designed to provide participants – bank presidents and CEOs, chief credit policy officers, commercial and small business lenders, CRA and compliance officers, and bank CDC officials – with tools for navigating today’s small business lending environment. These tools include long-time programs such as SBA 7(a) and 504 and new opportunities provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), such as America’s Recovery Capital (ARC) loans.
Approximately 300 banks participated in the interactive presentation, with the opportunity to ask questions of the presenters. The webinar was crafted to help participants:
- Determine if 7(a) and 504 loans meet their needs
- Understand new fee structures for these loan products
- Evaluate key risks and regulatory considerations
- Understand how to receive the guaranty if a loan defaults
- Learn about Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) benefits of small business lending through SBA programs
The webinar was a presentation of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), in partnership with the SBA and in addition to GAF’s Thomson, the program included messages from John C. Dugan, Comptroller of the Currency, and Barry Wides, Deputy Comptroller, as well as a presentation by Grady B. Hedgespeth, Director, Office of Financial Assistance of the SBA.