Movers & Shakers — Brent Ciurlino, Jim Donovan, Marty Spuehler, James Fizel, AJ Patel

May 2, 2019

Movers & Shakers — Brent Ciurlino, Jim Donovan, Marty Spuehler, James Fizel, AJ Patel

By Bob Coleman
Editor, Coleman Report

Newtek Business Services Corp. Hires Brent Ciurlino as Senior Vice President, Risk and Operations

Barry Sloane, Chief Executive Officer, says, “We are extremely pleased to have retained the talent of Brent Ciurlino as Senior Vice President, Risk and Operations. Brent has had a long and distinguished career working for entities like the RTC, FDIC, Farm Credit Administration, and the Office of Credit Risk Management for the Small Business Administration, as well as many other commercial enterprises. Brent’s knowledge of the regulatory environment and risk issues relating to SMB and middle-market lending is at the highest levels. Brent will be reporting directly to the Company’s Chief Lending Officer and will be advising the boards of directors of the Company and our various lending portfolio companies, and supervising and monitoring portfolio and risk positions. We are thrilled to have Brent join our team.”

Brent comes to Newtek with an extensive background in regulation, compliance, and risk, most recently as EVP, Chief Operating and Risk Officer at Freedom Mortgage Corporation. Prior to Freedom, Mr. Ciurlino was Senior Advisor, Lending and Risk Management Services at Waterfall Asset Management. In addition, Brent has worked directly as a Senior Regulatory Executive for federal regulatory entities such as the Office of Credit Risk Management for the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Resolution Trust Corporation.

Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation Names Jim Donovan as Senior Vice President, Head of Commercial & Industrial Banking

“I am pleased to welcome Jim, an experienced banking and lending executive to BMT. He is a great addition to our senior banking team,” says President Kevin Tylus. “His expertise in process improvement, new business development with a focus on client relations, and credit and portfolio management will be a real asset as we continue to strategically grow our organization.”

Jim held positions of increasing responsibility throughout his time at CoreStates, Meridian and, most recently, M&T where he spent more than 20 years and oversaw their Pennsylvania Business Banking Division.

He is a graduate of Shippensburg University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and received his MBA from Saint Joseph’s University. Active in the community, Mr. Donovan has served and volunteered regularly including previous roles with the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce, the Eagle Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Harrisburg, United Way of Schuylkill County, and Treasurer of Junior Achievement of South-Central Pa.

Union Bank names Marty Spuehler, James Fizel to SBA BDO positions

“Union Bank ® believes that small businesses are the economic lifeblood of our communities and is excited to announce that Marty Spuehler and James Fizel have been named to BDO positions on our SBA team,” says Kirsten “Didi” Hakes, Managing Director, Head of SBA and Government Lending.

Marty Spuehler joins Union Bank with more than 35 years of experience in the financial services industry, the majority of it serving small business clients. Marty leads the Union Bank San Diego SBA team and most recently was with Wells Fargo, where he led the bank’s San Diego sales team from a No. 12 sales ranking to No. 1 within four years and continued to maintain that ranking thereafter.

Marty has served on the Board of Directors for the Peninsula YMCA since 2005 and is currently on its Finance Committee. He is an avid rock climber and surfer and he creates and enjoys abstract art.

James Fizel, who is based in Ontario, Calif., is responsible for increasing the Union Bank market share in the Inland Empire in Southern California. He has been in the finance/banking industry for over 20 years. Most recently, James was an SBA Business Development Officer with Wells Fargo in Corona, Calif., where he specialized in commercial real estate, business acquisition, and debt refinancing using the 7a and 504 loan products.

James grew up in Wisconsin and graduated from Minnesota State University – Mankato with a degree in Finance and Economics. He is married with four children and enjoys cooking with his wife.

AJ Patel Named Vice President, Market Area Manager for Advantage CDC

AJ Patel has over 17 years in SBA lending experience. He has been a Senior Loan Consultant for procurement financing in SBA 7(a) and Microlending. He worked for a National Lender who was part of a team to become the #1 SBA lender in the Los Angeles Metro Area. He ran a new CDC in the Los Angeles Area of San Fernando Valley to be in the top 20% of all 240 CDCs in the nation with over $40 Million in Commercial Real Estate Purchases through the SBA 504 program. Recently AJ was Vice President Market Area Manager with over $20 Million in Commercial Real Estate Purchases.

Upcoming SBA Lending Professional Industry Events

NAGGL SBA Lending Technical Conference, May 7-9, Orlando

NADCO Spring Summit, May 19-22, Arlington, VA

America West Small Business Lending Summit 2019, June 11-13, 2019, Rancho Mirage

Great Lakes Lenders Conference, July 24-25, Detroit

America East Small Business Lending Conference 2019, August 14, 2019, Mashantucket

Music City Small Business Lenders Conference, August 26-28, 2019, Nashville

FLAGGL Small Business Lenders Conference, September 18, 2019, Orlando

LEND360, September 25-27, 2019, Dallas

National Alliance of Commercial Loan Brokers, October 4-6, Henderson, NV