CenterPointe Bank’s Pickering Completes Commercial Lending Institute Training
CenterPointe Community Bank is pleased to announce senior vice president Brad Pickering’s recent graduation from the Commercial Lending Institute, a training program sponsored by the Oregon Bankers Association. Pickering, who is CenterPointe’s senior commercial and agricultural lending officer, and six other community bankers from around Oregon completed the intensive eight-month course, studying accounting principles, financial analysis, underwriting standards, customer relationships and communications skills.
“In today’s turbulent marketplace, CenterPointe must sustain sound business practices and ensure quality in its loan portfolio,” noted CenterPointe CEO Mahlon Vigesaa. “One way we can do this is by making sure our employees are the best in the industry. Brad is a dedicated and professional banker and we appreciate the time and effort he committed to complete this important commercial lender training.”
Pickering has been involved in banking for the last 14 years, 10 of them in the Gorge. He also owns and operates a Parkdale pear and cherry orchard. He graduated from Linfield College with a degree in business management. “The comprehensive, best practice commercial lending education I received will allow CenterPointe Bank to provide the best quality lending service in the Gorge. I look forward to helping our current and new customers with all their commercial lending needs.”
CenterPointe Community Bank (OTC: CENP.OB) is the first Gorge-based community bank to open in over 30 years. As a locally owned and operated community bank, with offices in Hood River and The Dalles, CenterPointe Community Bank is dedicated to serving the banking needs of the Columbia River Gorge community. For information on loans or other CenterPointe Bank services, call 541-386-1386 in Hood River, or 541-398-2600 in The Dalles.
ONE YEAR OLD AND GOING STRONG
Exactly one year ago CenterPointe started organizing. Now, we have over $14 million in deposits and an equal amount in loans. The interest continues to be strong. The Dalles office is under construction and slated to open this Summer.
CENTERPOINTE CONTINUES TO BUILD STAFF
JIM FORTNER, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER; JUEL TURNER, ADMISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
FORTNER WAS PREVIOUSLY CONTROLLER WITH PREMIER WEST BANKFortner, a certified public accountant, has over 25 years of banking experience. Since 2001, he has served as Senior Vice President and Controller of Premier West Bank, a $1.1 billion asset size publicly traded bank in Medford, Oregon. Prior to this, Fortner was VP and Credit Administrator of Valley of the Rogue Bank (now Umpqua Bank) from 1999-2001, and held various positions within U.S. Bank from 1980-1996.
TURNER WAS EXEC ASSISTANT TO THE BOARD OF CAPITAL PACIFICTurner has over 25 years of executive level management support. Most recently she was Executive Assistant to the Board of Capital Pacific. Prior to this, Turner was Executive Administrator to the CFO of Merant in Hillsboro, Executive Assistant to the CTO at Emerald Solutions, and Project Analyst at Imperial Bank in Los Angeles.
CENTERPOINTE ADDS STAFF
BRITT THOMAS, CHIEF CREDIT OFFICER; BRAD PICKERING, AGRICULTURAL & COMMERICAL LOAN OFFICER; JENNIFER RINGLBAUER, LOAN OPERATIONS MANAGER; MEGAN MCKENZIE, CREDIT OFFICER; AND ANGIE SHELTON, NEW ACCOUNTS CLIENT SPECIALIST
BRITT THOMAS NAMED CHIEF CREDIT OFFICER
Thomas will be responsible for developing CenterPointe’s loan portfolio in Hood River and throughout the Gorge, and will report to Mahlon Vigesaa, President and CEO. Since 2002 Thomas has led a staff of up to 25 managing Columbia River Bank’s loan portfolio. As the new Chief Credit Officer for CenterPointe Bank, Thomas will set the underwriting standards for the bank.
From 1987-1998 Thomas moved from Small Business Portfolio Manager to Vice President and Underwriting Manager at the U.S. Bank Business Banking Financial Center in Portland.
Thomas is a graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School at University of Washington, and OSU in Corvallis. He served on the Credit Committee of Evergreen Community Development Corporation, and has served on the board of The Dalles Habitat for Humanity, and on St. Mary’s Academy Educational Foundation Board. He lives in The Dalles.
BRAD PICKERING JOINS CENTERPOINTE BANK
CenterPointe Community Bank announced the hiring of Brad Pickering as a Senior Vice President and Agricultural and Commercial Lending Officer. Pickering will be responsible for developing CenterPointe’s ag and commercial lending business in Hood River and throughout the Gorge.
For the past eight years Brad has worked for Northwest Farm Credit Services in The Dalles as a senior credit officer, branch manager and then relationship manager for the commercial lending group. He was responsible for managing the loan portfolio, and developing and implementing the marketing and customer service plan of The Dalles office. Prior to NW Farm Credit, Brad was a mortgage broker in Portland.
Brad is an active member of local ag community. He is a grower himself, with a pear and cherry orchard in the upper Hood River Valley. He is a member of the Hood River Rotary, Diamond Fruit cooperative, and currently serves as chairman of the Hood River Growers and Shippers Association. Brad grew up in Tualatin, Oregon, attended Oregon State University, and graduated from Linfield College with a degree in business management. Brad lives in Parkdale with his wife and two children.