MoFi Recognizes Small Business Lender and Utah Bank of the Year
Steve Winters, senior vice president at Altabank™, has been named MoFi’s 2025 Small Business Lender of the Year for helping Utah entrepreneurs access financing through an innovative state capital access program. In 2025, Winters and Altabank partnered with MoFi to secure approximately $2.3 million in financing for two Utah businesses through the Utah Small Business Credit Initiative (USBCI). The financing helped both businesses pursue major growth and expansion opportunities.
Cache Valley Bank has been named MoFi’s 2025 Utah Bank of the Year for its outstanding partnership and commitment to helping Utah entrepreneurs access capital and grow their businesses. In 2025, the bank partnered with MoFi to provide more than $9.4 million in financing through the program, helping Utah businesses access the capital needed to invest, expand and create jobs.
Each year, MoFi recognizes one banking partner in each state where it operates for an exceptional commitment to helping entrepreneurs access capital and grow their businesses.
Bank of Utah
Bank of Utah Named Best Community Bank in the 2026 Best of State Awards
Bank of Utah has been named Best Community Bank in the 2026 Best of State Awards, which celebrates Utah’s most outstanding individuals, businesses and organizations that demonstrate excellence in their fields, embrace innovation and contribute to the state’s quality of life.
That mission was reflected in measurable ways throughout 2025. Bank of Utah team members contributed more than 2,000 volunteer hours, with 313 employees supporting 107 organizations statewide. More than 30 team members served on nonprofit and community boards.
Bank of Utah Receives Top Export Lender Award from SBA for Second Year in a Row
Bank of Utah has been named the recipient of the Top Export Lender Award by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Utah District Office for the second consecutive year.
“Small businesses are the driving force behind our vibrant communities, and we succeed only when we make our communities better,” said Brett Jensen, SVP, SBA administrator at Bank of Utah. “Winning the award two years in a row means we’ve maintained the momentum we’ve established and kept a high standard of client service and success as Utah companies grow their products and services worldwide.”
SBA lending programs are key tools in helping entrepreneurs access the capital they need to start, grow and expand their businesses. Working with a local lender like Bank of Utah helps small business owners better understand SBA loan options and navigate the application process more effectively.
With over $920 million in SBA-backed loans — $77.5 million contributed by Bank of Utah — delivered to Utah businesses, lending institutions across the state play a critical role in supporting Utah’s growing small business sector.
Bank of Utah Ranked No. 17 Among Best-Performing U.S. Community Banks by S&P Global Market Intelligence
Bank of Utah ranks No. 17 on S&P Global Market Intelligence’s 2025 list of Best-Performing U.S. Community Banks in the $3 billion to $10 billion asset category. It’s the second consecutive year that the bank has been placed in the top 20. The ranking reflects the bank’s financial performance across returns, growth and funding, with an emphasis on balance sheet strength and risk profile.
D.L. Evans Bank
In June, D.L. Evans Bank broke ground on its 40th branch, and eighth in Utah, located at 2225 North Main Street in North Logan. It will be a full-service location, offering a full range of banking products and services, with decisions made locally. Construction is expected to be completed in late 2026.
KeyBank
Suazo Business Center Secures $600,000 KeyBank Grant to Advance Entrepreneurship Program
Suazo Business Center (Suazo), a Utah-based nonprofit business development organization dedicated to expanding access to business ownership, capital and financial education, has been awarded a $600,000 grant from the KeyBank Foundation. The grant, the largest the KeyBank Foundation has awarded in Utah, will support the development of a hybrid entrepreneurship program that combines self-paced learning with live instruction, helping to remove barriers related to language, scheduling, transportation and geography for economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs.
“Suazo Business Center is empowering Utah entrepreneurs with the skills and confidence to build sustainable careers and businesses,” said Drew Yergensen, KeyBank Utah market president. “This initiative aligns with KeyBank’s Neighbors, Education and Workforce priorities by expanding access to education and supporting job creation.”
Over time, this funding will expand the number of participants served, supporting both new and existing entrepreneurs. It will also enable virtual bilingual cohorts with one-on-one advising, helping create and retain jobs while strengthening household stability.
KeyBank Celebrates 35th Annual Neighbors Make the Difference Day
On Tuesday, June 2, KeyBank proudly celebrated its 35th annual Neighbors Make the Difference Day®, a signature day of service that brings teammates together to support the communities they call home. Over 100 KeyBank teammates in Utah rolled up their sleeves and volunteered alongside local nonprofit partners on eight projects throughout the region.
Project locations included Bountiful Community Food Pantry, Neighborhood House, Tracy Aviary’s Nature Center at Pia Okwai, Utah Community Action and others.
KeyBank teammates built playgrounds, painted homes, refreshed community gardens, cleaned up parks and supported local organizations. At select sites, teammates also hosted financial education workshops to help neighbors build confidence and tools for their financial futures.
“Neighbors Make the Difference Day is one of the most meaningful days of the year for our teammates,” said Drew Yergensen, KeyBank Utah market president. “It’s an opportunity to give back to the communities we care so deeply about and to show up as neighbors, not just bankers. Communities thrive when volunteers unite, and we’re proud to invest our time, talent, and heart into Utah and help brighten lives in ways that truly matter.”
Zions Bank
Zions Bank Hosts 34th Annual Paint-a-Thon
More than 1,200 Zions Bank employees volunteered to help beautify homes, schools and non-profit organizations across Utah for the bank’s 34th annual Paint-a-Thon during the first week of June.
In total, nine homes, nine non-profits and four schools received a fresh coat of paint and a refresh of their landscaping, directly or indirectly benefitting thousands of Utahns. An additional seven projects were completed in Idaho.
Zions Bank’s Paint-a-Thon began in 1991 as a volunteer project for a dozen homes along Utah’s Wasatch Front. Over the three ensuing decades, Zions Bank employees have set aside summer pastimes for a week each year — volunteering in the evenings after work — to paint 1,331 homes and non-profits throughout Idaho, Utah and Wyoming. Not counting the dollar value of volunteer hours through the years, the bank has donated more than $1.5 million toward beautifying communities in the three states.
Zions Bank Receives Six 2026 Best of State Awards
Zions Bank received six 2026 Best of State Awards in the following categories:
- Business Services — Banking
- Mortgage Banking
- Economic Development
- Employer
- Large Business
- Merchandising and Consumer Services — Banking
The Best of State awards recognize organizations for their excellence, achievement, innovation and creativity, and for making Utah a better place to live.
Your Land, Your Plan Fund Awards First Round of Grants
Zions Bank, in partnership with Intermountain Health, has awarded more than $85,000 in grants to organizations and municipalities across Utah. The Your Land, Your Plan Fund offers cities, schools, counties and other local public landowners additional resources to enhance their real estate assets by supporting planning projects and community engagement initiatives that help build healthier economies and vibrant communities.
Grants were awarded to:
- The City of Moab, to support the development of a downtown Main Street master plan.
- The City of Ogden, to develop a public asset activation strategy and mapping tool.
- R6 Regional Council, to update B and C class roadway mileage reports for all municipalities within the region.
- The City of Price, to digitize and update the existing catalog of city-owned real property throughout Price City.
Utah Bankers Association Contributes to BankPAC
The Utah Bankers Association contributed $30,000 to the American Bankers Association’s BankPAC at a reception in July in Detroit. BankPac is the largest PAC representing the banking industry, with the sole purpose of helping elect pro-banking decision-makers to federal office.
