OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE UTAH BANKERS ASSOCIATION

Pub. 11 2023 Issue 4

This story appears in the
Utah Bankers Association Magazine Pub. 11 2023 Issue 4

KeyBank

Women of the World Receives $120,000 Grant from KeyBank in Support of Employee Partnership Program

KeyBank has awarded a $120,000 grant to Women of the World (WoW), a non-profit organization focused on overcoming employment barriers for forcibly displaced women residing in Utah. The grant will allow WoW to expand its Employee Partnership Program (EPP) by adding a social worker to the team, as well as expanding its office space and programming.
“Sustainable employment is a massive step toward independence,” said Drew Yergensen, President of KeyBank Utah. “This program works with Utah employers to help secure jobs with benefits and the potential to move up the career ladder. Women in this program are overcoming personal trauma, language barriers and technological hurdles, and I’m beyond proud that our community can offer a hand up.”

KeyBank Provides $46 Million of Financing for Affordable Housing Community in Utah

KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment provided a $8.6 million equity bridge loan and $13.1 million in 4% federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity for the acquisition and rehabilitation of an affordable housing community in Layton, Utah. The project also received permanent financing from KeyBank Real Estate Capital (KBREC), which secured a $24.2 million Freddie Mac tax-exempt loan (TEL).

Skyline View Apartments is a three-property, 112-unit affordable housing community available to low-income families earning no more than 50% and 60% of the area median income (AMI) and is subsidized by a Section 8 Housing Assistant Payment (HAP) Contract.

“The preservation of the Skyline View Apartments will help to address the substantial need for affordable housing in Utah,” said Robert Likes, President of KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI). “KeyBank is invested in the expansion of its community impact, and we continue to provide more capital to low-income communities throughout the country.”

Altabank

To support growth in Washington County and Southwest Utah, Altabank has created a new operating region. The Red Rocks Region encompasses Washington and Iron Counties and is key to Altabank’s ongoing growth in Southern Utah.

Evan Thomas has been named the Region Manager for the Red Rocks Region. Thomas joined Altabank in early 2023 after spending close to 10 years with State Bank of Southern Utah. He has a combined 25+ years of business banking and other professional experience in Southern Utah. Thomas is well-known in the community and has a track record of working closely with customers to build and manage their businesses.

Other leaders in the region include Keli Peetz, newly promoted to Region Operations Manager, and Kandice Hansen, a long-time Southwest Utah banker who manages the St. George River Road branch.

KeyBank

KeyBank Opens New Branch and Distributes Grant in West Valley City

KeyBank celebrated its new full-service branch in West Valley City, Utah, October 20-21, with a celebration that included a ribbon-cutting ceremony, family-friendly activities with prize giveaways and a $10,000 donation to local nonprofit Comunidades Unidas. KeyBank’s new branch is located at 2807 S. 5600 W. in West Valley City.

“KeyBank is excited at the opportunity this new branch provides for us to become an integral part of the West Valley City community,” said Drew Yergensen, KeyBank’s Utah Market President and Commercial Banking Team Leader. “West Valley City is the second largest city in the state and continues to be a business, recreation and entertainment hub. This new location highlights Key’s continued investment in Utah. We are excited to work more closely with our neighbors, clients and community partners.”

KeyBank Partners with ROC USA to Expand Affordable Housing and Homeownership in Manufactured Home Communities

KeyBank and ROC USA jointly announce that KeyBank Foundation, the bank’s charitable foundation, is providing a three-year, $150,000 grant to ROC USA, LLC, a nonprofit social venture with a mission to support homeowners in Manufactured (Mobile) Home Communities (MHCs) to achieve affordable and environmentally sustainable self-governing cooperatives. The grant is targeted to help the expansion of affordable resident owned MHCs in KeyBank’s markets in Utah, Ohio and Eastern Pennsylvania.

Nelnet Bank

Nelnet Bank Celebrates Conclusion of De Novo Period

Nelnet Bank (Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender) launched in 2020 as the first industrial bank to begin operating in over 12 years. Over the past three years, Nelnet Bank has grown to 60 employees and at the end of their de novo period, they are celebrating the exciting evolution of their products and services.

Some incredible achievements that mark the end of Nelnet Bank’s de novo period include reaching $1 billion in assets, the addition of a private student loan product, and the implementation of the “Learn to Dream Program,” which provides student scholarships through partner colleges to first-generation and low-to-moderate-income students. Additionally, Nelnet Bank established a special-purpose credit program with 8B Education Investments, offering loans to African students seeking to further their education in the United States. Last but not least, the bank launched a home improvement loan product in partnership with Buildertrend.

The conclusion of Nelnet Bank’s de novo period is a momentous occasion that serves as a testament to the vision and hard work invested in bringing Nelnet Bank into existence. As the de novo period concludes, the celebration also marks an opportunity to look toward the future with continued innovation, growth and positive contributions to the communities that Nelnet Bank serves.

TAB Bank

Noah Cisneros from TAB Bank was recently named to Utah Business’s “20 In Their 20s” list, which honors and recognizes the up-and-coming talent from Utah’s business and economic community. Cisneros serves as TAB’s Marketing Manager and is responsible for the planning and execution of marketing plans and initiatives for TAB’s large portfolio of large-ticket commercial finance clients. In addition, Cisneros works closely on the Bank’s many digital marketing campaigns, as well as driving TAB’s deposit gathering marketing strategy, including the Bank’s High Yield Savings account.

TAB Bank Celebrates 25 Years of Unlocking Dreams with Bold Financial Solutions That Lift and Empower

TAB Bank celebrated its 25th anniversary of providing financial solutions for businesses, families and individuals nationwide, uniquely designed to serve the needs of the underserved.

U.S. Bank

U.S. Bank Reaches the Hispanic Community in SLC Using the Power of Film

In the months since debuting at the Tribeca Film Festival, the film Translators has received critical acclaim for spotlighting the struggles many first-generation Latinos face when navigating everyday life. The film, which was sponsored by U.S. Bank as part of U.S. Bank Access Commitment,® the bank’s long-term approach to help close the wealth gaps for underserved communities, tells this story through the lens of three children of immigrants who carry the burden of expediting their youth by having to handle complex adult conversations with their parents.

Noticing the success of bank-sponsored screenings in other markets, Juan Carlos Becerra, Branch Manager at the U.S. Bank Rose Park location in Salt Lake City, felt it important to bring the film to SLC, which has a large and rapidly growing Hispanic population and a considerable number of Spanish-speaking customers at his branch. On Sept. 27, 2023, Becerra and team rented out the Megaplex Luxury Theatres at Gateway near downtown Salt Lake City and invited colleagues, Hispanic customers and noncustomers and local nonprofits to the event, with more than 110 attendees showing up for the screening.

“After seeing the film, we knew it was important for the Hispanic community in SLC to know they’re not the only ones going through these experiences,” Becerra said. “A lot of first- and second-generation Hispanics come here for a better opportunity. It’s important to acknowledge the work they are putting in to succeed in those opportunities, for themselves and the generations after them.”

Zions Bank

Zions Bank Marks 150-Year Milestone

Commemorating its 150th anniversary in 2023, Zions Bank hosted community celebrations at each of its 121 branches in October. Earlier in the year, the bank dispatched a fleet of Zions Bank Jeeps across its tristate footprint and rolled out celebratory drone shows at sporting, music and community events in honor of the milestone.

“Over the course of Zions Bank’s 150 years in business, we have remained true to our founding, creating value for depositors, the community and shareholders,” says Zions Bank President and CEO Scott Anderson, who has served in his position since 1997.

During Utah’s formative years, Zions Bank played a pivotal role in its economic growth and stability. Financial assistance from Zions Bank helped launch railroad, mining and power companies that developed the Intermountain West, including Bingham Copper Company (Kennecott Copper); Salt Lake and Los Angeles Railroad Company (Union Pacific); Big Cottonwood Power Company (Rocky Mountain Power); and Salt Lake Gas Company (Dominion Energy).

In 2023, Zions Bank reaffirmed its commitment to cultivating a landscape of opportunity and growth on our Main Streets and neighborhood lanes by outlining “Five Commitments to Create Value” for the next 150 years.