SBA Hosts 3 Day Lenders Conference

ATLANTA - The Georgia Lender’s Quality Circle (www.GLQC.org) will host the annual Southeastern Small Business Lender’s Conference again this year at the Ritz Carlton Lodge at Reynolds Plantation, January 30-February 1.  The summit is expected to draw pros from Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee and the Carolinas.  

The three-day networking and training event includes speakers on hot SBA topics, forecasts of the economy, and breakout sessions for those just starting out in the SBA lending arena and those that are advanced SBA lenders. Last year, over 200 individuals from 90 companies and government agencies attended the conference.

“One of the primary objectives of the conference is to provide attendees with a financial forecast of the year ahead,” says Tim Souther, chairperson of GLQC, who is regional manager at GA REsource Capital. “In light of the economy, this outlook should prove to be especially beneficial this year.”

Souther says speakers will include key people with the SBA, both on a national and local level; Tony Wilkinson, President of the National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders (NAGGL); Bob Coleman, President of Coleman Publishing; and representatives from the National Association of Development Companies (NADCO), among others.
The conference itinerary will offer more educational opportunities than any of the previous conferences. Topics include: SBA 504 Refinance, Introduction to the SBA 7-A Program, Loan Underwriting and Credit Quality, SBA SOP-50-10-5c Updates, Future of Secondary Market, 504 Pooling, Marketing your SBA Program, USDA and Rural Lending, Portfolio Management, Managing Construction Risks, Lender Oversight, Application Process for PLP, and others.

The Southeastern Small Business Lender’s Conference begins Sunday, January 30, with a golf tournament on the award-winning National Course followed by an Exhibitor’s Welcome Reception. Monday, January 31, will feature breakout sessions, the annual SBA Awards Luncheon, an Exhibitor Cocktail Reception, and ends with a Dinner & Casino Night. The conference concludes on Tuesday, February 1, with a General Session, including NAGGL and NADCO industry updates.

Georgia Lender’s Quality Circle is a non-profit association for banks, non-bank lenders, certified development companies and other associations, professionals and service providers that are active in origination, support and management of government guaranteed small business loans. The organization was founded in 2003 by small business lenders in an effort to provide training, networking and recognition among the community of small business government guaranteed lenders in Georgia. In 2009, the annual conference was renamed the Southeastern Small Business Lender’s Conference to include surrounding states.