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As the Senior Vice President (SVP) of Small Business and Consumer lending, Mel Robertson leads a cross-functional team in the development of partnerships, relationship management and all strategic decision making associated with the growth and impact of HOPE’s lending in these sectors. He also bears responsibility for assessing the risk of loan requests and convenes the credit committee to present recommendations from the broader team.

Prior to joining the organization, Mel spent 19 years in banking and, most recently, oversaw The First’s Community Reinvestment Act program including compliance, outreach and implementation for the state of Louisiana. He also managed portfolios of loans and deposits with a number of banks, establishing track records of growth while under his direction. Mel brings significant experience from the Community Development Financial Institution sector having formerly worked at LiftFund and providing leadership to the organization’s Small Business Administration programs. He also worked in retail banking with Hibernia National Bank and BankOne/Chase in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.