Union Bank Partners with NAWBO for Women’s Business Conference 2011

Union Bank, N.A., announced that is has partnered with the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO®) and is a gold sponsor of the NAWBO Women’s Business Conference 2011 (WBC2011), taking place August 31 to September 1 in San Diego, California. At the conference, Union Bank will announce the scholarship recipient of the Management Development for Entrepreneurs (MDE) program at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.

“Union Bank and NAWBO have been partners for many years in California, and the bank was a charter member of the organization,” says Union Bank Senior Vice President and Regional Manager Marla Black, who will speak at the Opening Reception. “We are thrilled to sponsor the national conference this year and support women business owners nationwide.” Union Bank will also have a presence in the NAWBO Business Pavilion Marketplace & Expo, and other Union Bank executives will participate in the following:

August 31

* Senior Vice President, SBA and Government Lending Manager Heather Endresen will participate in the “Women Business Financing Workshop” roundtable discussion, 1:30 p.m.

* Vice President and Supplier Diversity Manager Richard Chacon will host the Supplier Diversity “Procurement Roundtable,” 1:30 p.m.

* Marla Black will speak at the “Taste of California” opening reception along with the Mayor of San Diego, The Honorable Jerry Sanders, 6 p.m.

September 1

* Heather Endresen will present the MDE recipient during the “Guardian Girls Going Places Award Ceremony” luncheon, 12 noon.

* Senior Vice President Lea Zanjani will introduce the “Women’s Economic Empowerment” session, 3:30 to 5 p.m.

Union Bank’s Supplier Diversity team will also meet with women business owners to discuss getting access to the capital they need to grow their businesses.

“I’m proud to say that at Union Bank, we believe in the power of women, and we share NAWBO’s commitment to support women business owners,” says Endresen. “Women have a strong impact on the business community and our national economy and will, along with small business owners throughout our country, continue to drive our economic recovery.”

Union Bank is one of the only banks in the country with a separate credit policy for women-owned businesses – the policy is more flexible in its underwriting guidelines to give women entrepreneurs access to capital. The bank has offered this separate credit policy to women business owners since 1993. Additionally, Union Bank does a large amount of business with women entrepreneurs. In 2010, the bank spent more than 53 million dollars bank-wide with women-owned businesses.

“We appreciate Union Bank’s sponsorship of our national conference,” said NAWBO President and CEO Helen Han. “Now more than any other time in history, women business owners can significantly contribute toward economic recovery and NAWBO is helping them access new opportunities by providing events to network with our great sponsors, including Union Bank. They are an integral part of the growth of many woman-owned businesses.”