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Executive Management Overview
Douglas Crichfield - President & CEO
Prior to assuming the President and CEO role at Solera National Bancorp, Inc. in October 2008, Mr. Crichfield was Principal and Owner for the Crichfield Group which provided business consulting for entrepreneurs with an emphasis on bank advisory work. Prior to forming the Crichfield Group in September 1999, he was a Director and EVP of CFX Corporation, Keene, New Hampshire (a bank holding company); and President, CEO & Trustee for the holding company's principal subsidiary, CFX Bank. Additionally, he served as President, CEO and Director of Community Bankshares, Inc., (a bank holding company) and its wholly owned subsidiary Concord Savings Bank, Concord, NH for seven years. Mr. Crichfield has a Certificate from Harvard University Institute of Financial Management; a Certificate from the University of Illinois Graduate School of Bank Investments; and a B.A. and M.A. in Economics from Northeastern University.
Bob Fenton - Co-Founder, EVP, Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Fenton brings more than 20 years of financial services industry experience. Mr. Fenton joined the Bank project in January 2005 as an Organizer and as a full-time consultant in April 2005. Prior to this, he was the CFO of Visa Debit Processing Services (DPS), a division of Visa USA. At the time, DPS was the 2nd largest processor of Visa transactions in the world. He served in that capacity from October 2002 through July 2004. Prior to joining Visa, Mr. Fenton was the CFO of E*TRADE Bank from January 2001 through October 2002. At the time, E*TRADE Bank was a $15 billion savings bank, the fifth largest OTS-regulated bank in the country. Before joining E*TRADE, Fenton held several leadership positions, domestically and internationally, during his 15 years with Citicorp/Citibank (now Citigroup). In his final role at Citi, Mr. Fenton was the CFO of the Travel and Business Strategic Business Unit, an operating unit of Citi Cards North America. The business unit managed approximately three million accounts and $10 billion in credit card receivables and was responsible for the Citibank AAdvantage card, the premier co-branded airline reward card in the industry. Prior to his tenure at Citigroup, Mr. Fenton spent five years with PepsiCo in various finance roles, as well as two years at Price Waterhouse (now known as PricewaterhouseCoopers). Mr. Fenton is a CPA (inactive license) and has an MBA in Finance from Pace University and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York.
Larry Heesch - Senior Vice President, Chief Credit Officer
Mr. Heesch brings 38 years of banking and credit experience to the Bank. Prior to joining Solera in June 2009, Mr. Heesch served as the Western Regional Credit Manager of TCF Bank's Colorado operations from June 2007 to July 2008. Prior to joining TCF Bank, Mr. Heesch was Chief Credit Officer of First Western Capital Bank from June 2006 to June 2007 which was a near start-up bank needing chartering help in states other than Colorado. Prior to that, Mr. Heesch was Chief Credit Officer of Matrix Capital Bank from June 2001 to April 2006 where he oversaw the profitable establishment of multiple lines of new business. Mr. Heesch's background includes asset-based lending, leasing, real estate and oil and gas financing. Mr. Heesch has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Western State College of Colorado in Gunnison, Colorado.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND ORGANIZERS
Norma Akers
Norma Akers spent 20 years working for AT&T and Lucent Technologies Inc. in various business management, finance, information officer and diversity roles within the company. Her last position with Lucent Technologies was Director of Sales for the account management relationship for Qwest managing the Lucent Technologies Software Sales team. She retired from Lucent Technologies in 2001. Prior to joining AT&T, Ms. Akers was a financial internal auditor for Monsanto Company. Ms. Akers came to the United States in 1977 after receiving her B.S. degree at the University in Tegucigalpa, Honduras in Accounting. In 1979, after studying the English language and two years of graduate school, Ms. Akers graduated from the University of Dallas, Braniff School of Management with an MBA in International Finance.
Rob Alvarado
Since March 2004, Mr. Alvarado has served as Executive Vice President and Legal Counsel at Palo Alto Inc., which owns and operates approximately 140 food franchises in Colorado, California, New Mexico and Virginia. Prior to that, he was an Associate with Brownstein Hyatt & Farber P.C. from December 2002 through March 2004. Before joining Brownstein Hyatt & Farber P.C., Mr. Alvarado was a Financial Analyst / Operations Consultant for Palo Alto, Inc. from May 2001 through December 2002. Mr. Alvarado received his law degree from the University of Denver, College of Law. In addition, he holds an MBA from the University of Denver, Daniels College of Business, and an undergraduate degree in hotel and restaurant management from Cornell University. He sits on the Board of Directors of the Latin American Education Foundation, the Colorado I Have a Dream Foundation, and the advisory board of the Denver Venture School. Mr. Alvarado also serves as President of the Denver and Albuquerque Taco Bell Restaurant Marketing Associations, Vice-President of the KFC New Mexico Marketing Co-op and as an ad hoc member of FRANMAC which is the Taco Bell Franchise Association Group. In addition, Mr. Alvarado serves as Of Counsel for the law firm Kline, Alvarado and Veio, P.C. and is a principal member of Champion Private Diversified Fund, a private equity real estate fund based in Denver. Finally, Mr. Alvarado serves on the Board of Directors of the Franchise Insurance Group a captive insurance group that insures approximately 1,500 quick service restaurants across the country.
Maria G. Arias
In February, 2007, Ms. Arias joined Comcast Cable as Vice President, Operations Management, for their West Division. Prior to that, she served as Vice President of Law and Government Affairs for Adelphia Communications Corporation based in Denver, Colorado from March 2003 through July 2006. In this capacity, she was responsible for providing legal support on cable operations, franchising and local government affairs matters to Adelphia's corporate and regional teams. Previously, Ms. Arias was the Vice President of Local Government Affairs for AT&T Broadband from February 2001 through November 2002. Ms. Arias received her Juris Doctorate from Northwestern University School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts degree from DePaul University. She is a member of the ABA and Women in Cable & Telecommunications (WICT).
Robert Gallegos
Mr. Gallegos has served as the President and Chief Financial Officer of The Gallegos Corporation (TGC) since January 1982. TGC, headquartered in Vail, Colorado, is a leader in quality residential and commercial construction services and employs approximately 700 employees in five states. TGC has offices in Vail, Aspen, Telluride, and Denver. Prior to joining the family-owned business, Mr. Gallegos spent ten years with the Fund for Urban and Neighborhood Development. Mr. Gallegos was responsible for designing a process for citizen participation and community involvement in the decision-making process. Mr. Gallegos has been an active member in his community including service on the United Way's annual grant allocation committee, member of the school board advisory committee, a Town Council Board member in Minturn, Colorado and the Planning Commission for Eagle County, Colorado, among others.
Ronald Montoya - Chairman of the Board
Ronald Montoya has been President & CEO of Plasticomm Industries, Inc. since the company was founded in 1990. A supplier, assembler and manufacturer of telecommunications products, cable and cable products, Plasticomm is based in Denver, Colorado. Plasticomm Industries was ranked #19 on the Inc. Magazine Inner City 100 list. Mr. Montoya is also owner of Innov8 Solutions USA and President & CEO of Plastic Supply Inc., in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He has also held the office of Director for the Office of Minority Business for the State of Colorado. Mr. Montoya holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Colorado, and Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver. Mr. Montoya is a dedicated member of several community boards, including service as a board member for National Jewish Hospital, Metro State College Foundation, St. Joseph's Hospital Foundation, Denver Hotel Authority, Colorado Forum and many others. He has lived in the Denver community for 65 years. He was an advisory board member for 12 years for U.S. Bank. He served as the Chairman of the Board for the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce from 1996 to 1998, and as Executive Director of the Colorado Office of Minority Business from 1986 to 1990.
Basil Sabbah
Mr. Sabbah is the CEO and owner of Sabbro, LLC, an engineering consulting company located in Denver, Colorado. The company provides engineering services to the United States government and other large contractors. Prior to forming Sabbro, LLC in January 2003, Mr. Sabbah worked from December 2001 through January 2003 as Director of Latin America Business Development for technology company Network Appliance. He also worked as Director of Business Development from June 1997 through December 2001 for Halliburton in Latin America. Mr. Sabbah has substantial experience in business development, fundraising, and government contracting. He is a member of the Denver Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Hispanic Contractors. Mr. Sabbah holds a BA in Anthropology and BS in Physics from the University of California.
Stan Sena - Vice Chairman
Mr. Sena is currently President and CEO of SNAP Staffing Services, a mid-sized staffing firm located in Denver, Colorado focusing on administrative and light industrial temporary, temp-to-hire, and permanent placement. Mr. Sena is also President and CEO of Goodwin Personnel, a mid-sized staffing firm located in Denver focusing on placing temporary, temp-to-hire, and permanent placement within the healthcare and dental industry. He has held those positions from September 2002 until present. From January 2001 until December 2004, Mr. Sena was Managing Director of LNS Services Company, an international logistics consulting organization. Mr. Sena was previously Executive Vice President and COO of Americold Corporation, the leading third-party supplier of supply chain solutions in the consumer packaged goods industry. Mr. Sena received his BA from Metropolitan State College and his doctorate in Law from the University of Denver. He has been an attorney for 25 years and continues to be active in the Colorado Bar Association, the Douglas County Bar Association, and the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association.
Larry Trujillo
Former Denver Fire Chief, Mr. Trujillo, retired after 25 years of service in August of 2007. He currently owns L.D.T. Consulting LLC, working with some of the largest restoration companies in the U.S. In addition to being a Senior Advisor to the Democratic National Convention Committee he served as co-Chair for Governor Ritter's Transition Team for the Public Safety Director. Chief Trujillo was also one of the first organizers of Solera National Bank. He was a licensed real estate broker for 12 years. He owned and operated L&M Holdings, a lucrative business which invested in Real Estate. In August 2003, Mr. Trujillo was appointed by Mayor John Hickenlooper to the position of Chief of the Department. Chief Trujillo was responsible for one of the largest fire departments in the country, which included 914 Civil Service members, 42 Career Service employees and overseeing an $85 million budget. After 9/11, Mr. Trujillo assisted in raising over $2 million for the New York Firefighters Emergency Relief Fund. He is also a very active member of the Firefighters Incorporated for Racial Equality (F.I.R.E). His significant community contributions include being a board member in the following organizations: LAEF (Latin American Education Foundation), American Heart Association, La Clinica Tepeyac and La Escuela Tlatelolco, and the Mark Langvardt Memorial Tournament for Mount St. Vincent Home. Mr. Trujillo has represented the Denver Fire Department for Pope John Paul's visit, and has participated in Y.M.C.A. youth athletics, helped with personal needs for senior citizens, and acted as Eucharist Minister for Guardian Angels Catholic Church. Mr. Trujillo attended the University of Northern Colorado and Metropolitan State College. He is bilingual, and has numerous certifications in Hazardous Materials, Dive and River Rescue, Conflict Resolution, and Risk Management, and has completed several leadership training courses.
K.C. Veio
K.C. Veio is currently the Chairman of Kline Alvarado Veio, P.C., a Denver-based firm that focuses in the areas of public finance and business law. Prior to forming the firm in June 2004, Mr. Veio was a shareholder and Chair of the municipal and public finance group at Brownstein Hyatt & Farber. He was with the firm from January 2001 through June 2004. In 1999, Governor Bill Owens appointed Mr. Veio to the Board of Directors of the Colorado Educational and Cultural Facilities Authority, and in 2002, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper appointed Veio to become a Commissioner of the Denver Public Library. Veio received his law degree from the University of Denver, College of Law, and his undergraduate degree in business from the University of Colorado. His professional work as an attorney involves the representation of many commercial lenders and financial institutions and affords him an in-depth understanding of the financial services industry.
ADDITIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ray Nash, CPA
From its founding in 1989 to 2000, Mr. Nash served as Chief Financial Officer of Vectra Bank based in Denver, Colorado. During this time, he participated in all aspects of the bank's strategic planning and managed several private and public offerings of stock. Mr. Nash also managed the bank's investment portfolio, which totaled over $300 million at its peak, and managed the acquisition of numerous banks and the evaluation of many more acquisition candidates. Mr. Nash managed all SEC reporting, investor relations, human resources, finance and accounting, purchasing and facilities. Additionally, he was the primary liaison with all banking regulators. Along with the CEO, Mr. Nash successfully negotiated and completed the sale of Vectra Bank to Zions Bancorp in 1998. Prior to joining Vectra, Mr. Nash spent six years as the Controller of the WestAmerica Mortgage Company where he managed all accounting functions. Prior to joining WestAmerica, Mr. Nash worked for nine years with Deloitte Haskins and Sells, at the time, one of the big eight international accounting firms. Mr. Nash currently maintains his CPA license. He holds a BS in Accounting from the University of Utah and he completed the three-year curriculum at the Mortgage Bankers Association of American School of Mortgage Banking in 1987. Since retiring from banking in 2000, Mr. Nash has managed personal and family investments and dedicated considerable time to volunteer activities. In 2007, Mr. Nash founded Nash Family LLC, a land development business, where he currently serves as CEO.
BANK ORGANIZERS
Phil Champagne
Phil Champagne has spent over 25 years with the Denver Fire Department in various roles. Since July 2003 he has been the Director of Media Relations and Community Services. The office which he leads is responsible for the development of strategies, and delivery of services in the marketing and positioning of the image of the Department. In a recent media poll of Governmental Agencies in relation to overall consumer satisfaction, the Denver Fire Department was reported at the very top of the list with an astounding 97% approval rating. Mr. Champagne is the owner and founder of Champagne & Associates, LLC-Metro Brokers, a real estate brokerage firm. Mr. Champagne has been a licensed real estate broker for 25 years. He has had a tremendous impact within the minority communities with his innovative give back rebate program called the 50/50 club, which is a financial assistance program empowering homeownership in certain segments of the community. The real estate practice involves sales, management, and development. Mr. Champagne is the former President, and current board member of the Denver Firefighters Protective Association (DFFPA) a non-profit organization. The organization provides retirement and death benefits for members. He was instrumental in a recent settlement that recovered an additional $40 million dollars in membership retirement benefits, correcting a long standing pension inequity. He currently is on the board of the Colorado Safe Haven for Newborns. Mr. Champagne has lived in the Denver community for over 50 years. He was a scholarship collegiate athlete as well as a Business/Marketing major at Regis College. After his collegiate career as an All-conference player ended, he went on to found the Mile Hi Conference, an adult amateur baseball league which was to be the model for the Men's Senior Baseball League, a multi million dollar international enterprise. As an inner city youth baseball coach, he saw many of his players move into the professional ranks.
Anthony Costa - Advisory Director
Mr. Costa has been the Chairman and CEO of Empire State Bank, N.A. in Newburgh, New York since June 2004 and has spent over 35 years of distinguished community banking service within the Newburgh - New Paltz area. From January 2000 through June 2004, Mr. Costa served as President, Chief Executive Officer and stockholder of Atlantic States Financial, a risk management and assessment company and Atlantic States Mortgage Corp, a licensed mortgage banker. Prior to 1994, Mr. Costa served in various executive positions at First Inter-Bancorp, Inc. and its subsidiaries, including President and Chief Operating Officer of First Inter-Bancorp, Inc. and Mid-Hudson Savings Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Inter-Bancorp. Mr. Costa holds a Bachelors of Science degree in accounting. Mr. Costa currently serves and has served in the past on the Board of Directors of a number of community related and professional organizations, including the Mid-Hudson Family Health Institute; the People for People Fund, a community based non-for-profit company serving New York's Orange and Ulster counties; and the Empire State Thrift Service Corporation. Mr. Costa also served as Chairman and as a board member of Benedictine Hospital in Kingston, New York.
Steve Gutterman
Mr. Gutterman is a partner and Managing Director of MBH Enterprises, Inc. MBH is a privately held holding company that acquires controlling interests and manages a diversified portfolio of operating companies. Currently, MBH owns and operates platform companies, primarily in the energy and real estate services sectors, doing business throughout the United States. MBH provides active, hands-on leadership, strategic direction, financial and operational controls and balance sheet management for its portfolio companies. Prior to joining MBH in September 2005, Mr. Gutterman was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for E*TRADE Bank, a $30 billion federally chartered savings bank and a subsidiary of businesses, including a $16 billion deposit business, $5 billion direct-to-consumer mortgage and home equity businesses, the nation's largest originator of luxury boat and recreational vehicle loans, a $2 billion credit card business and nationwide network of 15,000 automated teller machines. He held that position from November 2001 through September 2005. Mr. Gutterman joined E*TRADE Financial Corporation in February 2000 as the Head of Strategic Planning. He has an MBA in Finance from the Columbia Business School, a JD from Columbia Law School and a BA in Political Science from Tufts University.
Christine Johnson, Ph.D.
Ms. Johnson has lived and worked in the proposed bank's market area for 32 years. She was born in Mexico and became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1992. She holds a B.S., M.A. and PhD in Education. Ms. Johnson is President of The Community College of Denver (CCD) and has held that position since March 2001. In this role, she leads a multi-campus, culturally and ethnically diverse institution in downtown Denver with a student body of 15,000. Prior to becoming the President of CCD, she was Vice President Educational Services for three years for the Colorado Community College and Occupational Education System in Denver. She was the Chief Academic Officer for the state system of community colleges, comprised of 13 community colleges where she had oversight for three district community colleges and four area vocational schools, serving more than 217,000 students annually. She provided leadership and direction for vocational and technical education programs at both high school and post-secondary levels in 150 school districts. For five years, she was the Director of Urban Initiatives for the Education Commission of the States in Denver where she provided policy development, analysis and implementation assistance to states on matters concerning accountability, standards and assessment, capital development, finance, governance, urban education and charter schools. She was the Executive Director of Littleton Public Schools, Littleton, CO for three years, leading efforts in the areas of curriculum, assessment and professional development, working with principals, teachers and other district units. She held Principal and Assistant Principal positions at Abraham Lincoln High School for 10 years. Ms. Johnson has substantial experience in fundraising as a college president and she currently raises approximately 40% of the $50 million budget. She has served on numerous public and civic boards and has been a member of numerous board committees, including executive committees. She has also been the Chairman of the Board of Colorado Commission of Higher Education, which controls all of the public colleges and universities in Colorado.
Marta Loachamin
Originally from Ecuador, Ms. Loachamin is currently a mortgage consultant with Home123. Prior to joining Home123 in May 2006, Marta was a mortgage consultant with First Horizon from October 2005 through May 2006 and mortgage consultant with Premier Mortgage Group, LLC from June 1999 through October 2005. Additionally, Ms. Loachamin has 12 years of banking experience. Prior to joining Premier in 1999, Ms. Loachamin spent 6 years with Colorado National Bank (now US Bancorp) and Norwest (now Wells Fargo) in consumer banking, servicing accounts for personal and commercial clients. Ms. Loachamin graduated with a BA in Ethnic Studies from CU Boulder in 1996 and attended graduate school at University of Phoenix, Denver in 2003 focusing on public speaking and secondary teaching. She is very active in her community and has served the monolingual, Spanish-speaking community as a focus of her mortgage business in the last several years. Her clientele ranges from Fort Collins to Pueblo. She is a residential lender in government and conventional financing. The spectrum of products and loan programs varies from first time buyers dealing with city, state and county down payment funds on deed restricted properties to minimal loan to value refinance. She deals with many investors on pricing, guideline verification and website access for automated underwriting systems such as Desktop underwriter and Loan Prospector. Her audit experience includes assisting in various roles for preparation for audits on ATM machines, bank processes, staff functions, cash vaults, safe deposit box procedures and FHA loan audits. Her responsibilities include searching for new business and developing relationships within a variety of community, business and real estate related industries. She currently serves as the Chair to the steering committee of The City of Longmont Multicultural Plan (LMP), member of the LMP Housing Task Force; member of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals and an Ambassador of the Colorado Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals; member of the Loveland Berthoud Association of Realtors; member of Longmont Association of Realtors Affiliate Committee, serving on their education committee; a member of El Comite de Longmont and a co-chair of the Latino Action Council of Larimer County. El Comite de Longmont is a non-profit service agency that assists Spanish-speaking families with any issues they may require advocacy with employers who do not want to pay wages, immigrant processing, parent training and translation issues.
James Perea
Mr. Perea has lived in the Denver area for 40 years and since 1984, he owns and operates RAC Transport Company, Inc., a trucking, motor freight company. As President, he manages and directs the operations of the trucking company, including oversight of the sales operation. Mr. Perea is active in the community and serves on many civic and business groups as a Director and member. He is a member of the Adams County Economic Development Council, Denver Police Activities League, Colorado Accounting & Finance Council, American Trucking Association (National Accounting & Finance Council), Sociedad Protection Mutual de Trabajadores Unidos, Colorado Capital Initiatives, and Colorado Motor Carriers Association.
Jamie Propp
Jamie Propp is active in the entertainment, real estate and finance industries. In June 2001, he became the president and founder of New York City-based As Is Entertainment, Inc., which produces and finances music, film and Broadway musicals. Mr. Propp has overseen marketing for some of the largest names in music, including Britney Spears, N*Sync and The Backstreet Boys. Prior to founding As Is Entertainment, Inc., Mr. Propp was the Director for Internet Marketing for Echo Networks, Inc. Mr. Propp is also a Partner in The Propp Companies, his family's real estate holding and development company. He is a venture capitalist who evaluates investment opportunities for groups of investors. His portfolio of investments includes technology, health, beauty, entertainment and communications. Mr. Propp's business ventures require him to create marketing alliances and oversee the entire budget for a self-funded entertainment company. He was responsible for writing the company's business plan, negotiated leases, purchased equipment, managed employees and interns, budgeted funds for project development, marketing and distribution. He also created and executed the company's vision by discovering new talent and marketing products. Additionally, he negotiated licenses for intellectual property and artist contracts. He also sourced and created relationships with distributors in the mainstream and alternative markets. He is currently the President of the Hastings Condominium Association, Inc., which is a 13-story structure located in New York City that consists of 12 units. During his one-year tenure, he helped to incorporate the Board, is working to obtain a certificate of occupancy for the entire building by removing violations and arranging for necessary inspections. He has sourced and negotiated contracts with vendors from elevator maintenance to security.
Joel Rosenstein
Mr. Rosenstein joined Senn Visciano P.C. in May 2004 and became a partner in January 2005. He currently practices commercial real estate, real estate finance, special district and general corporate law. Prior to joining Senn Visciano P.C., he was an attorney with Fischer Sweetbaum & Levin P.C. from June 2003 through May 2004. He began his law career in September 1997 as an Associate with Senn Lewis Visciano & Strahle P.C. In the summer of 2005, Governor Bill Owens appointed Mr. Rosenstein to the Board of Directors of the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA). Currently, Mr. Rosenstein serves as chairman of CHFA's Board of Directors. Mr. Rosenstein graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. with distinction and highest honors in history. In 1997, he graduated from George Washington University National Law Center and was admitted to the Colorado Bar.
Mark R. Smith
Mark Smith is a banking industry veteran with thirty years of commercial banking experience covering a wide range of responsibilities in several states and markets. From March 2003 through June 2006, Mark was with U.S. Bank, based in Denver, as the Regional President for the Rocky Mountain Region. In this role, Mr. Smith led all banking activities for the bank's Utah and Colorado markets and was directly responsible for all Middle Market banking activities and personnel for the bank in Denver and Salt Lake City. In June 2006, Mr. Smith decided to leave U.S. Bank to pursue other interests and spend more time with his family. In 2006, Mr. Smith founded Summit Business Advisors, a regional business exit planning and transaction firm with offices in California, Nevada and affiliations worldwide. From February, 2001 through February, 2003, Mr. Smith was with Union Bank of California as Senior Vice President and Division Manager of the bank's Central Valley Region. From March 1998 through November 2000, he was Market President for NationsBank and responsible for its Oklahoma City Market. In September 1996, BankAmerica Corporation named him President of its Alaska Bank - Bank of America-Alaska. Mr. Smith began his career with Bank of America in 1976 as a credit trainee. He is a graduate of the University of La Verne in California, holding a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. He holds a Certified Financial Planning certificate from Oklahoma City University and has completed executive management programs at the University of Southern California and Stanford University, Graduate School of Business.
James Perez Foster
Mr. Foster founded Solera National Bank in 2007, becoming the first nationally-chartered banking institution in the state of Colorado in seven years. Founded on the principles of embracing and educating diversity, Solera also became one of the first national Hispanic-focused banks in the United States. In 2008, Mr. Foster was the recipient of the Business Man of the Year award from the Denver Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and was recognized by the Denver Business Journal for being in the Top-10 Power Book List (Banking & Finance) and won recognition to the 40-Under-40 group. Mr. Foster was also selected as one of fifty official nominees (Southwest Region) to Ernst & Young's 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year award. Mr. Foster has been featured in the Wall St. Journal, Denver Business Journal, Rocky Mountain News, and the Denver Post.
Mr. Foster is an active community participant, serving on the boards of: The Better Business Bureau Foundation, Seedco Financial (Denver Advisory Board), The Learning Source, American Diabetes Association (Board of Trustees) and the Alameda Corridor Business Improvement District.
Born and raised in New York City, Mr. Foster attended the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University and graduated with a B.A. in International Relations. He is a third-generation Hispanic American and comes from a family with a long tradition of social action and community advocacy. Since September 2003, Mr. Foster has been Head of Business Development for Technical Analyst, Dan Zanger, a Woodland Hills, CA-based Hedge Fund and financial advisory newsletter. He is involved in all strategic planning and growth initiatives with the primary objective of identifying and prioritizing sales and marketing optimization. In November 2001, Mr. Foster became Executive Vice President of family-owned, Media Luna, Ltd., a multi-lingual publishing company specializing in Spanish-translation textbooks for the pharmaceutical and multi-media industries. In March 2000, Mr. Foster co-founded Nascent State, Inc., a media consulting company. He served as a Director, Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Finance, overseeing a staff of 35 individuals in three U.S. cities. In his role as Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Finance, he established and executed all operating policies, financial controls and departmental budget oversight. In 2000, gross revenue was $3.2 million. The firm worked closely with Fortune 500 clientele to establish and identify marketing initiatives and prioritization. From 1992 through 2000, Mr. Foster was a private money manager on Wall Street with American Express Financial Advisors, Merrill Lynch & Co.'s Private Client Group, and serving as a Vice President at Smith Barney, Inc. all of which are located in New York City. He managed $58 million in assets, specializing in portfolio management, asset-allocation financial planning and market analysis for Hispanic households and businesses and high-net-worth entertainment personalities. Mr. Foster lectured frequently to first-time investors, promoting financial literacy and empowerment opportunities. As a financial consultant with Merrill Lynch in New York City, he graduated from the Professional Development Program and won the Merrill Lynch Circle of Achievement Award (awarded to only one PDP candidate in the New York City, Merrill Lynch Region) for strength and quality of portfolio management. Mr. Foster formerly held Series 7 and Series 63 securities licenses and Life/Variable Annuities licenses. All were issued from the State of New York.
