CHATSWORTH, Calif.-Business Partners, LLC and the California Credit Union League hosted their 4th annual Business Lending Conference April 7-9, which featured topics essential to credit unions in or looking at getting involved in business lending. The conference, attended by credit union officials across the country, included sessions on participation lending, small business lending, credit scoring, legal issues that complicate business lending, and practices to help mitigate problems associated with business mortgage lending. "The interest and participation in this year's program is an indication that business lending is here to stay in the credit union industry," Business Partners, LLC President and CEO Jean Faenza said. "The membership at large is benefiting from the business lending alternatives that credit unions present. It's been a wonderful evolution for our industry and certainly extends a menu of services to the members not previously available." Attendance at the conference has jumped from 40 four years ago to 120 at the 2004 conference, Faenza said. "Once again, credit unions are doing what they do best – collaborating," Business Partners, LLC Chair Grace Mayo, president and CEO of Telesis Community Credit Union, stated. "By hosting Business Lending and Loan Participation annual conferences, we teach other credit unions what they need to do to bring these small business products to market." Sessions during the conference ranged from Technology for Business Services by Faenza to Regulatory Issues presented by J.P. Traverson, NCUA's Asset Recovery director, to Environmental Issues and Member Business Lending by Smith Emery GeoServices. "We received some wonderful feedback from attendees, particularly regarding the education of it," Faenza said. "The conference is really a `must' attend. The ideas, current information provided, and networking opportunities are first rate!" LA Fireman's Credit Union Vice President Jackie Benoun, who attended the conference, said. Since Business Partners, LLC (formerly Telesis Partnerships, LLC) was founded by Telesis Community Credit Union in 1995, it has underwritten more than $3 billion member business loan requests and currently has a servicing portfolio of over $800 million. It now has 14 credit union owners. [email protected]