ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Given the significant growth in the size and complexity of credit unions' member business lending programs, NCUA has created a new position to help examiners assess safety and soundness.
Margaret Ross is the regulator's new member business lending program officer. Her major responsibilities will include developing the agency's examination and supervision programs for federally-insured credit unions and resolving problems related to member business lending. The programs will be designed to carry out NCUA's responsibilities to monitor and enforce compliance with related laws and regulations, the agency said.
Under Ross' watch, examiner education will focus on teaching key analytical tools to assess safe and sound business lending practices and continuously updated information on resources for credit unions such as the Small Business Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the US Export-Import Bank.
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A 30-year veteran of commercial and real estate lending in varied markets and financial institutions, Ross was promoted to NCUA's Office of Examination and Insurance on July 16 after serving in NCUA's Region V as a field examiner. Before joining NCUA, Ross was a field examiner for the State of Washington's Division of Credit Unions. During her tenure as an examiner, she led or participated in numerous MBL examinations including examinations that were specific to waiver applications, according to NCUA. After relocating to Washington State from California, Ross was the real estate manager for a $350 million credit union, which became an approved Freddie Mac seller and servicer during her tenure.
"This is an exciting opportunity to focus on assisting examiners and credit unions alike to develop and maintain properly controlled member business lending programs. Our goal is to help credit unions do it right," according to NCUA's Office of Examination and Insurance.
Ross will also work with the Office of Human Resources to develop effective member business lending training programs and serve as an instructor. Working with other NCUA offices, Ross will develop and update manuals, bulletins, and similar advisories relative to member business lending used by examiners and credit unions. Technical advice and best practices guidance will be provided to regions and other offices, as well as the credit union industry on member business lending in federally- insured credit unions.
Credit unions will continue to work directly with their district examiners, supervisory examiners and regions for guidance on MBL issues, NCUA said. Regions can make recommendations for Ross' participation in the examination or supervision of particular credit unions. NCUA currently has over 50 specialized lending subject matter examiners who are provided with specialized member business lending training. In the past, the agency had a commercial lending specialist and Region IV had an agricultural lending specialist at one time, according to NCUA.
Ross also has extensive experience on the banking side having served as a vice president of real estate joint ventures at a major commercial bank where she managed $20 million residential joint venture projects with merchant builders. Her tenure as vice president and chief credit officer of a community bank, vice president and manager of a private banking group along with early experience as an escrow manager helped to provide "a solid foundation for understanding the myriad of risks inherent in business-related transactions."
"The member business lending program officer position offers Margaret a unique opportunity to use the skills she developed 'on both sides of the desk,' as lender and as examiner," NCUA's Office of Examination and Insurance said.
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