Employee Spotlight: Meet, Rosaline Fletcher

As BBVA Compass national sales manager for small business administration (SBA) lending, Rosaline is creating opportunities for entrepreneurs to realize their dreams. Her contributing role, 25-plus years of relevant experience, and passion for supporting start-ups and small enterprises are helping BBVA Compass punch above its weight in small business lending.

Q: What do you do in your current role?

I manage a team of Loan Production Officers handling Small Business Administration loans from $350,000 to $10 million. Some of my daily duties include making sure loans are processed and closed, handling regulation updates to protect the bank's guaranty on the loans, and meeting with bank-referring partners throughout our footprint.

Q: How are you contributing to the bank's success?

I am actively involved in the National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders on the Technical Issues Committee and now leading as Chair of the Large Lender Committee. The active involvement in this organization has kept me interacting with peer bank leaders and the Small Business Administration. Through this interaction, the bank has access to critical information about personnel, policies and overall best practices of the industry and our competition.

Q: You've been working in the SBA lending industry since 1991. How have your experiences shaped you?

I cannot imagine doing anything else. I took one of my new hires, who was also new to outside sales, out on a call the other day. He said that being in front of the customer, seeing their business, and seeing that we are holding the ticket to their dreams is huge. We use technology to reach a lot of people, but I still think that personal visits, as well as understanding how to help people get to the next step with their business, are just as important.

Q: What has been your best compliment from a client?

Years ago, I was at a chamber of commerce meeting and met a woman just starting her medical practice. To this day, when she introduces me in social situations, she says, 'This is the woman who bet on me, and look where I am now.' We have done three loans for her practice so far, most recently to help her buy a 3,500-square-foot building to expand her business. It's one of the reasons I'm proud that the bank has been recognized for its SBA volume nationwide and its emphasis on lending to women - and minority-owned businesses.

Q: How is the bank supporting your professional growth?

I was extremely fortunate to be selected for the bank's mentoring program and Top Talent program. This provided me with management courses with the exposure and opportunity to network and collaborate with other top individuals at the bank. From that experience, I feel good about being a bank stockholder, and I feel good about my investment in BBVA Compass.

Q: Are you and your team making special plans to support small businesses in Southeastern Texas as a result of Hurricane Harvey?

We care about everyone who was affected by this storm. We're working with our clients in any way we can to help their businesses survive. That includes helping them understand the SBA's disaster program information.

Q: What gets you going in the morning?

Knowing that every day, I am integral not only in the lives of our customers, but in the lives of my team. I have a great team, and I thank them all the time for their contributions. Plus, the company's core values align with my own personal and professional ones.

Employee Spotlight is a bi-monthly series highlighting a diverse selection of employees from across BBVA Compass' footprint who are helping to push the bank forward. The series reinforces BBVA Compass for being a workplace of opportunity that enables its employees to contribute to its overall success.