Paul Polowski

Paul A. Polowski, former vice president of business development for Neighborhood National Bank, is the SBA’s Financial Services Champion of the Year for 2008. Polowski was nominated for the work he did during his tenure with the bank. He has since left the institution and now has his own consulting business.

"I utilize virtually all of the SBA loan programs that are available," said Polowski when he was with the bank. "We tailor our loans to the specific needs of the small business and as new programs are made available, we try to make them available to our customer base."

Polowski spent 30 years in the banking industry, primarily in lending to small businesses. His first experience with the SBA came in 1983 when he started work at Lloyds Bank in Los Angeles. He moved to San Diego in 1996 to take a position with Coronado Bank and eventually landed at Neighborhood National Bank.

"As last year’s Financial Services Champion award winner, I understand the hours and commitment that it takes to advocate for our small business owners and Paul has the spirit it takes to help our business community," says Susan Lamping, community loan program coordinator for CDC Small Business Finance. "He is uniquely equipped to understand the needs of entrepreneurs and has the skills to serve our clients’ needs."