First Southwest Bank • January 6, 2023
First Southwest Bank (FSWB), a locally owned, independent community bank, and one of two Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) banks in Colorado, is pleased to announce that Jim Van Horn has joined the organization as Specialized Lender.
Jim has more than 20 years of experience in government-backed and commercial lending with both community banks and large commercial banks. He started his career at the U.S. Small Business Administration where he spent 10 years as the Supervisor in charge of lending relations and economic development in three different District Offices; Denver, CO, Jacksonville, FL, and Columbia, SC.
He returned to Colorado in 2020 to serve as the Community Programs Director for the USDA, overseeing the Community Facilities and Water & Environment Loan Programs statewide for rural Colorado. He has helped countless small businesses find and gain access to the capital they need to grow and start their small business.
Jim commented, “My short-term objective in this role is to streamline the process for applying for specialized lending at FSWB. Changes in SBA and USDA programs going into 2023 will make it easier for small businesses to apply for government-backed loans. Our mission as a CDFI bank is to provide financing solutions for rural Colorado small business owners to start and expand their business, and make it easy for these business owners to apply for a loan. This is what differentiates us from other lending institutions.”
In welcoming Jim to the FSWB team, Kent Curtis, FSWB President & CEO said, “Jim has extensive experience working with small business owners, knows the intricacies of government-backed loans, and has helped countless businesses through the loan application processes. This combination of skill and knowledge will make him a valuable asset to our team as we expand our support of rural small businesses across the state of Colorado. I am confident in his ability to connect with small business owners in rural Colorado and help them to find and obtain the right financing for their businesses.”
Mr. Van Horn is also a veteran of two service branches, serving in both the Navy and the Air Force. He is married with three boys aged 9, 13, & 14.