SANTA ANA, Calif. – A bank vice president and law firm associate have joined the board of directors of the Small Business Development Corporation of Orange County to help guide the organization in the fulfillment of its statewide mission.

 Keith Drake, a vice president with City National Bank, and Jason Hamilton, a litigation associate with Los Angeles law firm Winston & Strawn, began their board appointments in July. Their arrival broadens the SBDC’s board membership to 12directors with extensive expertise in banking, technology, economic development and public service sectors.

 Drake’s responsibilities as a vice president and community development officer covering City National’s Los Angeles and Orange County footprints includes identifying community investments, economic development opportunities and developing lending programs that can provide financial support to small businesses. He is responsible for managing a $250 million portfolio of community investments and debt financing relationships including those with non-profit organizations such as churches, museums, private schools and universities. 

 He previously served 25 years with Bank of America in various strategic and management roles including regional manager for supplier diversity in which he was responsible for increasing vendor opportunities for minority owned businesses. He was also a member of Bank of America’s executive leadership team for five years, and led the bank’s first African American leadership team in Southern California.

 Drake’s numerous community leadership roles include serving as chairman of the Greater African American Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Foundation, as board member of the California African American Museum, and as an advisor to the National Boys and Girls Clubs of America. 

 Hamilton obtained a juris doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and has earned a number of honors and awards including the ACLU Foundation of Southern California’s Disability Rights Award in 2015, and the Southern California Super Lawyer Rising Star awards in 2013, 2014, and 2015.

 At Winston & Strawn, Hamilton concentrates his practice in complex commercial and business litigation, including class actions and intellectual property matters. He has authored briefs in the state and federal appellate courts, and has experience representing major food producers, residential services providers, and consumer product manufacturers.

 Michael A. Ocasio, the SBDC of Orange County’s president and chief executive officer welcomes the new board members. “Both Keith Drake and Jason Hamilton will provide continued governance of the corporation in terms of policy and internal management of the organization and its community development mission,” he said.

 The SBDC of Orange County, a 15-year-old, not-for-profit public benefit corporation is experiencing a growing success rate supporting the deployment of credit capital to small businesses throughout the state, in particular those businesses located within underserved communities that might lack sufficient resources or liquidity to access mainstream capital markets.

 The corporation helps a wide range of small businesses and nonprofits secure access to capital, grow their organizations and create jobs. Clients include automotive and construction companies, manufacturers, arts organizations and redevelopment projects. Moreno Valley-based Family Service Association, a nonprofit which employs nearly 500 people, created 50 new jobs as a result of an SBDC-administered development loan. 

 During the 2015-16 fiscal year ended June 30, SBDC of Orange County issued a record $33 million in credit guarantees which supported $54.6 million in bank lending. Thirty-three percent of credit guarantees issued were to women and minority small business owners. 

ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF ORANGE COUNTY

SBDC of Orange County (http://sbfdoc.com) is a quasi-public/private 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public benefit corporation, which operates under the state’s public municipal bank, The California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (iBank). SBDC of Orange County is not affiliated with the U.S. Small Business Administration. 

 The corporation, established in 2001, is a mission driven organization dedicated to assisting small business owners secure operating capital through its capital access programs including California’s State Loan Guarantee Program, Export Lines of Credit, bond conduit and Green Energy Initiatives to support small business access to credit.         

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