Tom Bergdoll to relinquish helm at Boise’s SBA office Jan. 3

Tom Bergdoll, U.S. Small Business Administration Boise District Office director since 1991, plans to retire Jan. 3.

He said he saw huge growth in the number of SBA loans and in loan dollar volume during his tenure.
But Bergdoll is quick to credit others for that growth.
“I don’t think I’m responsible for it happening, but the increase has been tremendous,” he said.
The Boise District Office, which serves southern Idaho and eastern Oregon, approved more than 1,000 loans in fiscal 2007 compared to about one-quarter that many in 1991.
“I inherited a really talented, hard-working staff,” Bergdoll said. “And our partners out there were so supportive over the years.”
Lenders – who share loan risk with the SBA – small  business development centers, and groups such as the Senior Core of Retired Executives work with entrepreneurs who plan to launch or expand.
New loan programs boosted volume, as did “the great support from the banking industry,” Bergdoll said. “We’re very fortunate here to have banks that are so focused on small business and aware of how important small business is to our economy.”
He said he saw large banks dominate the SBA loan segment, and then in many cases reduce their SBA activity following a merger or acquisition. He said he watched other banks enter the district or expand here, ultimately surpassing the totals achieved by their larger predecessors, he said.
Zions Bank, for example, expanded into Idaho rural areas, and then grew rapidly in the Boise metro area. Now Zions is a longtime leader in SBA lending, and the bank’s growth has played a significant role in SBA Boise District loan totals for the past five years, Bergdoll said.
Sharon Dollinger, Zions Bank Women’s Financial Group vice president and manager, said Bergdoll’s leadership provided significant support to banks.
“He will be missed, and there will be some very big shoes to be filled,” Dollinger said. “He has done a fabulous job.”
Bergdoll said during his 16-plus years here, a key accomplishment involved helping to establish a business information center that turned out to be a good public / private partnership.
He and Jay Clemens, former chief executive at the Boise Chamber of Commerce, launched it. SBA provided some money, but private companies financed the lion’s share. The national SBA office pulled its funding a few years ago, but the Chamber agreed to take over the center.
“It has been successful. A lot of people have used it to research ideas and figure out marketing plans,” Bergdoll said. “It’s a valuable resource.”
The SBA Boise District Office employs nine, compared to 26 in 1991. SBA – which employs about 30 percent fewer people now compared to five years ago in its 68 district offices, Bergdoll said – centralized many back-office functions and in some cases gave lenders more responsibility in loan processes. SBA also helps small businesses secure government contracts.
Bergdoll, who will turn 62 on Jan. 21, said SBA accepted applications for his replacement through Dec. 13. The nationwide search process was open to applicants from the public and private sectors.
Michael Morfitt, Boise District Office counsel, probably will oversee the office until SBA names a new district director – possibly as soon as late January, Bergdoll said.
Bergdoll is a native of Memphis, Tenn. He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Memphis State University in 1971. He joined the U.S. Army – he served in West Germany – and in 1978 completed an MBA at St. Edward’s University in Austin on the G.I. Bill.
He started with the SBA in San Antonio in 1976. Earlier he worked in the contracting arena for the U.S. Air Force, as a civilian, and sold advertising for a newspaper in Austin.
Bergdoll and his wife, Denise, plan to stay in Boise.
“I’m just going to take a few months, get my bearings and see if I want to do something else,” he said.
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To contact the author, send e-mail to brad.carlson@idahobusiness.net.