Linda Navarro Inducted into Oregon Bankers Hall of Fame

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Linda Navarro Inducted into Oregon Bankers Hall of Fame

The Oregon Bankers Association (OBA) is proud to announce the induction of Linda Wilhelms Navarro, outgoing president and CEO of the OBA, into the Oregon Bankers Hall of Fame. The surprise induction took place last week during a retirement dinner for Navarro in conjunction with OBA's annual convention.

Induction into the Oregon Bankers Hall of Fame is the highest honor bestowed peer-to-peer within the Oregon banking community. It recognizes the outstanding contributions inductees have made to the Oregon banking industry, to the OBA, and to the communities in which they live and work. Navarro's exceptional contributions to the banking industry and her unwavering dedication to the OBA over the past 28 years have earned her this prestigious honor.

Navarro joined the OBA in 1996 and was appointed president and CEO in 2006. During her time with the organization, she also served as president and CEO of Community Banks of Oregon (CBO), a sister organization of the OBA, and as CEO of Synergy by Association, a wholly owned subsidiary of the OBA that operates in 38 states in collaboration with other trade associations. In 2013, Navarro led the establishment of the OBA Education Foundation which aims to increase financial literacy and the education, development, and recruitment of future bankers.

Over the years, Navarro has volunteered her time and expertise by serving on various boards and committees associated with the American Bankers Association and Independent Community Bankers of America, as well as local organizations like the Oregon Small Business Development Center Network's State Advisory Council and the Willamette University Atkinson School of Management Advisory Board. Navarro most recently joined the board of FinAbility, a nonprofit that financially empowers survivors of domestic abuse.

Navarro's professional accolades include receiving the Orchid Award from the Portland Business Journal in 2012, recognizing her as one of Oregon's "Women of Influence." In 2015, she was honored with the V.A. McNeil Executive Leadership Award from the Oregon Society of Association Management. Earlier this year, Navarro was named the inaugural recipient of the Linda W. Navarro Trailblazer Award, recognizing women in banking who have not only achieved remarkable success in their careers but have also made lasting contributions to the industry.

Navarro was nominated for Hall of Fame induction by fellow Oregon Bankers Hall of Fame member Roger Busse, a retired community bank CEO who currently serves on the boards of Citizens Bank and Synergy by Association. Busse also teaches an OBA Education Foundation-supported commercial banking class at the University of Oregon Lundquist College of Business. In his nomination, Busse stated "Linda has made a permanent and lasting impact on the industry at the local, state, regional, and national levels. It is difficult to list or even summarize her countless accomplishments or the unparalleled leadership and transformative impact she has had which includes the development of a new generation of dedicated bankers through her foundational role with the OBA Education Foundation. Her articulate, intelligent, and passionate support of the banking industry has given a voice to the thousands she has represented, fostering an informed, honest, and open dialogue between the industry and government representatives, whether in Salem or Washington, D.C."

Linda Navarro's induction into the Hall of Fame is a testament to her remarkable leadership and enduring impact on the banking industry. The OBA congratulates Navarro on this well-deserved honor.

Since its creation in 1987, the Oregon Bankers Hall of Fame has inducted 84 individualswho have made outstanding contributions to the Oregon banking community and the communities they serve.