Mel Robertson Joins Hope Credit Union as Senior Vice President of Small Business and Consumer Lending

Experienced Lender Deepens HOPE’s Small Business Lending Expertise

March 25, 2021 

JACKSON, MS — Hope Enterprise Corporation/Hope Credit Union (HOPE) has announced the hire of Mel Robertson as Senior Vice President, Small Business and Consumer Lending, where he will be responsible for the development and implementation of HOPE’s small business lending strategy. An industry leader with nearly 20 years of experience in banking and economic development, he is also responsible for assessing the risk of loan requests and convening the credit committee to present recommendations from the broader team. 

“Mel Robertson brings significant experience working with programs managed by the Small Business Administration,” said Pearl Wicks, Chief Operating Officer, HOPE. “With the addition of Mr. Robertson’s skills and networks, we look forward to deepening HOPE’s impact among small business owners across our five-state region.”

Prior to joining HOPE, Robertson served as Associate Vice President, Community Development & Community Reinvestment Officer at The First, where he oversaw the bank’s Community Reinvestment Act program, including compliance, outreach and implementation for the state of Louisiana.  Before joining The First, he managed portfolios of loans and deposits with a number of banks, establishing track records of growth while under his direction. 

Robertson brings significant experience from the Community Development Financial Institution sector, having formerly worked at LiftFund, providing leadership to the organization’s Small Business Administration programs. He also worked in retail banking with Hibernia National Bank and BankOne/Chase in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.