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October 2004, Spotlight on President & CEO, Tony
Wilkinson
Many things come to mind when you
think of NAGGL: relentless government relations effort, top-notch
conferences, high quality training, unparalleled source of SBA lending
information. But, it’s easy to forget that this powerful,
nationwide organization was formed by a group of volunteers – and
that for many years it was run out of a young family's living
room!
Biff Barnard, NAGGL's first
president explains, "I convinced Tony Wilkinson, a young SBA banker from
Stillwater, to take over as volunteer president. NAGGL’s
membership and annual income quickly grew and that led to Tony becoming
full-time president, with Vickie Wilkinson serving as Executive Director
in the early years. And, as they say, the rest is history."
Sixteen years ago when a
darker-haired Tony was asked to become NAGGL's second president, the
association was a family affair. Tony and Vickie ran the daily
operations of the association, but other family members jumped in to
assist. Tony's mother (and current NAGGL receptionist), Eleanor,
answered phones, calmed babies, and cooked lunch for the hard-working
crew. As they grew, even the kids, Andy and Katie, got in on the act by
stuffing envelopes.
Sadly, Vickie Wilkinson passed away
in 1994 after a courageous struggle with cancer. We remember and honor
her countless contributions to NAGGL.
The rest is history. Under Tony's
tenacious leadership, NAGGL has grown into a truly national association
that successfully represents and protects the interests of its members
in every way possible.
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