Feb 16

Feb 16 New Chief In Town

City First Bank Announces Sonja Sanders Wells Has Been Promoted To Chief Lending Officer leading the Commercial Bank Group

By Cecil Merkerson, III

Trailblazing into the banking industry as City Bank promotes their Senior Vice President Sonja Sanders Wells to Executive Vice President & Chief Lending Officer.

Wells joined the Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce on a Feb 11 ZOOM meeting announcing available funds for small business PPP loans.

Wells is the only African American woman to hold a CLO position at a bank in Washington D.C. She follows the tradition of City First’s selection of its first CLO, Kim Saunders, in 1998 alongside the founding President & CEO Debbi Baptist Hurd. This is very rare as black women executives positioned in the C-suite echelon of the banking industry. Under Wells’ leadership, she and her team have delivered significant growth in core deposits and commercial real estate lending. Her team has been focused on crucial community development opportunities in affordable multi-family housing, critical nonprofit development such as education and health facilities, and providing financing for small to medium-size businesses, including emergency loans under the federal SBA Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

Wells’ peers in the banking industry hold her in high regard as President and CEO Brain E. Argrett raves about her expertise. “Sonja has a keen sense of market intelligence, superior acumen in service of our customers, matched with a passion and commitment to providing equal access to capital. It is with great pride that we announce Ms. Wells as our new Chief Lending Officer,” Argrett said.

Wells expressed gratitude and spoke about her willingness to help business owners in the area meet their goals for themselves and the community. “I know and appreciate the impact that entrepreneurs, business owners, and nonprofit leaders have in low wealth neighborhoods, and so it is with great honor that I am able to support them in their visionary goals to develop healthier communities for all,” Wells said.