Economy & Economic Development  November 9, 2015

Northern Colorado Economic Alliance hires first CEO

LOVELAND — The Northern Colorado Economic Alliance, recently formed to promote economic development in Larimer and Weld counties, has hired community banking veteran Andrew Montgomery as its first president and chief executive.

Montgomery has worked in the banking industry in California, Utah and Texas. His first day with NCEA will be Jan. 1.

Montgomery will collaborate with public, private and nonprofit partners in the region to attract primary employers to Northern Colorado and help develop the infrastructure needed to support a competitive regional economy.

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Montgomery has been in the banking industry for 22 years. He will leave his position as CEO of BBVA Compass Bank’s northwestern market in Texas by the end of the month.

Previously, he was with Western Community Bancshare Inc. in Utah and California. Montgomery was on a team that started Frontier Bank in Parksville, Utah, and he was president, CEO and chief credit officer of the company’s El Paseo Bank in Palm Desert, Calif.

“I wasn’t actively looking to leave the banking industry, but I have coveted living in Northern Colorado,” Montgomery said by phone on Monday. “When the NCEA reached out to me, it was the ideal opportunity.”

Throughout his time in the banking industry, Montgomery said his work has been closely tied with economic development.

The NCEA recently took over the assets of the Northern Colorado Economic Development Corp., which was a public-private organization that primarily served Larimer County. Some of its backers broke off to form the NCEA, citing frustration when trying to move quickly on opportunities but having to wait on the public sector to sign off, with each entity looking out for its own geographical area within the region.

“Montgomery’s leadership skills will be well utilized in meeting the ongoing challenges faced by our region in sustaining quality of life through good jobs and the infrastructure needed to support a competitive regional economy,” said Greeley-based car dealer Scott Ehrlich, who gave up his post as chairman of Upstate Colorado, a public-private economic-development group serving Weld County, to become NCEA’s chairman. He added that Montgomery was “very well received by community leaders during his exploratory visits. His people skills fit the needs of the NCEA CEO position very well.”

Montgomery said he’s ready to put those skills to work.

“Building bridges and rebuilding bridges is a big priority for me,” Montgomery said. “Given the region’s robust and diverse business climate and its impressive higher-education alternatives, I am enthusiastic about the dynamic economic opportunities that are in Northern Colorado’s future.”

The NCEA intends to collaborate with regional partners, including local governments, chambers of commerce and other nonprofit business groups, workforce-development organizations and real estate developers.

Efforts to form the alliance began in late 2014, and it officially was established earlier this year. It opened an office in Loveland in July.

Its board of directors reads like a Who’s Who is Northern Colorado, including Charlie Monfort, co-owner of the Colorado Rockies and real estate developer; Ed Holloway, president and co-chief executive of Synergy Resources Corp. in Platteville; Tom Gendron, chairman and CEO of Woodward Inc. in Fort Collins; Troy McWhinney, co-founder of McWhinney Real Estate Services Inc. in Loveland; and Mark Driscoll, market president of First National Bank, based in Fort Collins.

Rocky Scott, who recently retired from Woodward, served as interim CEO while the group was establishing its staff that includes Mary Atchison, chief operating officer; and Bruce Biggi, chief marketing officer.

LOVELAND — The Northern Colorado Economic Alliance, recently formed to promote economic development in Larimer and Weld counties, has hired community banking veteran Andrew Montgomery as its first president and chief executive.

Montgomery has worked in the banking industry in California, Utah and Texas. His first day with NCEA will be Jan. 1.

Montgomery will collaborate with public, private and nonprofit partners in the region to attract primary employers to Northern Colorado and help develop the infrastructure needed to support a competitive regional economy.

Montgomery has been in the banking industry for 22 years. He will leave his position as CEO of BBVA…

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