OBA Inducts Roger Busse into Oregon Bankers Hall of Fame

by Roger Busse January 17, 2019

The Oregon Bankers Association (OBA) has inducted Roger Busse, former president and CEO of Pacific Continental Bank, into the Oregon Bankers Hall of Fame. Busse’s induction took place June 21 during OBA’s 113th Anniversary Convention held in Incline Village, Nevada.

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.

Busse is a graduate of Reed College in Portland. He earned his master’s degree from Harvard University, where he also graduated from the Harvard/MIT executive negotiation curriculum. He worked at U.S. Bank for 25 years before moving to Oregon-based Pacific Continental Bank in 2003. He was instrumental in the bank’s growth and reputation as a highly regarded bank in the Pacific Northwest. In 2015, Busse was named president and CEO of the bank, a role he held until the bank’s sale to Columbia Bank last year. During his tenure as CEO, the bank was frequently recognized among the most admired banks in the country and received many distinguished awards for community commitment, ethics, and workplace environment.

Busse is passionate about education and teaching. He is a certified management consultant and has been a frequent speaker at various executive and business forums, as well as university settings. He is an expert in credit and risk management, mergers and acquisitions, leadership, and teambuilding. He has spoken many times at OBA forums, including serving as a lead instructor at the former Northwest Intermediate Banking School and Northwest Commercial Lending School. In addition to teaching for the OBA, he has served for many years on the board of OBA’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Synergy by Association.

A generous volunteer, Busse was as an organizing member of the board of the South Umpqua Women’s Health Center, a Foundation Trustee for Albertina Kerr, and a mentor and advisory board member for the Port of Portland, to name a few of his community contributions. A former colleague said of Busse, “He is a true community partner. Whether it has been serving as a staunch advocate for community banking, teaching ethics principles around the state, or rolling up his sleeves to help feed the hungry, Roger has embodied the ‘community’ in community banking.”

OBA President and CEO Linda Navarro remarked during the induction ceremony, “Roger has enjoyed a very successful career as an Oregon banker. He is widely lauded as being an extraordinarily thoughtful and ethical person. He is a teacher, a mentor, and a friend to many. He is also a thought leader and a volunteer for many important causes.”

Since its creation in 1987, the Oregon Bankers Hall of Fame has inducted 79 individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the Oregon banking community and the communities they serve.

Roger Busse delivering an acceptance speech after being inducted into the Oregon Bankers Hall of Fame.

Roger Busse, pictured with his family, following his induction into the Oregon Bankers Hall of Fame. The induction was a surprise for Roger, as was the attendance of his family who made the trip to Nevada without his knowledge.