A serendipitous partnership between the Lundquist College of Business and the Oregon Bankers Association (OBA) will benefit students, Oregon's independent community banks, and even the state's legislators. When Jeff DeBoer came on board as managing director of the Finance and Security Analysis Center (FSAC) last June, one of the first orders of business was to expand the curriculum to include a commercial banking track. Meanwhile, the OBA needed help replacing the in-state commercial banking training programs formerly offered by the larger national banks. Recognizing an opportunity, OBA signed on to support FSAC's efforts through a gold-level Century Club membership. With the launch of a new commercial banking course this term and other programs planned for the future, Oregon's financial institutions won't have to wait long for a new generation of bankers. For the college, the new partnership's benefits are self-evident: "With more than fifty member organizations, the Oregon Bankers Association is a tremendous resource for internships, career opportunities, guest speakers, and instructors," said DeBoer. (Indeed, the OBA's president and CEO Linda Navarro will speak at the college February 2.) And, after this fall's elections, the college will team with the OBA to offer seminars on commercial banking basics to Oregon's newly elected state legislators.