Malcolm Mathes ’67

Brother Malcolm Mathes ’67 enrolled in the University of Arizona in the fall of 1966 and pledged Kappa Sigma. He was involved as an undergraduate, serving as grand master from 1969 – 1970 and received the “Most Inspirational Active” award in 1970. He was also involved on campus, serving in the Fraternity Presidents Club of the U of A.

Malcolm graduated with a bachelor of science in business administration in 1970 and used the lessons learned as grand master to begin his successful career in the banking industry. His career track includes a tenure as president and CEO at the First National Bank of McMinnville between 1985 – 1987 where he revitalized the 104 year-old bank’s presence in the market and was awarded “Boss of the Year” honors in 1985 by the McMinnvile Chapter of Credit Women International.

Brother Mathes spent six years as the senior vice president and manager of the Consumer Loan Division with Key Bank of Oregon where he directed all lending activities for an 80 branch system with a staff of 100. He then spent a year as senior vice president and marketing director for Key Bank of Oregon where he directed and coordinated marketing, public relations, and corporate giving for a $2 billion, 80+ branch bank with over 500 employees.

He then left Oregon for Ohio, where Malcolm spent three years working with Key Auto Finance as a senior vice president and regional manager, where he assisted in development and implemented national strategy for a top 10 auto finance lender. His leadership resulted in a 73% improvement in efficiency.

He returned to Oregon and is currently the senior vice president and area executive for the Sterling Savings Bank where he is responsible for the retails sales for the largest district, consisting of business banking, private banking, and 51 retail branches.

Brother Mathes is very involved in the local community as a member of the Lake Oswego Rotary Club, the Lake Oswego Arts Foundation, and the Lake Oswego Heritage Council. He is also a board member and past president of the Lakewood Center for the Arts.

He and his wife, Linda, have two children, Robin (28) and Darrell (25). “Looking back on my fraternity days, I now realize they were more than just having good times and establishing lifetime affiliations. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a group of “brothers’ to encourage one another and to bring the best out in each of us. The fraternity gave me my first opportunity to learn about leadership and the appreciation for community service.”