COSTA MESA, Calif., May 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nancy Russell, Vice President and Regional Sales Manager at Comerica Bank in Costa Mesa, and a resident of Yorba Linda has been named Financial Services Champion of the Year by the Santa Ana District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration serving Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Her selection was announced by District Director J. Adalberto Quijada who said, "Nancy Russell's leadership and dedication to SBA lending and small business is a remarkable example of an advocate who uses her skills and talents to make a difference." Russell was co-nominated for this award by Peggy Bradshaw, national director, Small Business Banking of Comerica Bank and Leila Mozaffari, Director of the Orange County County Small Business Development Center.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20010807/CMALOGO )

Russell's career in SBA lending spans over 20 years and is marked by her contributions to Comerica Bank and several community organizations. Russell has been the voice of small business at Comerica by making sure the bank keeps the perspective of the small business owner in mind. For Russell, the financial industry is not just about providing loans; in addition to providing access to capital, she provides financial education, is an advocate for entrepreneurs and volunteers her time and expertise to help diverse groups of people and community organizations. She serves on the advisory board of the Orange County Small Business Development Center (chair) and the Regional Lead Small Business Development Center. She has also been a guest lecturer at California State University Fullerton, her alma mater, at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

For over ten years, Russell has been the liaison between the Small Business Week committee and Junior Achievement of Orange County to administer the annual Small Business Week Poster contest to the fourth grade classes of John Adams Elementary School in Santa Ana. This program teaches fourth grade students about entrepreneurship, the free enterprise system, and how it could make a difference in their lives.

About Comerica Bank

Comerica Incorporated is a financial services company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and strategically aligned by three business segments: The Business Bank, The Retail Bank, and Wealth & Institutional Management. Comerica focuses on relationships, and helping people and businesses be successful. In addition to Texas, Comerica Bank locations can be found in Arizona, California, Florida and Michigan, with select businesses operating in several other states, as well as in Canada, China and Mexico. Comerica reported total assets of $67 billion at March 31, 2008. To receive e-mail alerts of breaking Comerica news, go to http://www.comerica.com/newsalerts .

SOURCE: Comerica Bank

CONTACT: Alfredo Padilla of Comerica Bank, +1-213-486-6222,
aepadilla@comerica.com; Christopher Lorenzana of SBA, +1-714-560-7453,
christopher.lorenzana@sba.gov

Web site: http://www.comerica.com/