Viva Las Evans: A Celebration of John Evans and his 30 Years of Service
After nearly 30 years of dedicated service, John Evans, President and CEO of Mountain West Small Business Finance, began a well-earned retirement in November, 2025. We got to celebrate John and his instrumental role in shaping MWSBF at his retirement party, Viva Las Evans, on December 11th.
John began his career with MWSBF in 1996. Over the years, John has guided MWSBF through the COVID-19 pandemic, state-wide expansions, and economic uncertainty. His leadership helped transform MWSBF into one of the top 6 SBA 504 lenders in the nation, while staying true to its mission of empowering small business owners to succeed.
During John’s leadership:
- 1,625 loans were approved, totaling over $1.5 billion.
- Healthy existing loan portfolio with a default rate of less than 1%
- State-wide expansion into Wyoming, Colorado, and Idaho, and the formation of the Mountain West Foundation, MWSBF’s non-profit arm.
Beyond the numbers, John’s greatest impact may be the company culture he helped build at MWSBF. One that is rooted in service, friendship, collaboration, integrity, and community.
Those who worked alongside John know him as a loyal friend and a steady leader. John brought authenticity and heart to the workplace.
At his retirement party, his daughter Sarah said,
“My dad has not only helped support us, but also countless entrepreneurs. People with big dreams, small budgets, and the occasional questionable business plan, but he believed in them anyway. He is the kind of leader who shows up early—in spandex biking shorts, of course. And stays late. He somehow knows how to stay calm, even when everything around him is on fire.”
In addition to internal leadership, John was committed to Industry involvement and served on the board of NADCO as director at large. In 2024, John formed the Mountain West Foundation, the nonprofit arm of MWSBF, which supports underserved and emerging small businesses through community and economic development initiatives.
As John begins this next phase, he looks forward to spending more time with his wife and kids and shifting his focus to economic development. While his daily presence will be missed, his influence will continue to lead MWSBF for years to come.
On behalf of the entire Mountain West Small Business Finance team, partners, and the countless small businesses impacted by their leadership — thank you, John, for your years of service, dedication, and vision.
Congratulations on your retirement!