People who call Cuyamaca Bank to speak to Bruce Ives, 37, may find themselves speechless when the CEO himself answers his telephone. His philosophy is to be accessible, so he frequently gives out his personal number. He also encourages his employees to be available to the public.

That may say something about the growth of Cuyamaca Bank under his tenure, increasing from $51 million in assets when he started Oct. 1, 1999, to $89 million three years later.

Of course, it’s more than answering his own phone that makes Ives successful. A major factor was being accepted into a one-year First Interstate Bank Executive Mentorship Program in 1989, the year he received his economics degree from San Diego State University.

“Going into banking was my intention from my junior year in college on,” Ives says. After hearing a speaker in a banking class, “I was intrigued and did research and applied. We learned everything about banking, from soup to nuts.”

Soon after First Interstate Bank was acquired by Wells Fargo, Ives was lured to Scripps Bank to open an office in Encinitas. Within a year, that office had grown to $32 million in assets.

When he had the opportunity to move to Cuyamaca Bank, Ives went for it. He was hired as CEO and was elected to the bank’s board.

He also serves on the boards of East County Boys & Girls Club, Minnow Lake Foundation, SDSU Alumni Association, Community Bankers of California and the California Bankers Association. In addition to his economics degree, Ives has obtained an advanced degree in banking from the University of Washington’s Pacific Coast Banking School. He also graduated from California Banking School, conducted through the University of San Diego.

A San Diego native, Ives lives with his wife, Gail, in Point Loma, where he grew up. He plays golf and tennis, likes to travel and is the father of Brittany, 12; Brandon, 9; and Ashley, 6.

— Sandy Pasqua