Do you have any hobbies?

Golf, tennis and bridge.

Did you ever have a mentor and what did he/she teach you?

I have worked with our bank Chairman Thomas Young for over 27 years. Over the years he has taught me a great deal about lending philosophy. We look for ways to be creative and “do deals,” not for ways to turn them down.

Five years from now, community banks will...

be alive and well. There will always be a demand for “high touch” banking. Business owners often enjoy the ability to meet with senior management of the bank and know where their loan decisions are coming from. We try to have at least two senior officers known to most borrowers. Often I will meet with an account officer and clients to discuss the needs of their business and how we might help. This teamwork approach gives us firsthand knowledge of the borrower’s need and objectives.

What keeps you up at night?

One is maintaining a quality credit portfolio. We have been fortunate to have a strong local economy. Housing prices have been increasing nicely and everyone is happy. As the cycle changes, and they always do, it will be challenging to create loan growth while maintaining the credit quality we now enjoy. My job is to see that quality is maintained. Two is finding good people. Openings we have are taking a long time to fill.

We understand your Downtown San Diego office has grown assets exceeding $80 million, which is better than some Downtown-based banks are doing with total assets. To what and whom do you attribute such success and to what extent does the chief credit officer contribute?

Two senior bank officers operate out of the San Diego office, each of whom have been bankers in San Diego for 30 years each. Rick King and Darla Clark are founding officers and are decision makers for the bank. They both have a loyal following of clients in the San Diego market. Rick King manages the Downtown branch office and has an emphasis in banking law firms and commercial and real estate transactions. Darla Clark manages the corporate banking division that operates out of the Downtown office. Her clients are located throughout San Diego County. The chief credit officer contributes by insuring quick turnaround on loan requests — within 24 to 48 hours.