North Bay Business Journal

Bank of Marin Chief Financial Officer Christina Cook is leaving the bank. …

American AgCredit returned the largest dividend in its history to its members in 2012, the agriculture cooperative’s first year of positive loan growth since 2009. …

Citing an increase in income-generating assets and new loans, Summit State Bank (NASDAQ: SSBI) reported a 64 percent increase in net income for the first three months of 2013 and declared a larger quarterly dividend. …

AltaPacific Bank’s assets have grown steadily in the year since completing its merger with a Southern California-based bank, ending the first quarter 4.1 percent higher. …

SANTA ROSA — Citing an increase in income-generating assets and new loans, Summit State Bank (NASDAQ: SSBI) reported a 64 percent increase in net income for the first three months of 2013 and declared a larger quarterly dividend.

While many businesses, homebuyers and individuals have benefited from the Federal Reserve’s continuing effort to keep interest rates low, that same economic policy — along with heightened pressure from regulators and tepid demand for new loans — has added up to a time of historic challenge for community lenders in the North Bay and beyond.

Executives at North Bay financial institutions said they saw no clear end for the current conditions.

Bank of Marin donated $25,000 to SchoolsRule–Marin, part of its pledge to allocate 35 percent of its total corporate giving to education-related organizations in 2013. …

After joining the board of directors for the Oakland-based Women’s Initiative for Self-Employment, Kimberly Kaselionis has worked to restart a specialized loan program for women entrepreneurs in Marin County that she helped launch while chief executive of the former Circle Bank. …

Santa Rosa’s Exchange Bank celebrated the 50th anniversary of its Trust & Investment Management department this month. …

Santa Rosa native Jonathan Graves has joined First Community Bank as vice president and commercial loan officer. …

SANTA ROSA — Brad Baker, president and chief executive officer of Rohnert Park-based Codding Investments, the developer of Coddingtown regional mall and Sonoma Mountain Village, joined the board of directors of Summit State Bank.

Summit State Bank appointed Kim August vice president and commercial loan officer. …

Jodi Shubin, director of client and community relations at Pisenti & Brinker, was named the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce 2012 Ambassador of the Year. …

The Democratic Caucus selected Rep. John Garemendi, D-Fairfield, for the House Agriculture Committee. …

Nick Hansen, CPA, of Moss Adams, LLP, was appointed vice president to the 2013 board of directors for Santa Rosa Wednesday Night Market. …

Pacific Coast Air Museum announced that Julia Hochberg of Sonoma Jet Center was elected to the 2013 board of directors. …

SANTA ROSA — Summit State Bank (NASDAQ: SSBI) said it donated more than $101,000 to 100-plus North Bay nonprofits through its Nonprofit Partner Donation Program, more than double the amount donated in the prior year.

Santa Rosa’s Exchange Bank announced that net income for all of 2012 had risen slightly versus income for 2011, meeting the bank’s projections despite a lukewarm demand for financing from both households and businesses. …

Net income at Novato-based Bank of Marin was up 14.5 percent in 2012 compared to 2011, with $17.8 million representing $3.28 per share, according to an announcement by the bank. …

Year-over-year net income rose 55 percent for Santa Rosa’s Summit State Bank, a period that president and CEO Tom Duryea called “the best year yet in our 38-year history.” …

Citing challenges of a low-interest-rate environment, San Rafael-based Westamerica Bank announced that 2012 net income had slipped 7.7 percent from 2011. …

Bank of Napa, N.A. announced record profit in 2012, with net income up by more than two-thirds from the year before. …

Dixon-based First Northern Bank announced that net income of $4.6 million for all of 2012 marked a 70.4 percent increase versus net income in 2011. …

Total assets as of Dec. 31 were $831.5 million, up $50.3 million — 6.4 percent — compared to one year prior. Total deposits were $730.8 million, up 7.6 percent from the same period in 2011. …

Annual net assets rose 15.82 percent for Santa Rosa’s Community First Credit Union comparing 2012 to 2011, reaching $150.63 million in a period of rapid growth for the lender, according to an announcement. …

SANTA ROSA — Summit State Bank (NASDAQ: SSBI) today announced that net income for 2012 rose 55 percent versus 2011, with $3.45 million in earnings representing 62 cents per diluted share. The bank also announced that it would pay a quarterly shareholder dividend of 9 cents per share on Feb. 23 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 15.

Featured in this spotlight on commercial lenders are executives at American River Bank, AltaPacific, Bank of America, Bank of Marin, Bank of Napa, Bank of the West, Comerica Bank, Exchange Bank, First Community Bank, First Northern Bank, Luther Burbank Savings, JP Morgan Chase, Mechanics Bank, Presidio Bank, Rabobank, Silicon Valley Bank, Sonoma Bank, State Assistance Fund for Enterprise Business and Industrial Development Corporation (SAFE-BIDCO), Summit State Bank, Travis Credit Union, U.S. Bank, Umpqua Bank, Union Bank, Warren Capital, Wells Fargo and Westamerica Bank.

SANTA ROSA — Revenue from a one-time legal settlement helped boost net income for Summit State Bank (NASDAQ: SSBI) for the quarter ended Sept. 30, with smaller gains seen in new loans and deposits.

Sonoma County businesses and lenders are co-dependent in the region’s economic recovery, with a first-ever countywide report showing that a financial sector that was hard-hit during the recession has been seeing opportunities for lending amid the renewed activity in other industries.

SANTA ROSA – More small businesses in the North Bay and beyond are obtaining financing through the California Small Business Loan Guarantee Program, with lenders lauding it as a strong alternative to loan programs backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Summit State Bank hired Peggy Wyman as its new branch manager in Rohnert Park. …

Sanovas Inc.appointed Stephen C. Schimpff, M.D., a former University of Maryland Medical Center CEO, as chairman of its scientific advisory board. …

Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company appointed Leslie Rippley to the position of commercial insurance zone executive for the West. …

Allen Gummer is stepping down, when his term ends in August, after serving on the Redwood Empire Food Bank’s board of directors for six years. …

Grace Chen has been named director of marketing at the raceway in Sonoma. …

Joseph Phelps Vineyards appointed Will Phelps as sales representative. …

Londer Vineyards in Anderson Valley announced Eric Stern as its new consulting winemaker. …

PlumpJack Winery hired Aaron Miller to the position of head winemaker. …

Christopher Hansen has been promoted to general manager of Seguin Moreau Napa Cooperage. …

Summit State Bank (NASDAQ: SSBI) today announced net income of $835,000 for the quarter ended June 30, a 5.7 percent increase over the same quarter last year.

North Bay financial institutions are increasingly employing the latest generation of Web and mobile technologies, addressing a wave of consumer demand for conveniences that were once only within reach of large, national banks.

John Meislahn has joined the business development team at Exchange Bank as vice president and SBA business development officer. … Mary Celestre and Judy Reynolds have each been promoted to vice president. … Minh Tran, who has been assistant county counsel for Napa County since July 2009, was named by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to the top attorney position. … KGO radio anchor and reporter Jeffrey Schaub moved to KCBS All News AM 740/FM 106.9. … Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage announced two additions to its Marin County management team: Joanne Zavlaris as assistant manager and Kevin Kearney as assistant manager. … VML Winery‘s Virginia Lambrix hired Alex Kanzler to direct quality control for the company’s wines made at the Russian River Valley winery in Healdsburg. … Mike Meneghelli joined Napa-based wine bottle supplier Global Package as sales representative. … Seghesio Family Vineyards has appointed Ned Neumiller as the winery’s head of grower relations.

SANTA ROSA — Summit State Bank (NASDAQ: SSBI) today reported net income increased 30 percent in the first three months of 2012 than during the same period in 2011, and the bank’s board of directors approved a 9 cent dividend.

Click here for photo gallery Banking and Finance Wayne Hoffer has been unanimously promoted to senior vice president by the Summit State Bank (NASDAQ: SSBI) Board of Directors. Mr. Hoffer has 35 years of lending and banking experience, and has worked for Summit State Bank for the past six years as a commercial loan officer. [...]

SANTA ROSA – The Washington D.C.-based bank industry group, the American Bankers Association, has awarded Santa Rosa-based Summit State Bank (NASDAQ: SSBI) with its national Community Bank Award for Fundraising for Foundations and Local Groups.