North Bay Business Journal

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.

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.

NOVATO — Kimberly Kaselionis, chairwoman and chief executive officer of the former Circle Bank since 1996, announced today that she has left the institution after the completion of its acquisition by Portland, Ore.-based Umpqua Bank.

NOVATO — Umpqua Holdings Corp. (Nasdaq: UMPQ), the parent company of Portland, Ore.-Umpqua Bank, today announced the completion of its acquisition of Novato-based Circle Bancorp, parent company of Circle Bank.

A definitive agreement between the two companies was first announced in August. Umpqua acquired Circle Bank for nearly $25 million.

NOVATO — Umpqua Holdings Corp. (Nasdaq: UMPQ), the parent company of Portland, Ore.-based Umpqua Bank, today announced a definitive agreement to acquire Novato-based Circle Bank and its parent company for $24.9 million.

Upon the completion of the acquisition, all six of Circle Bank’s branches will operate under the Umpqua name, joining Umpqua’s other branches in the North Bay.

The transition is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter.

People items submitted by North Bay businesses for publication in the Business Journal

Following are many of the leading professionals in commercial lending across the North Bay. (Listed alphabetically by institution name)

Veteran North Bay banker Jamie Williams has joined Sonoma Bank as commercial banking regional director. … Wells Fargo’s San Francisco-based economist Gary Schlossberg noted Sonoma County has about 200 food processors, an industry posting 3 percent growth. … Bingham, Osborn and Scarborough LLC, a wealth management firm with offices in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, has opened a new office in Healdsburg. … Umpqua Bank officially announced its first Santa Rosa location.

SANTA ROSA – Umpqua Bank, a subsidiary of Umpqua Holdings Corp (Nasdaq: UMPQ), opened its first branch in Santa Rosa last week. The new 4,600-square-foot office is located at 1322 Fourth St.

(Listed alphabetically by name)

NORTH BAY – Roseburg, Ore.-based Umpqua Bank is opening its first office in Santa Rosa in mid-April.