Official at Sonoma County’s Summit State Bank wins North Bay Forty Under 40 award

Born in the Philippines, Charlene Richman says when she was 5 her parents moved with her and her brother to the U.S. “in search of the ‘American Dream.’”

“I grew up primarily in Anaheim, California where my family and I faced many adversities as we attempted to adjust to our new life,” she says.

In search of better opportunities, her parents moved the family to the North Bay and Sonoma County. While her parents pursued business interest in residential care facilities for the elderly, she graduated high school, did some college courses, and then began to work in the banking industry.

“Having found my home at Summit State Bank in 2006, I have been given the opportunity to work in various departments and positions in the branches, operations, management, and now compliance,” she says.

Today she says her biggest challenges are, “confronting biases - generational, cultural and gender biases. In these situations, you just have to persevere through them and know that your contributions are impactful.”

In a business sense, what is the greatest thing about being under 40; and then what is the worst?

“The greatest thing about being under 40 is knowing I have the ability to continue to carve my own path. Having this flexibility motivates me to challenge myself and makes the daily grind exciting.

“The worst thing is knowing I have 20+ years left of this daily grind!”