Santa Rosa’s Exchange Bank VP wins North Bay Forty Under 40 award
Responsibilities with your company: I manage a $250 million loan portfolio while soliciting new commercial construction and commercial real estate loans from new and existing clients.
How do you exemplify the spirit of being a top Forty under 40 professional?
I'm an example of what you can do through hard work and making the most of opportunities to build yourself within your company.
Years with company: 5
Length of time in current position: 2 years
Number of companywide employees: 405
Number who report to you: 0
Greatest professional accomplishment: Earning the title of vice president here at Exchange Bank is one of my proudest achievements in my career.
It coincided with my 15 year anniversary in banking and was not something I would have imagined when I began my career at a teller window in 2006.
Greatest professional challenge: Several times in my career at Exchange Bank I've been asked to step up and perform in the shoes of an employee on medical leave. Both of these employees left some big shoes to fill and this was a crash course in “Learn By Doing” which luckily was my college's motto. These challenges provided me an opportunity to fast track learning and performing.
Best advice received: Sometimes a quick “no” is the right answer for both you and the client. It's so much easier said than done because of the desire to help.
The most memorable conflicts I have had with prospective clients would have been solved if I gave them an upfront” no.” A quick “no” would have saved both me and the prospective client's lots of time and energy.
Single most important event in your professional life in the last 12 months: The first round of PPP loans was a momentous undertaking at Exchange Bank. It was an all hands on deck situation as all the lenders and people from across the bank were pulled in to support the effort to help so many businesses in Sonoma County.
What’s the biggest change COVID-19, the restrictions and the economic impact has had on your work and personal life?
Adapting to working from home was quite a learning process, my son had just turned one when the stay at home order began.
I quickly learned that he was going to be involved in my telephone conversations so eventually we had to create some separate work space to facilitate a little boundary between work and home life.
And what’s the biggest lesson you’ve taken from that experience?
Creating an office for me to go to and focus on work was essential to my productivity during the work day because it's near impossible to say “no” to a two year old who wants to read or play.
Working remotely has provided me a special experience in spending time with my son that I wouldn't have had if I were in the office.
What steps is your company taking to sustain your organization and morale in the current economy?
Exchange Bank has been very adaptable in the current economy. Many positions have been made remote capable and we have remained open with safety procedures in place to help our clients.
I'm on the line frequently with senior management whose first question to me is always how my family is doing versus getting to business at hand. They know the challenges we are facing and care about our well being.
Next professional goal: My next professional goal is to attend the Pacific Coast Banking School which is graduate level education for the financial services industry. I want to sharpen my leadership and management capabilities.
Education: My degree is in journalism from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
Hometown: My wife and I bought our home in Santa Rosa a little over a year ago; I grew up in Mill Valley and have been slowly moving north ever since.
Community/nonprofit activities: I have been lucky to work with a number of nonprofits in my capacity as a loan officer over the years and it is one of the favorite aspects of my job.
These have been some of my favorite clients to work alongside. I've volunteered in the Day of Caring at Catholic Charities and at the Italian Street Painting Festival. Now that I have settled at home in Santa Rosa. I'm looking to join a nonprofit board here in the near future.
Mentor/admired businessperson: My manager Terry Flynn is a mentor of mine and a business person I admire. He has a contagious energy that pushes our team on a daily basis. He's a great leader by example and fierce advocate for all his employees to seek education opportunities to further their careers with Exchange Bank.
What is your most disliked industry buzzword?
Banker's hours – This is a common misconception about banking because of the nature of the branch hours. However like many other industries, we also have a hard time shutting down work at the end of the day, on the weekends and vacations because technology has afforded us so much more access to work for convenience. It takes discipline to know when to shut down and when to power up.
