Montecito Bank & Trust’s board president and chief operating officer George Leis retired from his positions Friday.

He was with the bank for eight and a half years, and his career in banking has spanned more than 40 years.

“Montecito Bank & Trust CEO and Chairman Janet Garufis and CFO and CAO Bruce Stevens will assume Mr. Leis’s responsibilities for the foreseeable future,” the organization said in a statement Friday announcing the retirement.

In addition to his Montecito Bank & Trust roles, Leis is involved in the community through participation in nonprofit boards, for which he hopes to have more time after his retirement.

“It has been an incredible journey serving as President and COO of Montecito Bank & Trust,” Leis said.

“The bank’s unwavering commitment to philanthropy and community engagement has allowed me to serve in ways I could only dream of. Through my time here, my board service, and my volunteer leadership roles, I’ve been able to make a meaningful impact that has been profoundly rewarding.

“As I reflect on this next chapter of my life, I look forward to embracing new opportunities to give back. I’m excited to take all that I’ve learned throughout my career and devote even more of my time and talent to nonprofit organizations where I can continue to make a difference, locally and nationally.”

Leis is a member of the National YMCA’s board of directors, and has served on the boards of the Channel Islands YMCA, the Santa Barbara Zoo, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden and the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation.

Before joining Montecito Bank & Trust in 2016, he worked as managing director at Union Bank and as president/CEO of Pacific Capital Bancorp, a community bank holding company that included Santa Barbara Bank & Trust.

Union Bank acquired SBB&T in 2012, and U.S. Bancorp acquired Union Bank in 2022.

Garufis said Leis “has helped build the very best management team I’ve worked with in my more than 50 years in banking, and I am thankful for his partnership these past eight and a half years.”

She added, “I am confident that George’s passion for giving back in meaningful ways will serve him well on his next journey. As George shared with me, this is not goodbye, but rather a new chapter in him continuing to make an impact where it matters most.”

Montecito Bank & Trust has 13 branch offices in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

In addition to banking services, it makes regular contributions to local nonprofit organizations with its Community Dividends grants every year.