Camarillo residents, city officials, business leaders and nonprofit representatives gathered the evening of Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015, to celebrate the opening of Montecito Bank & Trust’s newest branch location in Camarillo.

The celebration of the bank’s 10th branch — and 3rd Ventura County location — included a ribbon cutting ceremony and reception for over 100 guests.

“We are excited to continue our growth in Ventura County, and are eager to provide Camarillo with the world class experience our customers have come to expect,” Janet Garufis, Montecito Bank & Trust president and CEO, said. “Camarillo has truly welcomed us with open arms, and we couldn’t be happier with the turnout tonight. If you haven’t worked with us in the past, we invite you to experience firsthand how Montecito Bank & Trust is making the communities we serve better places to live and work.”

One of the highlights of the evening was the presentation of a $5,000 check to Casa Pacifica as a symbol of the bank’s commitment to the Camarillo community.

Casa Pacifica CEO Steve Elson was on hand to accept the check from Garufis, Michael Towbes, Montecito Bank & Trust chairman and owner, and Jeff Paul, director of retail and commercial banking.

Montecito Bank & Trust received a 2014 designation of a Premier Performing Bank by The Findley Reports, an independent service which rates the annual financial performance of California banks.

The Findley Reports has designated Montecito Bank & Trust as a Premier Performing or Super Premier Performing Bank 29 times in its 40-year history.

Montecito Bank & Trust, an S Corporation, is the oldest and largest locally owned community bank in the Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

Founded in 1975, the bank celebrated its 40th anniversary in March, and operates branch offices located in Santa Barbara, Goleta, Solvang, Montecito, Carpinteria, Ventura, Camarillo and Westlake Village.

The bank offers  a variety of competitive deposit and lending solutions for businesses and consumers, including business loans and lines of credit; commercial real estate finance; SBA loans; consumer loans; credit cards; merchant services and online services, including mobile banking and cash management.

Its Wealth Management Division provides full investment management as well as trust services for all branch office markets.

— Andy Silverman is the marketing supervisor for Montecito Bank & Trust.