Montecito Bank & Trust has announced the appointment of two new members to its Board of Directors, Christine Garvey and George Leis.
With deep roots in the banking industry and a passion for exceptional service, both individuals have a focused and knowledgeable approach to providing leadership that complements the experience and skills of the current board members.
“These appointments demonstrate the unwavering commitment of Montecito Bank & Trust’s leadership to the future growth, stability and longevity of our bank,” said Janet Garufis, chairman/CEO.
“When Michael Towbes passed, he bestowed a wonderful gift to the Central Coast communities and we take the responsibility of that gift very seriously,” she said.
“On behalf of the board of directors, we are extremely excited to welcome Christine and George and look forward to their contributions in stewarding the Central Coast’s oldest and largest community bank, so that Montecito Bank & Trust may continue making the communities we serve better places to live and work,” Garufis said.
Garvey’s record of board positions includes current roles with HCP and Toll Brothers, and prior positions with Prologis, Catellus, Hilton Hotels, and most recently MUFG Union Bank of California.
During her 46-year banking and legal career, Garvey focused on corporate and commercial real estate, with tenures at Wells Fargo, Security Pacific, Bank of America, Cisco and Deutsche Bank.
Complementing her corporate board roles, she is also active in the nonprofit community. Selected a few years ago by Towbes as a future Montecito Bank & Trust Board director, Garvey said:
“Since I retired from Deutsche Bank in 2004 and came home to California, I have been fortunate to sit on a bank board for 11 years. After retiring from that board this last month, I’m am thrilled to join the board of Montecito Bank & Trust.
“Enjoying the friendship of Michael and Anne Towbes has been an honor these past 15 years and joining the bank board will keep his memory alive for me. I am very grateful to Janet for considering me for this role.”
A veteran of the banking industry, Leis, president/COO of Montecito Bank & Trust, celebrated his second anniversary at the bank in June and has made significant contributions to its continued growth and service excellence.
Leis started his career with Security Pacific National Bank in retail and commercial banking, before serving in leadership positions as president/CEO of Pacific Capital Bancorp; managing director, investments at Deutsche Bank Private Wealth Management; SVP, director of private client services at Wells Fargo; and SVP, manager at Bank of America Private Bank.
He currently holds board positions for the Santa Barbara Zoo, National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, UCSB Economic Forecast and the CSU Channel Islands Foundation.
On his appointment, Leis said, “It is an honor to be appointed to the Board of Directors of Montecito Bank and Trust. This position allows me the opportunity to be part of the legacy that Michael Towbes started in creating and operating the best locally owned community bank in the Central Coast of California.”
Montecito Bank & Trust received a 2017 designation of a Super Premier Performing bank by The Findley Reports, an independent service which rates the financial performance of banks, and has been designated a Premier Performing or Super Premier Performing bank 33 times since it opened its doors 43 years ago.
The bank was also awarded a 5-star, Superior Bauer rating for December 31, 2017 financial data.
Montecito Bank & Trust is the oldest and largest locally owned community bank in the Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
Founded in 1975, the bank celebrated its 43rd anniversary on March 17, and operates 11 branch offices in Santa Barbara, Goleta, Solvang, Montecito, Carpinteria, Ventura, Camarillo and Westlake Village.
— Jamie Perez for Montecito Bank & Trust.