TOP BANKER PANEL 2021 AGENDA
Thursday, November 4th
1:30 pm – 2:45 pm: Medium Size Bank Panel ($500 million to $1.5 billion) – Vista Ballroom
Moderated by Gary Findley
1:30 pm – 2:45 pm: Medium Size Bank Panel ($500 million to $1.5 billion) – Vista Ballroom
Moderated by Gary Findley
Rick Sowers, President & CEO, CalPrivate Bank
Rick L. Sowers serves as President and CEO of CalPrivate Bank. He is a Southern California native and 1995 graduate of UCSD. He applied his BS in Economics first with Accenture Consulting in Los Angeles then joining CAST Management Consultants, where he spent a decade as a VP/ Associate Partner. He specialized in creating bank efficiencies, profitability and optimizing customer focus and experience.
In 2008, Rick joined Bank of Manhattan / Manhattan Bancorp as EVP & Chief Banking Officer. He became President of the Bank prior to its merger with Plaza Bank – Irvine in 2015. There Rick held positions starting from EVP & Chief Strategy Officer to Chief Operating Officer. He served as the Bank’s President until Plaza Bank was successfully sold in 2017.
Dana Bockstahler, President & CEO, BAC Community Bank
Dana began in the Bank's Finance Department in 1987 and assumed the position of Chief Financial Officer in 1991. She was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2003 and became Chief Executive Officer in January 2019.
Dana has a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and a Masters degree in Accounting from CSU Sacramento. She is also a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School.
William Keller, President & CEO, Community Bank of the Bay
William S. Keller joined CBB in April 2009. Prior to being appointed President, Chief Executive Officer and Director, Mr. Keller provided consulting services to the bank from November 2008 through March 2009. Mr. Keller served as a banking consultant from April 2008 until March 2009. He served as executive vice president and chief operating officer for Diablo Valley Bank from October 2003 until its acquisition by Heritage Bank of Commerce in April 2008.
Mr. Keller previously was president and chief executive officer of Bay Bank of Commerce, a wholly owned subsidiary of Greater Bay Bancorp and senior vice president of CivicBank of Commerce. He holds a B.A. in Psychology from California State University, East Bay and is a graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School, University of Washington. He has been active in local nonprofit organizations, including acting as a board member of Oakland’s Children’s Hospital & Research Center Foundation.
Gary Steven Findley, President of Gary Steven Findley & Associates
Gary Steven Findley & Associates is a law firm specializing in banking law whose areas of expertise include regulatory relations/legal work, mergers and acquisitions, securities, corporate representation, regulatory enforcement action counseling, and capital restoration programs.
Gary Findley is a specialist in the creating and legally shepherding of new and innovative programs for financial institutions. In addition, he counsels boards of directors and senior managements on maintaining safe and sound financial condition in a changing and challenging environment. Gary Findley is Director of The Findley Group, the management consulting arm of The Findley Companies. He is also President and Editor of The Findley Reports Newsletter and a Registered Investment Advisor.