American Riviera Bank Regional Pulse

At American Riviera Bank, we're committed to providing our community with valuable financial insights that go beyond traditional banking. In our latest Regional Pulse podcast episode, we delve into a topic that's crucial for every Central Coast resident: insurance preparedness. Hosted by our Chief Financial Officer, Michelle Martinich, this episode features local insurance experts Kait Hamilton and Kelly Wiser. Their combined experience and deep roots in our community make them ideal guides for navigating the complex world of insurance in our unique coastal region.

In our latest podcast episode, we had an enlightening conversation with Rob Fredericks, CEO of the Santa Barbara Housing Authority. Rob shared innovative approaches to affordable housing, including adaptive reuse and employer-sponsored housing. Learn how these initiatives are making a difference on the Central Coast.

Join Laurel Sykes, Chief Risk Officer for the bank, and Paul Abramson, Chief Technology Officer, as they delve into the recent CrowdStrike incident that caused system outages and significant impacts across industries and the globe. Discover the lessons learned, the impact on different organizations, and the strategies to prevent similar problems in the future.

Listen as we delve into the heart of our local community's most significant issues: housing development and affordable housing. We will discuss the challenges and triumphs, the untold stories behind revitalizing downtown buildings, strategic partnerships, and the incredible work Scott Collins and team from Housing Authority of San Luis Obispo are doing to preserve and create low-income housing opportunities in our communities. This critical discussion also highlights the middle-income down payment assistance program now available; click here for more information and to see if you qualify for this $50,000 grant. 

In the 30th episode of the Regional Pulse podcast, the discussion with Phil Carpenter, Chief Marketing Officer at Alice Technologies, shed light on the transformative power of AI in various industries on the Central Coast. 

Join us for an in-depth exploration of the transformative impact of Artificial Intelligence on businesses and industries with our guest Max Drucker, CEO of Carpe Data of Carpinteria. Discover how AI is influencing the future of work, particularly in the insurance sector, and gain insights into the evolving landscape where data science and regulatory environments intersect.

In the second installment of our two-part series on Technology on the Central Coast, our Chief Risk Officer, Laurel Sykes, engages in a conversation with Randy Berg from Transphorm and Paul Abramson, our Chief Technology Officer. They delve into the challenges faced by the industry and explore innovative solutions to tackle the pressing issue of workforce development. Additionally, they uncover exciting prospects for individuals seeking a career in technology on the Central Coast.

In this episode, we invite you to listen and learn more about the thriving technology industry on the Central Coast of California. Our Chief Risk Officer, Laurel Sykes, sits down with Randy Berg of Transphorm to discuss this unique network of innovation in our own backyard and how our community's younger population could benefit from programs and new job titles that are now available.   Stay tuned next month for Part 2 in the series, where we will also discuss industry challenges, including some creative new ideas to address the critical need for workforce development.

Lori Murray, Senior Vice President and Residential Lending Manager at American Riviera Bank, discusses the workforce housing situation on the Central Coast with Jon Standring of the Coastal Housing Coalition, including the "Missing Middle," accessory dwelling units (ADU), and the roadblocks they are facing. As president at Beachside Partners, Jon Standring focuses on acquisitions, development and disposition of commercial and residential real estate throughout the South Coast.  Since 2008, he has successfully negotiated and closed hundreds of real estate transactions and completed more than $300 million in real estate sales throughout California over the last decade.  Jon is an active member in the Santa Barbara community, currently serving as President of the Santa Barbara Young Professionals Club Foundation and President for the Coastal Housing Coalition.

In the second episode of this two-part series, Michelle Martinich, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at American Riviera Bank continues the conversation of how individuals and businesses can make small changes for big impacts on the Central Coast. She is joined by Joe Campanelli of Campanelli & Associates Corporation and Dennis Allen of Allen Construction. Joe Campanelli has been a member of the Santa Barbara Contractors Association since 1974. He received the California Energy Commission's “Flex Your Power Award” from Governor Schwarzenegger and was awarded the Builder of the Year “Members Choice Award” for best Santa Barbara Contractor in 2008. He is a founding member of the Santa Barbara Green Building Alliance and helped to create the “Built Green” checklist for home owners and the city. Dennis Allen has served as a consultant on the County of Santa Barbara's Smart Build Santa Barbara Committee for the past 14 years, encouraging energy efficiency and sustainable practices in building projects within the County. Allen Construction is a general contracting firm, specializing in environmentally friendly, custom residential and commercial building. Dennis also serves as Chair of the Bren Graduate School Dean's Council at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he is heavily involved in efforts to infuse sustainability into graduate curriculum and campus buildings.

In the first episode of this two-part series, Michelle Martinich, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at American Riviera Bank, sits down with Joe Campanelli of Campanelli & Associates Corporation to discuss how individuals and businesses can make small changes for big impacts on the Central Coast.  Joe Campanelli has been a member of the Santa Barbara Contractors Association since 1974. He received the California Energy Commission's “Flex Your Power Award” from Governor Schwarzenegger and was awarded the Builder of the Year “Members Choice Award” for best Santa Barbara Contractor in 2008. He is a founding member of the Santa Barbara Green Building Alliance and helped to create the “Built Green” checklist for home owners and the city.

Laurel Sykes, Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer at American Riviera Bank, continues her discussion with Vicki Johnson, Deputy District Attorney from the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's office in part two of the series recorded as part of American Riviera Bank's National Elder Abuse Awareness month efforts. Episode Two focuses on chronic victimization and methods of intervention, and includes a personal testimony by Sandra Gallo, Senior Product Manager for the Bank, who recently had the misfortune of watching a loved one suffer the consequences of fraud.

Laurel Sykes, Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer at American Riviera Bank, talks with Vicki Johnson, Deputy District Attorney from the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's office as part of a two part series for National Elder Abuse Awareness month. Episode One focuses on highlighting scams as well as how and where to report scams.

Laurel Sykes, Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer of American Riviera Bank, sits down with Rick Boller of the Santa Barbara Bowl to discuss the how the Bowl has made use of the unexpected time off to accelerate its improvements and enhance its support of youth performing arts, as well as what's in store as the Bowl reopens this summer. The Santa Barbara Bowl is a 4,562-seat amphitheater, located in Santa Barbara, California. The Bowl is normally open for concerts from approximately April through October with an average of about 27 concerts per season. Since 1991, the Santa Barbara Bowl has been managed by the not-for-profit Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation. Rick Boller has been Executive Director of the Bowl for over 10 years but has been with the Bowl in a variety of capacities for over 20 years.

Laurel Sykes, Executive Vice President, Compliance and Risk Manager at American Riviera Bank, continues our two-part series on financial literacy with special guests Robb Schiff, longtime educator and AVID Coordinator with the Santa Barbara Unified School District, Chelsea Duffy, Executive Director at Partners in Education, and Melinda Cabrera, Director of Strategic Partnerships at United Way of Santa Barbara. In this episode, the panel discusses financial literacy on the Central Coast, including how we should be shifting our methodologies and programs to fit the current environment in our efforts to reach an ever-expanding need.

Laurel Sykes, Executive Vice President, Compliance and Risk Manager at American Riviera Bank, facilitates a two-part series on financial literacy with special guests Robb Schiff, longtime educator and AVID Coordinator with the Santa Barbara Unified School District, Chelsea Duffy, Executive Director at Partners in Education, and Melinda Cabrera, Director of Strategic Partnerships at United Way of Santa Barbara. In this episode, the panel explores the learning challenges faced by students on the Central Coast during the pandemic, as well as the resulting short- and long-term impacts they are seeing.

Jeff Devine, President and CEO of American Riviera Bank, sits down with David Asbell and Brandon Mowery of Santa Barbara's Lobero Theatre to discuss the historic theatre and the what the future may look like as things begin to open up both locally and globally. The mission of the Lobero Theatre Foundation is to maintain and operate the historic Lobero Theatre as a performing arts center and cultural asset to the community of Santa Barbara, and to present the highest quality productions in music, dance, and theatre.  David Asbell has been at the helm of the Lobero Theatre Foundation as Executive Director for over 20 years.  Brandon Mowery serves as Director of Development where he plays a key role in establishing innovative fundraising ideas and growing the donor base in an effort to fulfill the philanthropic goals of the Foundation.

Michelle Martinich, Chief Financial Officer, sits down with Nancy Martz, Executive Director of Apples to Zucchini Cooking School, to learn about her nonprofit initiative to tackle hunger on the Central Coast one child at a time, by providing the tools kids need to prepare delicious, nutritious, affordable meals made from real food for their families. Whether teaching at an after-school program, a treatment home for youth-in-transition, or a backyard birthday party, the Apples to Zucchini Cooking School philosophy is the same: Cook together, eat together and clean up together. Nancy Martz has been involved with non-profits for almost 20 years, helping start three non-profits, sitting on several boards, and volunteering much of her time for causes that matter to her. 

Michelle Martinich, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at American Riviera Bank sits down with Peter Rupert, Professor of Economics at the University of California at Santa Barbara to discuss the economy on the Central Coast, including the pandemic's impact on unemployment, local businesses, and education, and the long-term ramifications we can expect to see as a result. Peter serves as the Director of the Economic Forecast Project and is the Associate Director of the Laboratory for Aggregate Economics and Finance at UCSB.

Lori Murray, Senior Vice President and Residential Lending Manager at American Riviera Bank and Nancy Hamilton, of Calgano & Hamilton Real Estate Partners in Montecito, discuss the residential real estate market on the Central Coast during the pandemic - from an influx of  buyers from cities like New York to the rich and famous to the first time buyers and more.With over 28 years of residential real estate experience, Nancy Hamilton has remained in the top 1% of agents in our area year after year.

Dustin Reese, Assistant Vice President, Banking Relationship Officer, sits down with Bettina Swigger of Downtown SLO to talk about their innovative efforts to keep downtown San Luis Obispo vibrant and thriving during the pandemic. As the CEO of Downtown SLO, Bettina leads the staff serving the community by working on initiatives like parking and beautification efforts, coordinating special events and the weekly Thursday night Farmers’ Market, supporting economic activities, and examining Downtown issues like creative place making, supporting small business, enhancing tourism and creating a clean and safe environment for all in downtown SLO.

Jason Wilson, Vice President, Commercial Banking Officer, sits down with Sam Walters of Zodo's Bowling and Beyond to talk about the short- and long-term changes they have made in light of the pandemic. From new cleaning protocols to take-out orders to their brand new Virtual Reality studio, Walters shares the steps Zodo's has taken to ensure safe, high quality family fun and community entertainment can continue, even in uncertain times. Zodo's Bowling and Beyond is a family entertainment center with 24 bowling lanes, a full-service restaurant and sports bar, arcade, Virtual Reality studio, and events room in Goleta, California.

Michelle Martinich, Executive Vice President at American Riviera Bank, sits down with Dr. Joanne Gronquist to talk about the process of reopening her practice during COVID-19, including retaining staff, procuring personal protective equipment, and establishing new protocols for scheduling patients. Dr. Gronquist has served as President, as well as the Chair of Governmental Affairs, for the Tri-County Optometric Society. She has been honored by her patients with Santa Barbara News-Press Readers’ Choice Award for Best Optometrist.

Laurel Sykes (EVP Chief Compliance and Risk Officer), Paul Abramson (EVP Chief Technology Officer, and Eusebio Cordova, Jr. (EVP Chief Credit Officer) continue the discussion on pandemic response. In this episode, they discuss phase 1 and phase 2 of the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) - including setting up a portal to accept applications, reviewing and submitting completed applications to the SBA, rolling out loan documentation, and, ultimately, funding over 500 loans in four weeks.

Executive Vice President, Chief Compliance and Risk Officer, Laurel Sykes and Paul Abramson, Executive Vice President, Chief Technology Officer, discuss pandemic response and how what we are doing now can shape the future.

Joanne  Funari, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of American Riviera Bank, speaks with McArthur Fellow, Amir Abo-Shaeer, and his wife, Emily Shaeer, of the Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy, about the challenges and rewards of being innovative in education and business. This two-in-one episode spans their efforts to create mindsets that break through gender stereotypes to the benefits of engaging in authentic, meaningful work, as they describe their journey of creating a transformative experience.

Michelle Martinich, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial & Administrative Officer, of American Riviera Bank speaks with Lynda Tanner, President & CEO of VNA Health (formerly Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care) to discuss navigating in-home healthcare and hospice options, including how to have conversations, self-care, insurance and preventative care. Lynda Tanner is responsible for planning, coordinating, managing and directing all activities and programs of VNA Health. Her experience includes more than 30 years working in home care including working as a consultant and JCAHO surveyor with organizations across the United States.

Lori Murray, Senior Vice President and Residential Lending Manager of American Riviera Bank, chats with Jackie Walters, Realtor with Village Properties about the new real estate landscape in the Santa Barbara area, including how recent local natural disasters have affected the market, the affects of supply and demand, and how to find opportunities for purchasing real estate. Jackie has been a successful agent in the Santa Barbara area for over 30 years. Jackie closely watches the market stats and trends and is a regular writer on the real estate market for the Santa Barbara News-Press.

Michelle Martinich, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial & Administrative Officer, of American Riviera Bank sits down with Daniel Koenig, Head of Information Technology at Invoca in Santa Barbara, discuss how to recognize and combat cyber threats at your business and your home. Daniel is a senior technology leader with over 15 years of experience in the Information Technology and Business Systems space.

Jason Wilson, Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking Officer at American Riviera Bank sits down with Steven Nipper, Owner and President of Sole Wave Water, to talk about the journey of building a new business on the Central Coast. From creating a realistic business plan to finding and hiring the best people to planning for growth and being generous in the community - a compelling story of turning passion into business.Steve Nipper has over 30 years of experience in the water treatment industry designing systems, selecting processes, and helping customers understand how the different systems work and what will solve their problems best. He started Sol Wave Water to help people and businesses with their water problems in 2013.

Joanne Funari, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of American Riviera Bank, chats with Doug Margerum, Owner and Director of Winemaking at Margerum Wine Company, about the Wine Industry in Santa Barbara County. Doug has been intimately involved in the Santa Barbara food and wine scene for over 30 years and is regarded as one of the pioneers promoting the uniqueness and quality of Santa Barbara food and wine. Learn about industry trends, pricing, expansion, and what it takes to make a couture wine. 

Financial abuse of seniors is a devastating crime that banks are uniquely positioned to help identify. It can be as simple as taking money or as involved as coercing or manipulating a victim into turning over property to an abuser. Unfortunately, we are seeing an increasing trend in fraud against seniors, and much goes unreported. Baby Boomers, Americans born between 1946 and 1964, represent the largest portion of the population and continue to reach senior status in record numbers due, in part, to increased life expectancy. Laurel Sykes, our Chief Compliance and Risk Officer, sits down with Vicki Johnson, Senior Deputy District Attorney, and Heather Clark, from the Crimes Against Property Unit of the Santa Barbara Police Department, to discuss recent scams witnessed by local banks, and hear about recent cases from local law enforcement, along with tips for stopping the abuse!

Bobby Boyes, Vice President and Client Relationship Manager at American Riviera Bank speaks with John Bennett, Santa Barbara Restaurateur about the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to opening a restaurant on the Central Coast. John D Bennett arrived in SB from NY at age 12. He graduated from SB High and took over management duties at his family owned business, Brophy Brothers. After many years in the restaurant business, he helped open the Ventura Brophy Brothers, and now oversees other family owned places such as Benchmark Eatery and Farmer Boy Restaurant. Bobby and John discuss the ups and downs of running multiple restaurants in Santa Barbara, the ramifications of the minimum wage increase, rent and lease payments in town either from the city of private party, and the major obstacles that prevent success when new restaurants open.

Joanne Funari, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of American Riviera Bank sits down with Steve Golis, Principal and Founder, Radius Commercial Real Estate. Widely considered the market leader in his specialty, Steve is regularly called on to present at local professional events as an expert in the apartment sector. He is also a contributing author for the UCSB Economic Forecast Project, the Greater Central California Coast Forecast Project and the California State Economic Project. Joanne and Steve discuss the local commercial real estate market, economics, demographics, and what the future of commercial real estate might look like in Santa Barbara.