Santa Cruz County Bank In The News

By Jondi Gumz - Santa Cruz Sentinel

Veteran lender Sati Kanwar, formerly with Valley Community Bank, is joining Santa Cruz County Bank as senior vice president/Small Business Administration business development officer.

He is a specialist in government-guaranteed loans, such as those backed by the Small Business Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The move comes six months after the death of Howard Hoover, who spent five years with Kanwar staffing Valley Community Bank's Small Business Administration lending office on Front Street in Santa Cruz.

The two met at Coast Commercial Bank in Santa Cruz and began their collaboration in 1990. They left Coast Commercial and joined Heritage Bank of Commerce in San Jose. In five years, they funded $200 million in loans and were recruited to Valley Community Bank, where they were senior vice presidents for Small Business Administration lending.

"He's back to his roots," Chuck Maffia, manager of Santa Cruz County Bank's Scotts Valley office, said of Kanwar.

Kanwar's co-workers during his 10 years at Coast Commercial Bank included David Heald, who helped open Santa Cruz County Bank in 2004 and became president and chief executive officer in 2006.

Heald said Kanwar's "extensive lending experience" complemented "the depth of talent in our SBA department."

Santa Cruz County Bank hired veteran Small Business Administration lenders Susan Chandler and Jorge Reguerin, formerly with Heritage Bank of Commerce, in 2007 and has since expanded into USDA business and industry and Farm Service Agency lending

In a statement issued by Santa Cruz County Bank, Kanwar said, "I'm pleased to be part of this experienced lending team and appreciate working again for a local bank committed to making a difference locally through lending and community involvement."

The Front Street office that was occupied by Valley Community Bank was closed Monday and the sign was gone. A call to that office was forwarded to a staffer in Pleasanton, where the bank's headquarters and Small Business Administration lending office are located.

Any Small Business Administration loans handled by the Santa Cruz staff will now be handled by the San Jose office, said Genelle Wrzesinski, vice president of administration for Valley Community Bank.