Students, By Willa Reed • What Will Graduation Be Like This Year? Q&A With New Pres./CEO Krista Snelling: First Woman to Lead

COMMUNITY NEWS Q&A With New Pres./ CEO Krista Snelling

First Woman to Lead Locally Owned Santa Cruz County Bank

Krista Snelling, the new president and CEO at Santa Cruz County Bank, describes herself as a math geek and an extrovert.

She double-majored in math and economics in college and went to graduate school at UC Davis to get a doctorate in economics. A year in, she realized she should pivot out of academics. She got her master’s degree, bypassed accounting, and took a job in the audit division at Arthur Andersen.

She enjoyed the work. Her next move was the KPMG audit division.

Her experience working with a client company seeking to go public with an initial public offering led to a job at a bank seeking to go public. The bank then grew through three acquisitions.

She left Sacramento, with her husband and two teenagers to join her in the summer, recruited to become the first woman president at the locally owned Santa Cruz County Bank, succeeding David Heald on March 1.

“I’ve been a math person, I loved numbers — banking is a great place to be,” she said with a smile, holding up her calculator.

Founded in 2004, Santa Cruz County Bank has achieved 10 years of record earnings, top ratings statewide and nationally, grown to $1.4 billion in assets, acquiring local competitor Lighthouse Bank and most recently expanding into Monterey.

Snelling talked with Times editor Jondi Gumz about the impacts from the Krista Snelling

pandemic and the future for women in banking.

•••

Competing with three major national banks, Santa Cruz County ranks fourth in the county with 14% of deposits.

What’s your strategy to grow deposits?

It absolutely is a priority. What we’re going to do, the same as always, is build relationships… Not just making loans, but understanding the needs of the business rather than having it be transactional. Competing is easier to do now. One of the initiatives we have is the future of online banking and mobile banking — making sure we’re right there relative to the majors. Use technology to level the playing field, we have the community focus, you get the whole package.

A Harvard analysis found community banks issued almost two million forgivable Payroll Protection Program loans worth nearly $200 billion in three months, representing 45% of the total number and 41% of the dollar value, while controlling only 12% of banking assets. Can you talk about PPP and community banks?

Everything I’ve heard is that community banks crunched above their weight on PPP. The feedback from customers was working with community banks was a lot easier because of having access to decisionmakers and speed to serve.

The PPP loan is a perfect example of the value community banks bring. Customers who had relationships saw the value of having those relationships. At larger banks, the decision-makers are elsewhere, where you are in the queue is harder to get your hands on than at a bank where you have a relationship. I know who to call and can get back to them real quick.

What changes from the pandemic do you think will be permanent? Any idea when employment might recover locally?

There’s a lot of flexibility in where and how people work. People have gotten used to using technology. That entire landscape has changed. People at tech companies are leaving California, going to cheaper areas to live. People have seen they’re just as effective as they were before. It’s going to change the commercial landscape.

I am so happy to see the Santa Cruz numbers improving week by week. I feel there’s a lot of pent-up demand for tourism in this area … People stuck at home for a year want to get out. When will it happen? I’m not sure. I’m happy because I live here now.

What advice do you have for local business owners?

Be flexible, adaptable, willing to pivot. The companies and people who’ve made it are people who did that … I think a lot of that is going to continue. I heard a story on NPR about restaurants with outdoor dining. Now people can eat inside, but they’re saying we want to keep these outdoor spaces.

I hope a lot of that lasts. I live in Capitola, I walk to the village all the time, you see pedestrianized outdoor areas. To do that, we had to give up parking spaces, isn’t it worth it?

What’s your impression of the local housing market? The median home price was $1.1 million in January and February with listings historically low.

All I’ve been hearing is it’s tough out there right now. Houses are selling really quickly, multiple offers, low inventory. I’ll be entering the fray this summer … It’s kind of stressful. It’s great for the seller. Sacramento is seeing the benefit of a lot of Bay Area people coming in — tech people.

What is it like being a successful career woman in banking — not so long ago considered a man’s world with deals made on the golf course?

Ihave been given a lot of really great opportunities in the banking community. I have had lot of really great mentors, but I’ve never had a woman as a mentor.

I’m pleased to say anyone who works around me will not have that experience … I look forward to mentoring women and men in the future.

Can you give an example of mentorship that made a difference?

I’ve lived in Sacramento my entire life, and I have mentors and friends and colleagues and confidants in this network. When this opportunity came up, I said, OK, team, circle around. Everyone was so supportive.

My son is going to college in the fall, but my daughter is still in high school, I can’t imagine making a life change without having that network to advise me. With COVID and remote school for my teens for 9 months, their lives were not the same. When people hear they’re moving to Santa Cruz, they say, “Oh, you’re so lucky!”

How does having a woman in top bank leadership make a difference in the community? Can you give an example from your experience?

At Five Star Bank, I started a group of all women customers of the bank, either business owners or decision-makers, executives. We would get together. The group got really big, 40 people from C suites … A lot of these women had spent a lot of time being the only woman in the room — seeing the energy and positivity in the room, it was amazing.

And people got business out of it. A woman who owns recruiting firm, one with an employee benefit company, and a CPA met each other at this event, and they hired each other. We met three times, then COVID happened. I would like to start something like that here … It’s one of things I’m most proud of.

With state law mandating women on corporate boards, do you foresee another woman joining the board at Santa Cruz County Bank? How can banks encourage women to move into leadership positions?

The bank is always looking, always looking for great people, communityminded, high impact, to join the board.

Encourage women to step into leadership roles that get offered and to be ambitious and ask for what they’re worth. Any mentor should do that for you. It’s really meaningful for a woman to have another woman give that kind of encouragement.

I was so happy when I announced I was moving here, two women at my old bank got promoted into the C suite. I had helped them and mentored them. They were ready, so ready. n

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“Hunger Fighters” from page 2

When a community member she befriended became temporarily homeless, then in a car accident and in a walker and living on very little, she spent many hours driving her friend to buy cat food, put rides on a bus pass, and get groceries.

A special Lifetime Achievement Award went to KSBW-TV under Joseph W. Heston, president and general manager who retired in 2020. KSBW hosted Share Your Holiday, which raised millions for Second Harvest and The Salvation Army. After shelter in place, KSBW organized Project Community: A Day of Help and Hope, raising $525,000 for tri-county food banks, with $236,000 for Santa Cruz County.

Community Spirit Awards

Olivia Strusis Bregante, inspired by her mom Melissa, a Sutter Health nurse, started a class project to raise 1,000 meals for families who lost their jobs because of COVID-19 and raised 2,748 meals.

Sisters Finnly & Juniper Grillos organized their first virtual fundraising campaign with a video, raising 3,069 meals.

Malia Nacht learned how to sew during the pandemic, sewing masks to keep friends and relatives safe and donating money she made. She raised 2,088 meals.

Main Street Elementary School office manager Jennifer Del Carlo organized teachers, students and families to focus Oliva Strusis Bregante Finn and June Grillos Malia Nacht and family

on virtual fundraising, generating 8,979 meals, a school record.

Neighborhood Awards

Under Gina Castaneda’s leadership, PV United Soccer joined the first worldwide Soccer United Against Hunger campaign and 15 local youth teams raised 19,772 meals.

Girl Scout Troop 15015, a small troop of girls, led a lemonade stand, donated from cookie sales, raising 4,149 meals.

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dressing up like Santa and his elves, cruising the harbor on a standup paddle or kayak, raising 8,021 meals.

Three days before Christmas, a generous donor offered to match donations by KPIG listeners who mentioned KPIG when they gave. KPIG staff loved the idea. A listener in Marin heard the “hog call” and gave another match — resulting in 72,000 meals.

Coordinators of The Year

Jillian Ritter, a county analyst, was the coordinator for county government employees, a challenge since many worked at home. But she believed they would do their best. Departments held virtual gift basket raffles, silent online auctions, and got a match, surpassed their goal.

Sarah Marshall, coordinator at Rio Del Mar Elementary School, engaged the whole community, designing their very own flyers and raising 40,592 meals. • Helping Hands Award: Community

Foundation Santa Cruz County and executive director Susan True, for leadership through the pandemic and the fires, facilitating collaboration, and assisting with surveys, funding and matches. • Above & Beyond Award: Bay Federal

Credit Union raised the most ever, 127,599 meals, thanks to competition, prizes and pride at branches, among co-workers and supervisors with customers joining in and a generous donor matching donations. • Lap Award: Canepa Motors owner

Bruce Canepa pledged donations to

Second Harvest Food Bank for every collector car sold during the pandemic, and donated 240,000 meals. • Tech Feeds Hope: Susan Lovegren, who joined the food bank board in

July, launched the Tech Feeds Hope

Initiative to engage tech companies and tech professionals to fight hunger in Santa Cruz County, raising 371,148 meals.

Civic Engagement Awards

Christina Alberti, office supervisor in City of Santa Cruz Public Works, and her co-chair replaced cupcake sales with selling an online cookbook with recipes from city employees. City Manager Martin Bernal and his department heads supported competitions such as one between police and fire, won by fire. In all, city employees raised 69,235 meals.

Capitola City Clerk Chloe Woodmansee coordinated efforts by her 66 co-workers and with a match, they donated 8,301 meals.

Santa Cruz County analysts Jillian Ritter and Amy Miyakusu accepted the county award. They emphasized the importance of everyone contributing a little, and collectively that would amount to a lot. They surpassed their goal and a generous donor matched up to $50,000, raising 477,832 meals. • CEO Award: Nathan McCall, manager of UC Santa Cruz human resources business information services, knew many neighbors and students faced food insecurity. The Banana Slugs raised 175,000 meals. • Chairman’s Corporate Award: Santa

Cruz Community Credit Union, led by president and CEO Beth Carr, launched “Return the Favor” to help nonprofits and donated 64,924 meals. • Presidents Trophy: County of Santa

Cruz employees’ goal was $50,000 and they raised $67,000, more than 477,000 meals, despite COVID restrictions, staff furloughs and the CZU wildfires. A matching donation of $50,000 helped.

Heavy Weight Champions

Twin Lakes Church members and staff made a massive effort — lemonade stands, home-prepared meals, outreach to friends and family, raising more than 2 million meals — a historic number.

When COVID hit, Driscoll’s was one of the first to call the food bank and ask, “What do you need?” At the time, a forklift was needed. Soon a forklift showed up, followed by sponsorships, and a large donation: More than 425,000 meals. n

Aptos seniors Susana Estrada and Kirsten Martin locked up fifth and sixth, running 18:43 and 18:44, and Summer Jacob was eighth in 19:36, Annie Eikemeyer, ninth in 19:43, Rachel Hoops, 10th in 20:00, and Brooke Willoughby 11th in 20:20.

Cross country was the first high school sport in the county to compete in its COVID-shortened season.

Teams followed protocols such as temperature checks and wearing masks while training, an unusual scenario the student athletes got comfortable with, Schmitt said.

And how many COVID cases cropped up in cross country?

None, said Schmitt.

Now that’s a winning season. n •••

Photos Credit: Patrice Fernald

Cover Photo: Scotts Valley High School Boys varsity cross country concluded their 2021 season by winning the

Freshman Ashlyn Boothby, running at a fast pace, placed first in the League championship.

Varsity girls (from left): Jessica Hill Roddick, Rafi Putnam, Greta Feague, Dresden Brabo, Amber Boothby, Ashlyn Boothby, and Diana Alivov.

Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League championship. From left: Jack Brownfield, Jonah Verinsky, Aiden Boothby, Austin George, Coach Gretchen Schmitt, Ryder Brabo, Patrick Goodrich and Jeremy Kain.

“On Campus” from page 5

A week after seniors returned to the high school, juniors, sophomores, and freshmen joined them.

This was a momentous occasion for the school since most freshmen had never even set foot on campus before, and sophomores were only at school for just over half a year before the shutdown.

For them, this adjustment of getting re-acclimated with the school is strange in a whole new way. Several students said they just missed the little things, like talking to a teacher after class or taking notes on actual binder paper.

“The strangest thing about going back had to be sitting at a desk,” said sophomore Ryan Lansdowne. “It was weird to sit at a desk after such a long time.”

Like most underclassmen, Lansdowne is hoping for good things to come of the new transition.

“I can’t wait to see how the next few months work out,” he said.

Certainly, transitioning from a whole year of fully online school to more familiar teenage life is proving to be difficult for the students.

However, returning to school presents opportunities for positive interactions with peers and teachers, and reminds the high school students that there is indeed a light at the end of the COVID tunnel. n

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