Central Valley Community Bank Succession Plans Expand Leadership Team
FRESNO – The board of directors of Central Valley Community Bancorp have announced that separate positions for chief executive officer and president have been established at the bank, and that veteran banker James M. Ford has been named president of the bank effective Feb. 1, 2014.
Daniel J. Doyle will continue to serve as president and chief executive officer of the company and as chief executive officer of the bank. Doyle had previously notified the board of the company of his intention to retire from his position as chief executive officer of the bank at the conclusion of 2014. The board elected to create the position of bank president in connection with the bank’s ongoing succession planning process and to support the future growth of the bank, which achieved over $1 billion in assets in 2013. Doyle will continue his involvement on the board of directors for the company and the bank in the capacity of chairman of the board, following his retirement as a bank executive.
James M. Ford
In preparation for Doyle’s retirement and to help transition new leadership, the board of directors established a search committee in the first quarter of 2013, later signing an agreement with the executive recruitment firm, Chrisman & Company, on May 30, 2013 to commence a formal search to fill the new position of bank president. The hiring of James M. Ford as president for Central Valley Community Bank was approved by the board on Jan. 22, 2014.
“Serving as Central Valley Community Bank’s leader has been a tremendous experience that I have truly loved,” Doyle said. ”After over four decades in banking, I am honored to share the managerial role at Central Valley Community Bank with esteemed banker Jim Ford, whose respected leadership experience directly aligns with the bank’s strategic vision, commitment to core values and desire to do the right thing for our customers, employees, communities and shareholders. Jim is an excellent fit for our 34-year-old community bank and his successful track record will help continue to guide our bank to the next level and beyond.”
Ford brings over 30 years of banking and overall financial leadership expertise to Central Valley Community Bank. He most recently served as the president and chief executive officer for the $1.2 billion in assets community bank franchise, PremierWest Bank and its holding company PremierWest Bancorp, based in Medford, Oregon, until it was acquired by Starbuck Bancshares, the private equity parent company of AmericanWest Bank, in April 2013. Ford served as president for PremierWest Bank beginning in 2006 and was named president and chief executive officer for PremierWest Bank and Bancorp in 2009, where he managed over 300 full-time employees and 32 branches in Oregon and northern California. During his tenure at PremierWest Bank, he raised $35 million in capital through a shareholders rights offering, and had extensive management responsibilities for the bank and its investment and insurance subsidiaries.
“For many years I have admired Central Valley Community Bank’s success and I am pleased to have the opportunity to join them and work alongside a team of bankers whose core values epitomize the best qualities in a community bank,” Ford said. ”I look forward to working with the team, customers and community.”
Ford is a longtime community banker with significant experience and active involvement in community organizations and civic partnerships, including board positions in the banking industry, economic development and insurance. His strong passion for encouraging higher education is evident, as he served on the board for both Southern Oregon University and the University of Oregon Alumni Association. His banking career also included leadership positions with Bank of the West in Walnut Creek, California; Union Safe Deposit Bank in Stockton, California; Fifth Third Bank in Cincinnati, Ohio; and Wells Fargo Bank (formerly First Interstate Bank) in Beaverton, Oregon.
Since the arrival of Daniel J. Doyle in 1998, Central Valley Community Bank has experienced steady success under his leadership including building an outstanding team of committed bankers that expanded from 83 to over 275; having 58 straight quarters of profitability; growing assets from $150 million to over $1 billion; enlarging the Bank’s footprint from one county to seven contiguous San Joaquin Valley counties; expanding Central Valley Community Bank’s unique brand of customer service from six to 21 full-service offices; significantly growing the agribusiness lending department; expanding Investment Centers of America; and adding Central Valley Community Insurance Services, LLC to customer offerings to name a few of the highlights.
“We are proud of our 34-year-old history led by only two president/CEOs and honored to have been led the past 16 years by Dan Doyle’s tireless commitment to the bank, our employees, shareholders and the communities we serve,” said Dan Cunningham, chairman of the board for Central Valley Community Bancorp. ”He is a rare leader, and while we congratulate him on a stellar banking career, Doyle is not going anywhere soon, as he will remain on the board of directors indefinitely.”
