Women CEOs Fostering Trust and Impact in Community Banking By Dan Cook and Pamela Jordan On March 10, 2023, when California’s Silicon Valley Bank failed, Denise Portmann and her team were working the phones—calling Bank of the Pacific’s customers and investors. As CEO, it was routine for her to interact with customers. But this was different. Silicon Valley’s collapse sent shock waves through the banking community, and she wanted to reassure her customers that their money was safe. “It’s important to me that we foster a sense of trust with the community,” said Portmann. “They need to know that we’re here for them in good times and bad.” Portmann’s hands-on, high-touch approach is one of her traits that helped her ascend to the CEO role. She is one of three female community banking executives in the region who now head their institutions. Riverview Bank’s CEO, Nicole Sherman, gives out her personal cell number to clients. “It’s important that clients know they can get in touch with me,” she said. “Banking at its core is a people business, and we live in a time when access is paramount to building trust in relationships. I want our clients to know they have access to me and can connect directly.” For Sherman, Portmann, and People’s Bank of Commerce’s CEO, Julia Beattie, a strong focus on accessibility and impactful community engagement is emblematic of their leadership styles. Supporting Local Nonprofits Based in Medford, with 11 branches from Klamath Falls to Salem, People’s Bank’s employees give their own time and money to a number of local organizations—many focusing on veterans’ issues and domestic crisis matters. “Our corporate philanthropy, largely, is focused on three areas that support the vitality of a community—healthcare, education and vulnerable populations,” said Beattie. “We also support what I call hidden gems that draw people to the community and support the economic backbone of the community.” One of those gems is the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, a pillar of the creative community in southern Oregon with a national reputation in the theater world. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival draws more than 100,000 people to Ashland each season, pumping millions into the local economy. When devastating wildfires hit Southern Oregon in 2020, the bank’s board of directors approved a $1 million donation to our foundation to help in the recovery effort,” said FEATURE STORY Denise Portmann President & Chief Executive Officer Bank of the Pacific Nicole Sherman President & Chief Executive Officer Riverview Bank Julia Beattie President & Chief Executive Officer People’s Bank of Commerce People’s Bank team members present a $250,000 donation to the Talent Urban Renewal Agency to support The Gateway Project which established transitional housing for those displaced by the 2020 Almeda Fire. 24 Winter 2025 • BANKING MATTERS
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