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.

American Riviera Bank Regional Pulse

When the Lights Come Back On: The Santa Barbara Bowl

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.

Financial Literacy Part 2: Providing Financial Education in Meaningful and Effective Ways

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.

Financial Literacy Part 1: Learning Challenges During the Pandemic

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.

Keeping the Arts Alive During a Pandemic: Santa Barbara's Historic Lobero Theatre

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. 

A Unique Approach to Affordable and Sustainable Eating: Teaching Kids to Cook

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.

Unemployment, Education and Small Business: A Look at the Local Economy with Peter Rupert

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.

The Impact of the Pandemic on Residential Real Estate on the Central Coast

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.

Supporting Local Business in a Pandemic Environment: 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.

Flexibility, Innovation and Virtual Reality: Reopening a Family Entertainment Center During COVID-19

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.

Reopening During COVID-19: An Optometrist's Perspective

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.

The SBA Paycheck Protection Program: Challenges and Opportunities for Community Banks

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.

Pandemic Response Plans and the Silver Lining

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.

Innovation in Education and What We Can Learn From It

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.

Home Health & Hospice Care

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.

South Coast Real Estate: A Home and an Investment

The American Riviera Bank Regional Pulse podcast invites prominent members of our community to share their knowledge on important regional issues. Leaders from the commercial, non-profit and public health and safety sectors discuss issues our community is facing now and give their forecast as to how the future will look.

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American Riviera Bank Regional Pulse

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