Bank Customers Safe In Her Hands

Anabel Jacquez's mantra has been the same since she joined El Paseo Bank since its Coachella Valley beginnings 11 years ago.

"I love customer service. I love helping costumers,'' she said. "My door is always open."

The valley native was recently promoted to senior vice president of retail banking, meaning that she oversees all five branches of Western Community Bancshares -- the parent company of Palm Desert-based El Paseo Bank and Park City, Utah-based Frontier Community Bank.

At the heart of Jacquez success has been a commitment to customer service, something she looks for before hiring any employee.

"That’s something you can’t teach. You have to kind of come along with it,'' Jacquez said. "What I always tell my employees is that a building is just a building. It’s the employees that make whatever the business is."

Her promotion is part of an effort to bring in a new senior management team following the addition of the bank's CEO, Joseph Kiley III, in January.

El Paseo Bank had more than $31 million in troubled assets at the end of 2010. The bank was put under a cease and desist order in March by the Office of Thrift Supervision, which required the bank to submit a detailed plan to boost its capital.

That plan has been submitted and was approved by federal regulators.

Now, raising capital to fulfill the plan is Kiley’s job. Jacquez role is to educate customers.

“I'm keeping them posted on what steps the bank is taking to make sure we are here not just tomorrow but in the long run,” Jacquez said.

Jacquez, who moved to the valley at the age of four, attended Coachella Valley High School and eventually College of the Desert.

She began her career with El Paseo Bank in 2000 as the operations manager of the main branch on El Paseo. In 2006 Jacquez was promoted to the branch manager of the bank's Market Place branch near Sun City, and in 2009, she was promoted to vice president.

El Paseo Bank has three branches in the Coachella Valley; on El Paseo in Palm Desert, at Country Club and Monterey, and on Washington Street and the I-10 by Sun City.

Jacquez is based at the Washington Street location, where she makes sure all the branches are on the same page.

"It’s been a great experience working for a community bank,'' she said.