TAMARA GURNEY
President and Chief Executive Officer
Mission Valley Bank
In 1980, Tamara Gurney began her career in community banking when she began work at American Pacific State Bank as the executive assistant to the president. When American Pacific State Bank sold 20 years later, Gurney was executive vice president and chief operating officer. Today she is the founding president and CEO of Mission Valley Bank, a $510 million community-based business bank headquartered in Sun Valley, with a branch in Santa Clarita.
Gurney is the face and voice of community banking locally as well as throughout the state and nation. With the turbulence that has plagued the financial and banking industries, Gurney has become a key player in rebuilding the local economy and community banking sectors. Her influence is not only felt at the local and state levels, but also on a national platform as she has made numerous visits to Washington D.C. to lobby for community bankers.