WALNUT CREEK, CA—January 4, 2018—Dan Aguilar, Senior Vice President and North Bay Regional Manager, Commercial Banking in Napa for Mechanics Bank (OTCBB: MCHB), has been elected to the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance Board of Directors. In December, the Petaluma Gap received a formal designation from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau as an American Viticultural Area (AVA), recognizing its distinctive growing characteristics derived from topography and climate. The AVA extends from northern Marin County to southern Sonoma County.
Mr. Aguilar has deep roots in the wine industry. He joined Mechanics Bank in 2016, and previously served as Managing Director of Silicon Valley Bank’s Wine Division, where he gained renown as an industry expert. He was a member of the board of the Russian River Valley Winegrowers for nine years, and has been a sought-after speaker and writer about wine industry profitability and performance benchmarking at industry conferences, including speaking annually at the UC Davis Extension OIV Wine Marketing Program. He also has partnered with Sonoma State’s Wine Business Program to provide important insights on what sets top performers apart from others in the industry.
“Dan’s selection to the Petaluma Gap board is a testament to his reputation in the wine industry and his continued success in furthering the bank’s commitment to the North Bay region,” says Larry Fountain, Executive Vice President, Director of Commercial Banking.
Mechanics Bank has had wine country relationships throughout most of its 112-year history, and recently committed to invest a quarter of a billion dollars in loans for the Napa Valley and Sonoma County rebuilding effort following the devastating fires in the fall.
About Mechanics Bank
Mechanics Bank, established in 1905, is an independent, full service community bank. With more than $5.6 billion in assets, it is the largest bank headquartered in Northern California’s East Bay region. With 35 branch offices throughout Northern and Southern California it provides a highly personalized relationship banking experience that includes consumer and business banking services, commercial lending, commercial deposit and cash management services, and comprehensive trust, wealth management and private banking services.
