Invest In You
Candace Wiest at the Dean's Speaker Series
Due to popular demand, the UCR School of Business Dean’s Speaker Series moved downtown to the Fox Performing Arts Center, Riverside, California. Candace Wiest, a 20-year CEO banking executive, spoke to a packed audience of students, faculty, and community members.
Candace Hunter Wiest is the president & CEO of West Valley Bancorp Inc., and West Valley National Bank, the West Valley’s only locally owned and operated community bank. Ms. Wiest was recruited to organize the Bank in March of 2006. It opened its doors on December 22, 2006 with $14,000,000 in start-up capital raised locally, and survived the recession under her leadership. Wiest’s career path has been unconventional. After spending time in the hospitality and insurance industries, she joined her first bank in 1986 as a loan clerk. In June of 2013, Wiest celebrated her 20th anniversary as a bank CEO. Formerly, Wiest was the President of Inland Empire National Bank in Riverside, California, and served twice as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. She is the first woman to be elected as a Class A Director in the Bank’s 100 year history. Wiest believes that community commitment is the cornerstone of community banking, and she serves as a member and director of several organizations.