CalPrivate Bank Opens Montecito Branch in Upper Village

A Grand Opening Celebration for CalPrivate Bank’s Montecito branch was held at 1482 East Valley Road on Wednesday, November 5.

The pleasant surprise? George Leis is EVP and market president for CalPrivate Bank. 

Leis – a name most recently associated with his being President and COO of Montecito Bank and Trust – has over 33 years in banking and finance. His CV includes Regional President of Union Bank, Santa Barbara Bank & Trust (SBB&T), Pacific Capital Bancorp (PCBC), Deutsche Bank Private Wealth Management, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America. Leis serves on the board of the Channel Islands YMCA, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, and the Santa Barbara Historical Museum; and is Chair of both the YMCA of the USA and the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation. He co-chairs the Finance Committee for the California State University, Northridge Foundation, his alma mater where he received a Distinguished Alumni Award. If you know Leis, you know of his fondness for classic automobiles, vintage audio, art and Fiesta.

I arrived early for the opening to meet with Leis and his team for an interview, photos, and branch tour. Leis was conversing with Jim Crook, owner of Milpas Motors classic autos who recently added autos from his collection to the 1476 E. Valley Road Village Service gas station bays. We opted for a photo of Leis and Crook with a vintage 1964 P1800S Volvo. Next, Leis provided me with a tour of the bank and intros to his team – Senior Vice President Dan Glaeser and VP for Senior Relationship Management Sarah McLelland; Emily Strawn, Assistant VP Sr. Regional Client Support Manager, and Marta Quintero, Relationship Officer. The bank walls are adorned with art from local artists Arturo Tello, Will Pierce, and Bobbi Bennett. Bennett shared with me that Leis asked her to curate art for the branch, and the proceeds of the sale of the art will benefit local charities. Leis’ office showcases vintage art from the SB Historical Museum, including old area maps. 

As more people were arriving, Leis and I opted for an email interview to hone in on the pertinent data points for our readers:

Q. Share with our readers about your transition from Montecito Bank and Trust.

A. I’m very proud of my nine years serving as president of Montecito Bank & Trust, where I helped the organization expand its footprint into areas it had not previously served, modernize its infrastructure and technology, and helped guide the bank through a significant period of growth. In January 2025, I concluded my time there.

Q. How did the CalPrivate Bank branch in Montecito come about?

A. In January 2025, I was approached by Rick Sowers, CEO of CalPrivate Bank. Rick and I have known each other for many years through my board service and tenure as Chair of the California Bankers Association, and we share a common philosophy around relationship-driven banking and community impact. Rick and CalPrivate’s Board of Directors had long envisioned expanding the bank’s private-banking model along California’s coast, from San Diego to Santa Barbara, and when the opportunity arose, I jumped at the chance to become market president and lead that effort by establishing the bank’s new office in Montecito.

Q. What would you like the readers to know about CalPrivate in Montecito?

A. CalPrivate’s branch-light, high-touch relationship model places clients squarely at the center of focus, producing superior outcomes through creativity, responsiveness, and genuine partnership. We’re able to do things that other banks I’ve worked at could only dream about. CalPrivate’s focus on Relationships, Solutions, and Trust aligns perfectly with my own approach to clients and community. For me, in addition to its exceptional service model and unwavering client focus, CalPrivate Bank stands out as a remarkably strong financial performer. With nearly $2.6 billion in assets, the bank was ranked by American Banker in the top 5% of all U.S. banks with assets between $2 billion and $10 billion in 2025. It is also recognized as the #1 community bank SBA 504 lender in the entire nation for banks with assets under $10 billion, a distinction led by our team leader Steve Pollett, based in Paso Robles, who years ago spent time at Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, a bank where I served as President in the early to mid-2000s. I already had the opportunity to feature Steve and his team here in Santa Barbara during
Small Business Week, and their work is truly extraordinary.

Q. What are the key focus areas for you in your position at CalPrivate Bank?

A. Since joining CalPrivate, I’ve had the opportunity to experience what we proudly call a Distinctly Different™ approach to serving our clients, one that combines thoughtful creativity, responsiveness, and deep relationships. Our clients include individuals that value a concierge experience, nonprofits, real estate professionals, experts in hospitality, entrepreneurs and small to mid-sized businesses, each of whom benefits from a level of service that is both personal and agile. The bank’s ability to deliver rapid, tailored lending solutions is extraordinary. I think about the Santa Barbara Humane Society’s capital construction campaign, where we were able to turn around a commitment for a significant loan in just a couple of days. That kind of responsiveness and out-of-the-box thinking while remaining safe and sound is a true differentiator. I’ve never worked at a bank that is as accommodating, creative, and service-oriented as CalPrivate Bank.

Q. You’ve brought over Dan Glaeser from MB&T, and other key people on your team… 

A. I’ve worked in the Santa Barbara and Montecito community since the early 2000s and have had the privilege of bringing together an extraordinary team of professionals, Sarah McLelland, Dan Glaeser, Emily Strawn, and Marta Quintero, people I’ve known and respected for many years, and who share both my values and CalPrivate Bank’s philosophy of service. Together, we’re offering something truly special to this community.

Q. In closing our interview, anything else you wish to share at this time?

A. The grand opening of our Montecito office on November 5th was an incredibly heartwarming moment. More than 130 clients, community members, and guests joined us for the ribbon-cutting, and even as the evening wound down, over a hundred people were still there celebrating with us. It was deeply meaningful for me and for our executive team, who spent countless hours ensuring this office opened in a way that reflects CalPrivate’s commitment to relationships and community. I’d like to invite anyone who hasn’t yet visited to stop by and see the new office in the Upper Village. One of the things I’m most proud of is that we’re showcasing the work of several local artists, highlighting the incredible creativity that makes this area so unique. At this point in my career, joining CalPrivate Bank has truly been a dream come true, an opportunity to bring a trusted, relationship-driven banking model to the community I love.