Business View - November 2014 133
The Independent Community Bankers of America
named Shirley Nelson, founder, chairman and CEO of
Summit Bank of Oakland, Calif., as its national Com-
munity Banker of the Year. The annual award was cre-
ated to recognize the exceptional work of individual
community bank employees and the commitment they
have to their local communities.
“It’s truly an honor to recognize Shirley Nelson as IC-
BA’s first Community Banker of the Year. Her decades
of experience in community banking and dedication to
the industry show firsthand how exceptional commu-
nity bankers can truly elevate this great profession and
make a real difference in the lives of local citizens,”
said ICBA President and CEO Camden R. Fine. “Shir-
ley’s dedication to Summit Bank, the San Francisco
and Oakland communities, and the financial industry
are to be commended. Her comprehensive knowledge
of the banking business, countless years as a com-
munity advocate and stellar reputation among her col-
leagues truly sets her vapart.”
Nelson, who began her banking career in Kodiak, Alas-
ka, opened Summit Bank in July 1982 to serve the
medical market. Summit Bank is now the oldest oper-
ating community bank in Oakland, and under Nelson’s
leadership has had 386 consecutive months of profit-
ability.
A fellow community banker who submitted the Com-
munity Banker of the Year nomination on Nelson’s be-
half said Nelson is a “strong leader, who possesses
strong moral ethics and principles. (She) is held in high
esteem by her peers and is a woman with an outstand-
ing reputation for giving to others. She understands
that it takes a team to succeed.”
Nelson also has a long list of professional honors
and recognitions, including being named one of the
25 Most Powerful Women in Banking by U.S. Banker
Magazine, one of the Financial Women of the Year
by the San Francisco Financial Women’s Leadership
Association and one of the 50 Most Influential Busi-
nesswomen in the Bay Area. She also has received the
San Francisco Business Times’ Women in Leadership
Award.
FINANCE
