James Lambert
Much deserved accolades for my banking peers and friends at CNB
By James Lambert
Back in 1973, I was fortunate to get a job in the banking industry after graduating from Linfield College (in 1972). This was quite an upgrade after being a security guard in Dallas, Texas for 9 months as I attended Christ for the Nations Bible college from '72 to '73. I did graduate from (Linfield) college in June of '72. On September 1 (1973), I was hired by United Stations National Bank as an Operations Supervisor trainee by Brian Gowland. Brian was the head of the bank's Personnel Department at the time.
Little did I know that after 18 days after I started working for the bank, U.S.N.B. would be shut down by the F.D.I.C. At the time it was the largest bank failure in U.S. history. Fortunately by the next day, the bank was acquired by Crocker Bank (which was headquartered in San Francisco).
I was thankful that through all that turmoil, I retained my job at the bank. I have a lot of people to be thankful for that. At the time, I was working at the Pacific Beach office. My supervisor was Susan (McCoy) Fetscher and my teller trainer was Chris Lenahan. From there I worked at the National City office and learned how to be a vault teller by Kitty Pellaton. I also had the opportunity of working for Operations Officer Mike White at the 33rd & El Cajon office for a short duration. I also learned how to be a note teller at the La Jolla office by Joanne Day.
In 1975, I was assigned t to be the new Operations Supervisor for the Chula Vista office. I had the pleasure of working with a number of wonderful fellow bankers there including: Randae Rathbun, Pat Finn, Gayle Wolfe, Sam Cripps and Alvaro Munevar.
In total I worked at 13 Crocker Bank offices around San Diego County. There were many others who also had a positive influence in my life during my days with Crocker. They included Arlene (Dollar) Bittick (who worked at the down town San Diego proof department where I trained for a short while), Joyce Mutchler, Gloria Trumble, Tom Finn, Inez Murphy, Lou Cummings, Joyce Vigus Howard, Ken Jensen, Marcia Parker, Ruth Sanders, Raul Sandoval, Donna Steward, Sam Cripps, George De Vol, Von Starbuck, Wally Robertson, Bernie Ferguson and Diane Church.
I was also fortunate in 1978 that one of my regional supervisors (Jesse Parker) positively responded to my request to learn the trade of a bank retail loan officer. With that request I was assigned to work at the 33rd & El Cajon office where I worked with Loan Officer Tommy Hayes to learn retail bank lending.
All this was a very positive experience which ultimately led me to be promoted to manager at Crocker Bank's Encinitas office on December of 1982. For this I want to thank Mil Phillips. I also want to thank Jerry Ringland and Charlotte Buse who also joined me at our Enclnitas office the next year to form a retail lending department that would ultimately be ranked #4 in the county by CNB.
© James Lambert
August 28, 2019
Back in 1973, I was fortunate to get a job in the banking industry after graduating from Linfield College (in 1972). This was quite an upgrade after being a security guard in Dallas, Texas for 9 months as I attended Christ for the Nations Bible college from '72 to '73. I did graduate from (Linfield) college in June of '72. On September 1 (1973), I was hired by United Stations National Bank as an Operations Supervisor trainee by Brian Gowland. Brian was the head of the bank's Personnel Department at the time.
Little did I know that after 18 days after I started working for the bank, U.S.N.B. would be shut down by the F.D.I.C. At the time it was the largest bank failure in U.S. history. Fortunately by the next day, the bank was acquired by Crocker Bank (which was headquartered in San Francisco).
I was thankful that through all that turmoil, I retained my job at the bank. I have a lot of people to be thankful for that. At the time, I was working at the Pacific Beach office. My supervisor was Susan (McCoy) Fetscher and my teller trainer was Chris Lenahan. From there I worked at the National City office and learned how to be a vault teller by Kitty Pellaton. I also had the opportunity of working for Operations Officer Mike White at the 33rd & El Cajon office for a short duration. I also learned how to be a note teller at the La Jolla office by Joanne Day.
In 1975, I was assigned t to be the new Operations Supervisor for the Chula Vista office. I had the pleasure of working with a number of wonderful fellow bankers there including: Randae Rathbun, Pat Finn, Gayle Wolfe, Sam Cripps and Alvaro Munevar.
In total I worked at 13 Crocker Bank offices around San Diego County. There were many others who also had a positive influence in my life during my days with Crocker. They included Arlene (Dollar) Bittick (who worked at the down town San Diego proof department where I trained for a short while), Joyce Mutchler, Gloria Trumble, Tom Finn, Inez Murphy, Lou Cummings, Joyce Vigus Howard, Ken Jensen, Marcia Parker, Ruth Sanders, Raul Sandoval, Donna Steward, Sam Cripps, George De Vol, Von Starbuck, Wally Robertson, Bernie Ferguson and Diane Church.
I was also fortunate in 1978 that one of my regional supervisors (Jesse Parker) positively responded to my request to learn the trade of a bank retail loan officer. With that request I was assigned to work at the 33rd & El Cajon office where I worked with Loan Officer Tommy Hayes to learn retail bank lending.
All this was a very positive experience which ultimately led me to be promoted to manager at Crocker Bank's Encinitas office on December of 1982. For this I want to thank Mil Phillips. I also want to thank Jerry Ringland and Charlotte Buse who also joined me at our Enclnitas office the next year to form a retail lending department that would ultimately be ranked #4 in the county by CNB.
© James Lambert
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