Montecito Bank & Trust's Wealth Management Division Welcomes Michele Shipp, New Senior Trust Officer

Santa Barbara, CA – Montecito Bank & Trust is increasing the number of team members in the Wealth Management Division to support the multi-year, double-digit growth the bank has experienced in the wealth management business.

Michele Shipp, brings more than 16 years of experience in philanthropic fiduciary work, tax and estate planning, and investment advisory services with a strong background in legal services related to a variety of areas of the banking industry. Her expertise in analyzing charitable trusts to identify donor intent and feasibility of administration, mitigating risks associated with successor trusteeship opportunities, and partnerships with attorneys of donors in relation to charitable trustsaligns with the high level of client service and sophisticated trust management MB&T is known and valued for by clients and trust partners.

"Michele is a welcome addition to our exceptional fiduciary team as a Vice President, Senior Trust Officer. She has extensive experience working with clients to help them successfully navigate estate planning, manage trusts as the agent or trustee, and dedicating time to clients and their families to fulfil the intentions of owners of trusts," said Jeff Pittman, Executive Vice President, Director of Wealth Management. "Michele will be a valued resource to MB&T's wealth management clients and internal partners."

Michele is a Certified Trust & Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA®) and is a member of the California Bankers Association, California Society of CPAs, the California and Santa Barbara County Bar Associations, Santa Barbara Estate Planning Council, and the Santa Barbara Council of Charitable Gift Planners. In addition, she is a long-time member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, a performing rights organization founded and governed by songwriters, composers and music publishers, and the world leader in performance royalties, advocacy and service for music creators.

She earned her Juris Doctor degree from Santa Clara University School of Law, a Personal Financial Planning certificate from University of California at Santa Barbara, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Music History from the University of San Diego.

She and her husband live in Santa Barbara and enjoy all of the natural beauty Santa Barbara offers, especially the Botanic Gardens, and beach and city walks.

About Montecito Bank & Trust
Montecito Bank & Trust is the oldest and largest locally owned community bank in the Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Founded in 1975, the bank celebrated its 46th anniversary on March 17, 2021 and operates 11 branch offices in Santa Barbara, Goleta, Solvang, Montecito, Carpinteria, Ventura, Camarillo and Westlake Village. Montecito Bank & Trust has a history of unwavering corporate philanthropy in the local communities it serves, annually donating $1.5 million dollars and volunteering over 7,500 hours to nonprofit organizations in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. The bank offers a variety of competitive deposit and lending solutions for businesses and consumers, including business loans and lines of credit; commercial real estate finance; SBA loans; mortgage loans, consumer loans; credit cards; merchant services; and online services, including mobile banking and cash management. Its Wealth Management Department provides comprehensive trust services and full investment management for all branch office markets. The Bank has earned 21 Best Bank awards in the last 8 years, in addition to numerous accolades for Best Mortgage and Best Financial Services Company in Santa Barbara, Best Investment Company in Santa Ynez Valley and the third Best Bank to Work For in the United States (American Banker Magazine).

For more information, please contact:
Megan Orloff, EVP/Chief Strategy Officer
(805) 564-0236 or [email protected]