Janet Garufis

Janet Garufis

Executive Assistant: Meredith Beitz

Janet Garufis joined Montecito Bank & Trust in 2004 and joined the bank’s Board of Directors when she was appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer. Janet began her distinguished banking career as a teller over 50 years ago with Security Pacific Bank. She rose through the ranks of retail banking, completed the Security Pacific Management Training Program, and went on to successfully lead retail banking, business banking and private banking organizations at Security Pacific and Bank of America. She retired from banking in 1998 and moved to Santa Barbara in 2002 to pursue a PhD at UCSB.

Janet enjoys spending as much time as possible enjoying the Santa Barbara outdoors. A grandmother, she cherishes visits with her two sons and their families and still finds time for gourmet cooking, running, baking for friends and family, tending to her organic vegetable garden, volunteering in the community and playing with her two rescued terriers.

  • B.A and M.A from California State University Northridge
  • Graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington
  • Honorary Degree, Doctor of Philosophy in Humane Letters, Fielding Graduate University
  • Director of the Pacific Business Management Institute of Pacific Coast Banking School
  • Past Chair of the Western Independent Bankers Association, past President of the National Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Bank (CDIAC)
  • Extensive community service highlights include serving as a Trustee, Board of Director member, Board President and/or Co-Chair for a broad array of organizations and foundations: Sansum Clinic®; Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara; Music Academy of the West; Casa Pacifica; CASA; Children’s Library of Santa Barbara; CALM; California State University Channel Islands Foundation (CSUCI); Santa Barbara Regional Chamber of Commerce; Santa Barbara Symphony; Women’s Economic Ventures; Santa Barbara Habitat for Humanity; and Fielding Graduate University
  • Awards and accolades include American Banker – 25 Most Powerful Women to Watch (2015), Pacific Coast Business Times - Top 50 Women in Biz (2007 – 2017), Association of Fundraising Professionals – Volunteer of the Year (2015), American Heart Association - Lifestyle Change Award (2013), Girls Inc. (Carpinteria) - Women of Inspiration Award (2012), Santa Barbara Chamber Businesswoman of the Year (2010), Santa Barbara Person of the Year (2017)