Best Banker
Clarissa Rowe
Monterey County Bank, locations in Salinas, Carmel, Monterey and Pacific Grove
(831) 233-7008, montereycountybank.com
Managing money can feel harder than walking a tightrope while juggling flaming pins. Who do you trust with your hard-earned cash? Readers trust Clarissa Rowe, a repeat winner in this category. For over a decade, she’s been working as a community liaison for Monterey County Bank, doing business development, receiving customer feedback and managing requests for donations and sponsorships. “The difference between community bank and large banks is just unbelievable,” she says. “The community bank is all about our community.” In her 40-plus-year career she’s done it all, and now she gets to focus on connecting to people, something she views as a privilege – and an advantage in getting this honor since she is, in many ways, the public face of the institution. She insists this award is meant for the entire team at Monterey County Bank. Which might also earn her a victory as the Most Humble Best Of Winner.