Sonoran Bank's Board of Directors is comprised of individuals rich in experience and expertise. Each member has a success story, and can relate to entrepreneurs who overcame obstacles to become successful. Our Board is dedicated to shaping a superior bank that listens, cares and responds to the needs of the community it was created to serve.

Ricardo Torres, chairman

Ricardo was the founder, President and Publisher/CEO of La Voz newspaper, a Spanish-language weekly newspaper serving the Phoenix market. Conceptualization began in March of 1999 when he anticipated the unprecedented growth of the Hispanic population in Maricopa County. Ricardo was responsible for all aspects of design, editorial policy and corporate vision. He also directed all sales efforts. In the first year of operations, La Voz reached a record in annual sales among Arizona Spanish language publications. Mr. Torres successfully completed the sale of his paper to Gannett (the owner of the Arizona Republic ) in August 2003.

Prior to his publishing career, Ricardo was a pioneer of Spanish language radio in Arizona. A dynamic, entrepreneurial sales and operational strategists, Mr. Torres served Z-Spanish Media's Phoenix cluster of stations in several capacities, including Vice President/General Manager. His leadership resulted in the organization consistently exceeding sales quotas and profitability projections.

Ricardo is active in community-based initiatives and is a supporter of Latino non-profit organizations including Valle del Sol, Chicanos Por La Causa, and the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He serves as a board member for ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, the John C. Lincoln Health Foundation, St. Luke's Health Initiatives, The Phoenix Suns Charities Board and the Arizona Latino Media Association.

E-mail Ricardo Torres

Lawrence Pearl, vice chairman

Dr. Lawrence Pearl founded a chain of optical stores and optometry practices in 1973. While he retired from active practice in 2003, he is still active in business management and recently opened a surgical center in Bullhead City. Dr. Pearl attended the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, where he earned his B.S., and attended the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, where he earned his Doctor of Optometry degree. He performed post-doctoral work at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Cornell University, and the University of Southern California College of Optometry. Dr. Pearl has been cited by numerous pharmaceutical companies and the Retinitis Pigmentosa Foundation for his work with promising technologies in the contact lens field.

Larry is the founder of Best Buy Group, which has many different divisions, including insurance brokerage, property development, title insurance, and real estate brokerage, as well as a finance company. He and his wife Yolanda focus their business on serving the Hispanic community. Yolanda has successfully grown the insurance company, which conducts all of its business in Spanish, to $20 million in annual revenues in just seven years. Best Buy's development division builds and rehabs housing in Hispanic districts. The title company caters to Hispanics, and the finance division has loaned exclusively within the Hispanic market.

A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Dr. Pearl has lived in Arizona for the past 37 years. Yolanda received her degree from Arizona State University.

E-mail Lawrence Pearl

James W. Vigars, president and chief executive officer

Mr. Vigars is the President and CEO of the Bank. Jim has held a variety of positions in a banking career that has spanned 39 years. He served as President of the Midwest Heritage Bank, F.S.B. in Chariton, Iowa for almost eight years beginning in 1990. Jim moved to Wisconsin in December 1997 to become President of S&C Bank (f/k/a Bank of New Richmond) in New Richmond, Wisconsin for two years. He was then promoted to the holding company (S&C Banco, Inc.) headquarters, where he served as Executive Vice President of the company. There he supervised all lending activities, cash management and investing and was responsible for the Asset/Liability Management function. He was also a bank examiner for the FDIC for ten years, as well as an instructor at their training center in Roslyn, Virginia. Jim graduated from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking in 1983.

Jim had always served the communities in which he has resided. He is on the Board of Directors of Valle del Sol and a member of Profit Business Association, a local Phoenix Business Club.

Jim is a native of Iowa. In 1969 he received his B.A. in Accounting and Business Administration form the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Jim served in the United States Army and is a veteran of the Vietnam War. He and his wife Linda live in Goodyear, Arizona.

E-mail James W. Vigars

Edmundo E. Hidalgo, co-secretary

Edmundo Hidalgo is the President and CEO for Chicanos Por La Causa, Inc., a statewide community development corporation focusing on social services, education, economic development and affordable housing. Edmundo has over 18 years experience in the community development arena, having developed, financed or sold over $280 million in single or multi-family affordable housing. Mr. Hidalgo was previously with Wells Fargo Bank, where he served in the capacity of Vice President, Corporate Community Development Manager and as the National Spokesperson for Wells Fargo's Latino Loan Program.

Edmundo currently serves on the board of the Maricopa Community College Foundation, the board of the Arizona Audubon, and the board of the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Hidalgo received his B.A. in Economics in 1988 and his M.B.A. in 2000 from Arizona State University. He is an Arizona native and is a resident of Tempe.

E-mail Edmundo E. Hidalgo

Guy P. Roll, co-secretary

Guy has practiced law in Arizona since 1994, specializing in corporate representation and commercial litigation. Since leaving a prominent national firm to open his own office, Guy has continued his general corporate practice while pursuing additional business interests. A native of Arizona, Guy received undergraduate degrees from Arizona State University and l'Universite de Paris, IV, La Sorbonne before earning his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

In addition to his law practice, Guy is active in his community. He has served as a board member for various civic and educational organizations, has volunteered in both local and national political campaigns and has been an instructor of business law and real estate at a local college.

E-mail Guy P. Roll

Luz Sarmina

Luz Sarmina is President and CEO of Valle del Sol, Inc. ("VdS"), a community organization that provides a variety of behavioral health, Latino leadership development and social services to the community. VdS has been active in the community for over 38 years. Luz has led Valle del Sol since 1995 and has grown VdS from $2 to over $11 million in annual revenues and from 56 employees to over 170.

As a recognized leader in the Latino community, she was selected in 1990 to attend the National Hispana Leadership Institute, a year-long executive leadership-training course, which includes training at Harvard's JFK School of Public Policy and the Center for Creative Leadership. She was in the initial class of Valley Leadership.

Luz has been recognized for her visionary leadership by the YWCA in their "Tribute to Women" Award for Civic Service; the Alma de la Gente "El Aguila" award: the Gamma Alpha Omega Sorority Inaugural Latina Excellence Award for Community Service, and the Phoenix Business Journal Women of Vision Award. She received the "OHTLI" Award from the Mexican government in 2003 (Ohtli means "path" in the Nahuatl dialect). The award is given to Mexicans of Mexican descendents who have helped to create a "path" for Mexicans in a foreign country. Luz also serves on the Boards of Directors for Mountain Park Health Center, Vice-Chair, AZ Saves, the City of Phoenix Bond Committee, Executive Committee; she was appointed to the Latino Advisory Council by the Governor; served as a Commissioner for the Governor's Advisory Commission on Child Protective Services and on the Attorney General's Latino Advisory Council.

Born in Mexico City, Luz came to the U.S. at the age of six. She earned a master's degree in Social Work from ASU.

E-mail Luz Sarmina

Daniel J. Laraway

Daniel Laraway is the owner of Laraway Financial Group, a money management and financial planning firm. A licensed securities representative and certified financial planner (CFP), Daniel has been in the financial services industry for over 28 years. He holds a Distinguished Graduate certification in Advanced Estate Planning from the National Institute for Estate Planners.

Mr. Laraway earned his B.S. in Psychology from Michigan State University, and received a Master of International Management (Marketing/Finance, Latin American Studies) degree from the American Graduate School of International Management. Daniel has served as a pilot for the Civil Air Patrol, and is a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary Club. He is the founder of Young Men's Leadership Quest for the New Frontiers, Inc., and served as CFO and board member for that organization. Daniel is a public speaker and trainer throughout the southwest. A resident of Arizona for 30 years, he and his wife June currently live in Scottsdale.

E-mail Daniel Laraway

Loui Olivas, EdD

Dr. Loui Olivas has an extensive background in executive development, public education, and teaching at secondary, community college, and university levels. He served as the Director of Executive Development and Education for Western Savings and Loan Association, director of Employee Development with the City of Phoenix, and as a consultant, instructor, and developer of various other executive development programs involving Fortune 500 companies.

Dr. Olivas joined Arizona State University (ASU) in 1979 as the assistant director for the Center for Executive Development and served as the director from 1982-86. He is a tenured professor in the Management Department, W. P. Carey School of Business. Loui has been awarded the "Outstanding Teaching Award" by ASU undergraduate students and the "Teaching Excellence Award" for ASU's Center for Executive Development. He has published in the fields of personnel, management, training, and small business operations. Loui has also taught at the high school and community college level. He was a founding board member of QuePasa.com, a publicly traded company. A professor of Entrepreneurial Studies and Small Business Management, Dr. Olivas has had numerous former students who have become successful small business owners. For the past sixteen years, he has published the Annual Survey of Hispanic Owned Businesses in AZ. In addition, he is one of the most quoted (press and publications) authorities on Hispanic demographics. A third generation Phoenician, he understands the needs of the Latino community and has been actively involved in numerous small business startups and has a pulse on the needs of Latino-owned businesses.

Dr. Olivas serves on numerous national boards and commissions, having recently completed service as chair of the Hispanic Caucus, American Association for Higher Education. He also served as the founding dean of the National Hispanic Corporate Council Institute, from 1995 to 1999. He is the Founding president of the American Association for Hispanics in Higher Education. Dr. Olivas is the secretary-treasurer for Project ChalleNGe Foundation, a director of the U.S/Mexico Solidarity Foundation, a board member of Angelita's Amigos, Inc., and a board member of St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center Foundation. Since 1999, he has authored the annual DATOS Report, Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Olivas is formerly a member of the Phoenix Bank Advisory - Wells Fargo Bank, Arizona, and also a former cabinet member, Valley of the Sun United Way. He is a retired colonel from the Arizona Air National Guard, having served a distinguished military career for 29 years. For the past 15 years, Dr. Olivas has served as the assistant vice president for academic affairs at ASU.

E-mail Loui Olivas

James H. Rike

James and his wife/partner Loida are the owners of CalibeR Construction, Inc., a licensed commercial and residential general contractor. CalibeR is a 17 year-old firm, established in 1991. With over 28 years of local experience as a general builder, he and Loida have created a well respected reputation as construction entrepreneurs. He and Loida are also the Owners of JJELO, LLC, a real estate development firm. CalibeR and JJELO specialize in commercial projects; commercial buildings/facilities, commercial renovations and tenant improvements. CalibeR's and JJELO's office are in Phoenix where most of their projects are performed. CalibeR also builds high-end custom homes.

James is a native Arizonan, born in Globe, and has lived in Arizona for over 50 years. His family has been in Arizona since the 1940's. His mother is an immigrant from Chihuahua, Mexico, his father from Ohio. James graduated from Phoenix College with a degree in Fine Art and attended Bethany Bible College in Santa Cruz, California, with minors in Religious Studies. He is a local graduate of West Phoenix High School, year 1972. James has also completed the advanced curriculum training from Landmark Education.

James is a member of Valley Partnership and has served on its Board of Directors. He is a member of several local associations and is past President of Profit Business Association, a 30-year old Phoenix Business Club.

CalibeR Construction has been cited with many local awards having been involved in serving the Phoenix Metropolitan communities' based companies, contributing too many local non-profits with construction services, work, assistance, donations and in-kind contributions throughout the years.

E-mail James H. Rike

Frank X. Coumides

Frank X. Coumides has been an influential figure within the banking and financial industry throughout the southwest. As senior vice president of lending for Sonoran Bank, Frank is responsible for adminstering credit, underwriting and overall portfolio management. Frank has been a vital figure in the formation and expansion of the bank, having joined the institution in 2005 prior to it’s opening in 2006. Frank has more than 15 years of experience working in the financial services industry. He has assisted numerous business owners manage their total financial relationship. His areas of expertise include structuring, negotiating and underwriting financing agreements.

Prior to joining Sonoran Bank, Frank was a vice president at Wells Fargo, where he had a distinguished career in business banking and branch administration. While there, he helped design and implement a strategy to penetrate the growing Hispanic market in Phoenix. Frank is an Arizona native and is fluent in Spanish. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Arizona State University and graduated from the premier national graduate school of banking, the Pacific Coast Banking School, in 2004.

He is an active member of the Arizona Mexico Commission, Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Governor’s Latino Advisory Council, a Board Member of Exito, Inc. and serves on the Small Business Finance CDC Loan Committee.

E-mail Frank X. Coumides