Even though he graduated from Santa Clara University with degrees in history and agribusiness, Dennis Pedisich has always worked professionally as a banker. “It was a tough economic environment then [in the late 1970s], and one of the few industries hiring was banks. My first job was as an agricultural loan officer in Fresno. Here I am, 31 years later, still in banking.”
Originally from Sacramento, Pedisich brought his family (wife Colleen and sons Nick and Brett) to Napa in 1986 when he was transferred by Bank of America from Yuba City. In 2001, he was asked to serve as president/CEO of the newly forming Napa Community Bank. “I became [the bank’s] first employee after a great deal of due diligence and soul searching,” he says. “It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
I’ve had many nicknames over the years, probably because people have a difficult time pronouncing my last name. Just recently, I was at a Giants game and I ran into a classmate whom I hadn’t seen since college. Immediately it was “Pedder, it’s great to see you!” His nickname was Goose, and that’s what I immediately called him. The best part is, we both recognized each other after 34 years.
Describe a favorite relative.
My brother-in-law is positive, a good listener, has a great sense of humor and is a great and caring uncle to my sons. And we can talk sports!
Do you have a lifelong dream or ambition?
In late September, my family and I went on an East Coast baseball tour. We traveled to six different major league ballparks, including Yankee Stadium and Fenway, and spent two days at the baseball Hall of Fame. [He’s pictured here with memorabilia from the trip.]
How many bones have you broken?
None, but I’ve had three surgeries on my right knee. I first injured it playing softball in my mid 20s. Over the years, I’ve hurt the same knee playing basketball, tennis, and dancing (that’s another story).
How comfortable are you with uncertainty?
I don’t do so well with uncertainty. I’m not a gambler—I’d guess that should make my banking clients happy. The state of the economy right now is full of uncertainty, and it’s caused me some sleepless nights.
What section of the newspaper do you turn to first?
I turn first to the business section and then to the sports page.
If you could have a different career than the one you have now, what would it be?
Some of my greatest memories are when I coached my sons in Little League, so I think I’d like to be a major league baseball coach. Of course, managing a team at that level may not be all that much fun, especially if you aren’t winning. And getting the players’ commitment might be tough, due to the tremendous salaries they’re being paid. Now that I talked myself out of that, my new career would be coaching baseball at the collegiate level.
What was the stupidest thing you did in college?
When I was a junior in college, I studied abroad in Rome. One evening, after drinking a little too much, my roommates and I decided to play a practical joke on the girls in the dorm room next door. I don’t exactly remember what we had in mind, but it involved climbing out of our window and walking along a narrow ledge four stories up to get to their window.
What was your first job?
Other than mowing lawns when I was a kid, my first job was covering high school football games for the Sacramento Bee. I was a junior in high school.
What’s your secret vice food?
I can’t stay away from chips—potato, tortilla, whatever. It doesn’t matter.
When was the last time you gave a speech or presentation?
Just recently, I had the honor of presenting a proclamation from Congressman Mike Thompson to educator, coach and devoted family man Frank Humpert. There were about 250 people in attendance, and the proceeds benefitted the Napa Valley College Foundation. I’m in the middle of serving a two-year term as the Foundation’s president. The whole evening was a huge success.
Describe one of your happiest life moments.
Every year, we go to the University of California family camp, called the Lair of the Bear, up in the Sierra Nevadas above Sonora. We’ve now gone 17 years in a row. The entire family goes, including my brother and sister-in-law (my son, Brett, has worked there the last four summers), and we meet up with other good friends from Napa and Sacramento. It’s a week away from the hustle and bustle of running a bank, and the camp makes me feel young again—although I always come home with some sore muscles.
