Meet Our Team

Virginia Varela is the President of Golden Pacific Bank, a Sacramento based community bank with a mission of providing exceptional personal and business banking services and creating customer loyalty and satisfaction. Virginia is a seasoned banker with over 30 years of successful community banking experience, both as a bank executive and as a former banking regulator. Virginia held various positions of authority with regulatory agencies including the Federal Reserve Bank and the US Treasury Department. She was a manager of examinations and supervision, helped develop banking law, drafted Congressional presentations, and provided expertise to financial institutions of all complexities. After retirement from the Federal government, Virginia was President of San Luis Trust Bank in San Luis Obispo, CEO of the Bank of Rio Vista, and COO of the Bank of the Orient in San Francisco, responsible for managing ten branches, including three in Hawaii, and one in China.

In November 2018, Virginia was elected by California State banks and credit unions to represent them as a Director of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco.

Also, in addition to her Golden Pacific Bank CEO job, Virginia is the Vice President and Western Region lead representative for “Friends of Traditional Bankers.” Virginia also serves as a Director of the Western Bankers Association, and is a Committee Associate of the American Bankers Association.

In the Sacramento area, as of January 2019, Virginia is President of the Sacramento Philharmonic Symphony and Opera Board of Directors. Virginia is also a Director of the Sacramento Metro Chamber, and on the Advisory Board of the Sacramento State University Business University. Virginia is also President of Mercy Pedalers (support for those experiencing homelessness).