The Heart of Community Banking

Sally Frey embodies what it means to be a community banker.
A native Californian and long-time North Bay resident, Sally has been in banking for more than 40 years and has dedicated her career to helping others. Whether that is in her role as the Branch Manager in Santa Rosa or in her work supporting nonprofit organizations, Sally demonstrates her commitment to the community every day.

In her words, “Bank of Marin really walks the walk when it comes to giving back. It is a wonderful, supportive environment where we are encouraged to volunteer significant time for organizations we care about and we are acknowledged for our participation.”

Sally helped open Bank of Marin’s Santa Rosa office more than eight years ago. In addition to her customer-facing and managerial duties at the branch, she is an active volunteer with the Luther Burbank Home and Gardens, one of the oldest historic properties in Santa Rosa. Sally contributes significant hours every year working at the museum there and helping to raise funds to maintain Burbank’s home as a resource for the community. Sally has also participated in financial literacy education programs for the Lime Foundation’s NextGen Trades Academy, a Santa Rosa youth development program in the trades work she finds particularly gratifying.

On December 18, Sally will be participating in the “Secret Santa” fundraising marathon on Santa Rosa’s local radio station KVST. As part of her time on air, she gets to choose a song which she says will be “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” For Sally, the traditional tune speaks to the importance of being with family during the holidays.

Santa Rosa has changed a lot in Sally’s time in the community, but the goodness has stayed the same. “I love the beauty of Santa Rosa and the community has shown its true colors by being strong and resilient during tough times. I don’t want to live or work anywhere else.”

Pictured: Mary Bigelow, Redwood Empire Food Bank and Sally Frey, Bank of Marin