Philanthropist, banker and developer Michael Towbes dies at 87
Updated at 10 a.m. April 14: Michael Towbes, the tri-county region’s most prominent philanthropist, banker and real estate developer, whose influence spanned nearly six decades, died April 13. He was 87. “He passed away early this morning, surrounded by family, in peace,” said Towbes Group President Craig Zimmerman, in an email to the Business Read More →
QAD declares quarterly dividend
The board of directors for manufacturing software provider QAD, based in Santa Barbara, declared a quarterly dividend on April 13 for stockholders of record April 25. Stockholders will receive 7.2 cents for Class A common stock and 6 cents for Class B common stock, payable on May 2. • Contact Marissa Nall at mnall@pacbiztimes.com.
Santa Barbara County launches website registry for cannabis growers
Santa Barbara County has launched a website to register cannabis growing businesses. The registry, created by an ordinance passed April 11, does not collect information about individuals growing cannabis for personal use or the six plants allowed under the Health and Safety Code for medical marijuana patients. The information will be held on a secure Read More →
Ventura College President Greg Gillespie to become VCCCD chancellor
Ventura College President Greg Gillespie will become the next chancellor of the Ventura County Community College District, succeeding Bernard Luskin. Gillespie, who takes over on July 1, will oversee the Ventura, Oxnard and Moorpark college campuses, leading the largest system in the tri-county region with some 31,000 students. His appointment comes at a time Read More →
Simone Lagomarsino named president of California Bankers Association
Simone Lagomarsino, former president and CEO of Heritage Oaks Bancorp, has been named president of the California Bankers Association. The association made the announcement April 11. She will replace Rod Brown, who plans to retire after a decade at the helm of the organization. Lagomarsino joined Heritage Oaks in September 2011, with more than 20 Read More →
SBCAG upbeat on state funds for Highway 101 widening
More highway lanes, yes. Commuter trains, not so much. That was the word from Santa Barbara County Association of Governments Executive Director Marjie Kirn, who told business leaders on April 10 she’s optimistic that passage of a California transportation tax will fill a big part of the $300 million gap in funding for the Highway Read More →
PacWest Bancorp acquires CU Bancorp in $705 million deal
PacWest Bancorp has acquired CU Bancorp in a transaction valued at approximately $705 million. CU Bancorp, headquartered in Los Angeles, is the parent of California United Bank, which has branches in Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley. The bank has about $3 billion in assets and nine branches in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura and San Bernardino Read More →
