Bank Officers
Senior Vice President of Operations
602.280.9415 | fsmith@republicaz.com
Ben Van Horn
Senior Vice President, Commercial Banker
602.280.9420 | bvanhorn@republicaz.com
Senior Vice President, Treasury Management Officer
602.280.9421 | kvitkovich@republicaz.com
Todd Grady
Vice President, Portfolio Manager
602.280.9417 | tgrady@republicaz.com
Karen Hanson
Vice President, Gilbert Branch Manager
602.280.9442 | khanson@republicaz.com
Vice President, Compliance Officer
602.280.9409 | rkaiser@republicaz.com
Nicole Kleinschmidt
602.280.9427 | nkleinschmidt@republicaz.com
Vice President, Scottsdale Branch Manager
Kristen McLean
Vice President, Commercial Banker
602.280.9434 | kmclean@republicaz.com
Vice President, Portfolio Manager
602.280.9406 | psutter@republicaz.com
Jonathan Bennett
Assistant Vice President, Phoenix Branch Manager
602.280.9410 | jbennett@republicaz.com
Melissa Roberson
Assistant Vice President, Loan Documentation Officer
602.280.9428 | mroberson@republicaz.com
Board of Directors
Alan L. Sparks, Chairman
Alan is owner and president of Gemma Companies, LLC, providing specialized business and professional management services. Alan has served on the board since 2013, during which time the bank has greatly benefited from his executive management experience, financial analysis expertise, and strong technological background. As a business owner, Alan brings a valuable perspective to help guide the Bank’s vision to support local businesses as a premier Arizona business bank. Alan graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in Business Administration and earned his MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. He has taken post-graduate courses at UCLA in corporate finance, and mergers and acquisitions.
Greatest Professional Accomplishment Thus Far: Launching Gemma Companies in 2000, and more recently Ocean Rescue Spa Products, a premium seaweed-based skin care line.
Camala C. Bailey, CPA, CVA
Camala is the founder and president of Camala C. Baily, CPA, PC, a Certified Public Accounting firm in Tempe, Arizona specializing in helping veterinarians nationwide become even more successful. A board member since 2009, Camala’s keen financial aptitude has been a great asset to the board and the bank. An entrepreneur herself, she brings a unique set of skills that continually help the Bank refine its focus on supporting the financial needs of local businesses. Camala has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an Emphasis in Accounting.
Greatest Professional Accomplishment Thus Far: Taking her business from being just another CPA firm to a boutique firm serving veterinarians only with clients throughout the United States.
Christian C.M. Beams
Chris is a seasoned business attorney and member of Clark Hill, a full service law firm with offices throughout the United States and abroad, practicing in the areas of complex business law and dispute resolution. He works with business entities of all shapes and sizes, from small startups (for whom he often serves in an outside general counsel role) to large regional and national companies. Chris joined the board in 2013, and currently chairs the Bank’s loan committee and serves on its Audit/Risk Management and Marijuana Related Businesses committees. As an attorney, he is honored and humbled to have been recognized as AV Preeminent Rated by Martindale Hubbell (peer rated for the highest level of professional excellence) and selected to Super Lawyers (based on peer recognition and professional achievement) for the last several years. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and his law degree from the Maurer School of Law at Indiana University.
Greatest Professional Accomplishment Thus Far: After an early and rewarding career in BigLaw, Chris spent nearly a decade running his own firm in 2015 under the philosophy that a business attorney should be a trusted resource, not a painful line item. He recently returned to the large law firm model using the same philosophical approach.
Regina L.R. Edwards, Ph.D.
Regina is an experienced leader with a strong background in outreach, education and the social sector. She recently served as the CEO of the Arizona YWCA Metropolitan Phoenix, and continues her involvement through a number of volunteer leadership roles. She is a founding member of the board, joining in 2007 when the Bank was chartered. Her intimate knowledge of the community offers insight to helping the Bank support local business owners and the community. Regina holds bachelor and master degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Ph.D. from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Greatest Professional Accomplishment Thus Far: Attending college as a first generation student and achieving a doctoral degree while working and raising a family.
Judy A. Lynn
Judy is the managing member of 831 Investors, LLC, a property management corporation. She has served on the Board since 2012, fostering strong relationships between the Bank’s shareholders and the Board. A dedicated advocate, Judy makes it her mission to continually look for opportunities to grow the Bank’s deposit and business relationships. She is a seasoned volunteer who endlessly contributes her time and talents in support of our local communities. Judy has both a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Communication Studies from Arizona State University.
Greatest Professional Accomplishment Thus Far: Creating the Ed and Judy Lynn Scholarship at ASU in memory of Judy’s late husband. Since 2012, the scholarship has been awarded to seven deserving individuals in the Master’s program of Communication Studies as ASU’s West campus.
Maggie Sanchez
Maggie is CEO of Digital Impact, a tech and venture capital consultancy focused on driving innovation, mentoring start-ups CEOs, and building community partnerships to foster economic development and business growth. A dynamic global operator, Maggie brings extensive executive leadership experience to the board, having helped thousands of businesses of all sizes digitally transform, managed global sales revenues of $40B, and led a global portfolio of channel partners that has influenced over $100 billion through ecosystems. Passionate about building equitable systems for Arizona’s local businesses to create a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable Arizona economy, she also serves as a strategic advisor for the Arizona Venture Development Corporation and is an Entrepreneur-In-Residence for the Arizona Commerce Authority.
Scarlett Spring
Scarlett Spring is President and Chief Commercial Officer of VisionGate, an oncology pharmaceutical and diagnostics company focused on the prevention of cancer deaths through early cancer interception. A board member since 2014, Scarlett brings extensive executive leadership experience to the board, having led both lean organizations with less than 20 people to large Fortune 100 companies. With an extensive resume of board appointments, community leadership positions, and economic development experience, Scarlett provides valuable insight to help the Bank achieve its mission to be Arizona’s premier community business bank. She has a BBA in marketing from the University of Texas at Austin and an Executive MBA from Pepperdine University.
Greatest Professional Accomplishment Thus Far: Being named one of Arizona Business Magazine’s 50 Most Influential Women.
Brian Ruisinger
Brian is President and CEO of Republic Bank of Arizona. He has over 25 years of banking experience in Arizona.
