Officers and Board of Directors
John E. Dalby
President/Chief Executive OfficerMr. Dalby is a graduate of Northwest Christian University/University of Oregon where he received his Bachelor of Science/Business Administration Finance Degree in 1982. Mr. Dalby’s graduate work was done at the Pacific Coast Banking School (University of Washington) where he graduated with honors in 1996. With a more than 35 year career in banking, 10 of which was with Humboldt Bank in Eureka. Mr. Dalby left Humboldt Bank in 2002 to join a group of local individuals in an effort to bring community banking back to Humboldt County. Redwood Capital Bank opened in 2004.
Throughout his career Mr. Dalby has been active in the communities he lived in, serving on boards and committees of numerous service organizations including: the St. Joseph Hospital Board of Trustees, Eureka Chamber of Commerce, Ingomar Club, Redwood Region Economic Development Commission, Rotary Club of Southwest Eureka, City of Eureka Housing Advisory Board, The Salvation Army, American Cancer Society, Humboldt Senior Resource Center and the Christian Youth Fund. Mr. Dalby and his wife Susan reside in Eureka and have two children and six grandchildren.
Tammy Brown
Senior Vice President/Chief Credit OfficerTammy Brown was raised in Humboldt County. She brings with her 30+ years of banking and lending experience, as well as a deeply-rooted knowledge of Humboldt County and its business culture.
Ms. Brown is a 2014 graduate of the prestigious Pacific Coast Banking School in Seattle, Washington and has been Redwood Capital Bank’s Chief Credit Officer since 2015. She is a true believer in community banking and committed to reinvesting local deposits back into the community, one loan – one customer at a time.
Ms. Brown has been a long-time supporter of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Humboldt, serving in a variety of capacities at the Board level. Other current civic involvement includes Humboldt County Headwaters Fund Board member and member of Humboldt Women for Wellness, a group whose mission is to invest in our community’s health and well-being through philanthropy, education and leadership. She and her husband Ron reside in Fortuna and have two children.
Renee Byers
Senior Vice President/Chief Financial OfficerRenee Byers was raised in Humboldt County. She has 25 years of banking experience, including the areas of Customer Service, Back Office Support, Human Resources and Controller. Ms. Byers previously served as Redwood Capital Bank’s VP/Controller since 2008. In 2018, Ms. Byers graduated from the prestigious Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington.
Ms. Byers was a long-time volunteer with the Harbor Lanes Youth Bowlers and the Redwood Empire Little League. She currently serves as a Commissioner with the Housing Authority of the City of Eureka.
Jennifer Budwig
Senior Vice President/Chief Lending OfficerHumboldt County native Jennifer Budwig is a graduate of Humboldt State University. She earned her degree in Business Management in 1989. Additionally, Ms. Budwig is a graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School, graduating in 2011 in the top 10% of her class. She is the Chief Lending Officer for Redwood Capital Bank, bringing with her 30 years of banking experience.
Ms. Budwig’s civic involvement includes: Eureka Chamber of Commerce Board member, Northern California Community Blood Bank Board member, Eureka Rotary Club, Humboldt State University Business MBA Advisory Board, Fortuna High School FFA Advisory Board, Ingomar Club Board of Directors and serves on the Loan Committee for the Redwood Region Economic Development Commission.
She and her husband reside in Ferndale.
Dave Tierney
Senior Vice President/Chief Information OfficerEureka native Dave Tierney is a 1994 graduate of the University of Idaho and a 2022 graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington. Dave began his banking career in 1996 and was Redwood Capital Bank’s Information Technology Director from 2006-2021 before being named Chief Information Officer in 2022. Dave and his wife Kristin reside in Eureka, and have 5 children.
Stephanie Bye
Senior Vice President, Chief Risk OfficerStephanie Bye was raised in Northern California. She is the Chief Risk Officer for Redwood Capital Bank, bringing with her nearly 15 years of financial experience.
Stephanie has received her Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) designation, along with the Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM) designations. Stephanie also received certification as a Certified Enterprise Risk Professional (CERP). She holds a Bachelor of Arts in law and society and a Master of Science in accountancy. Most recently, Ms. Bye is a member of the 2024 graduating class of Pacific Coast Banking School (PCBS) at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business. There, Ms. Bye graduated at the top of her class, receiving the Kermit O. Hanson Award of Excellence. Additionally, she was named to their honor roll, representing the top 10% of the class.
Ms. Bye relocated to Humboldt County, California from Vancouver, Washington. Her financial career began in 2010 working as a Risk Management Examiner for the Federal Deposit Insurance Commission (FDIC). She held the position of Senior Vice President, Risk Management Officer at Pacific Valley Bank, Senior Director, Compliance for First Technology FCU and most recently, Senior Vice President, Financial Crimes at Quontic Bank.
Stephanie has many hobbies, including, knitting, crocheting and reading. She and her husband, Jeff are racing enthusiasts and enjoy traveling to new racetracks. Their cat, Gretzky is named after another of their favorite sports – hockey! Stephanie and her husband, Jeff are happy to call Eureka their new home.
V. Tyrone Champ
Originally from Sacramento, California, Mr. Champ graduated from Sonoma State University in 2006, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting. Following graduation, he worked several years in public accounting in the Sacramento region. Mr. Champ moved to Humboldt County in November, 2010. He went on to obtain his license as a Certified Public Accountant in 2012 while working with a prominent local accounting firm. In August of 2019, Mr. Champ opened his own firm, Champ CPA Group in Eureka, California.
Mr. Champ also enjoys serving and interacting with the local community. He has been a member of the Southwest Eureka Rotary Club since November, 2014, where he has served on the Board of Directors for several years in various positions and continues to work closely with the Youth Services. Mr. Champ and his significant other Esther, live in McKinleyville and have five children between them.
John E. Dalby
President/Chief Executive OfficerMr. Dalby is a graduate of Northwest Christian University/University of Oregon where he received his Bachelor of Science/Business Administration Finance Degree in 1982. Mr. Dalby’s graduate work was done at the Pacific Coast Banking School (University of Washington) where he graduated with honors in 1996. With a more than 35 year career in banking, 10 of which was with Humboldt Bank in Eureka. Mr. Dalby left Humboldt Bank in 2002 to join a group of local individuals in an effort to bring community banking back to Humboldt County. Redwood Capital Bank opened in 2004.
Throughout his career Mr. Dalby has been active in the communities he lived in, serving on boards and committees of numerous service organizations including: the St. Joseph Hospital Board of Trustees, Eureka Chamber of Commerce, Ingomar Club, Redwood Region Economic Development Commission, Rotary Club of Southwest Eureka, City of Eureka Housing Advisory Board, The Salvation Army, American Cancer Society, Humboldt Senior Resource Center and the Christian Youth Fund. Mr. Dalby and his wife Susan reside in Eureka and have two children and six grandchildren.
John J. Gierek, Jr.
Mr. Gierek received his Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from The University of Texas at Austin. He was a Personal Banking Manager with Texas Commerce Bank in Austin, Texas from 1984 until 1989. Mr. Gierek has been the President of Humboldt Moving & Storage Co., Inc. in Eureka, California since 1989.
Mr. Gierek’s civic involvement includes: Rotary Club of Eureka, Greater Eureka Chamber of Commerce, St. Joseph Hospital Foundation and Board of Trustees and St. Bernard High School. Additionally, Mr. Gierek served one year as a Director for Six Rivers Bank in Eureka, California. He and his wife Heather reside in Eureka and have five children.
Jennifer Harris
As President and CEO of AmHydro, Ms. Harris has a passion for changing food production throughout the world so that the food we grow is accessible to all communities around the globe and is grown in a sustainable way. She is a native of Northern California and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. After graduating, she lived and worked in Frankfurt, Germany before returning to California to work in the San Francisco financial district. In 2018 Jennifer was named Point Loma Nazarene University’s “Alumni of the Year”.
Ms. Harris has over 30 years of experience working in finance and strategy – from long-established General Electric to Silicon Valley start-ups, resulting in their rapid growth and constant innovation. While at GE Financial Assurance, Ms. Harris earned a “Black Belt” in Six Sigma business management strategy. This broad base of experience has given her the ability to bring best practices from many different industries directly to her Humboldt County business. In addition to her business experience, Jennifer is actively involved in the development of new products in her company’s Research and Development greenhouses.
Ms. Harris is active in community organizations working with youth and homelessness and has served on boards for various charitable organizations throughout her life. She currently sits on the Executive Committee of the Foundation Advancement Board for Humboldt State University.
J. William McAuley
ChairmanMr. McAuley graduated with honors from Humboldt State University in 1983 where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting. He is a Certified Public Accountant and Partner in the firm Demello, McAuley, McReynolds & Holland, LLP, Certified Public Accountants in Eureka, California. Mr. McAuley is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Mr. McAuley’s civic involvement includes: board participation with the Greater Eureka Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club of Eureka, Rotary International District 5130, the Northern California Community Blood Bank, Humboldt Youth Soccer League and a number of other coaching and faith-based activities. Mr. McAuley and his wife Cynthia reside in Eureka and have two children.
Benjamin A. McWhorter, II
Ben McWhorter is a Humboldt County native. He graduated from Cal Poly University, San Luis Obispo where he received a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Science in 2002. Following graduation, he attended Chico State University obtaining a teaching credential.
Mr. McWhorter taught Agriculture Education for seven years at Ferndale High School.
Currently, Mr. McWhorter is a part-owner in Sequoia Lp Gas Company, a family business since 1941. Mr. McWhorter’s civic involvement includes, past President of the Redwood Memorial Hospital Foundation, past Chairman of the Western Propane Gas Association, Fortuna Rodeo Association Director, Fortuna Junior Rodeo President, Humboldt County Aviation Advisory Committee and Humboldt County Fair Junior Livestock Auction Board. Ben is involved with the Fortuna Chamber of Commerce and enjoys coaching youth sports.
He is a fourth generation resident of Humboldt County. Ben and his wife, Sarah live in Fortuna and have two sons.
W. Timothy Needham
Humboldt County native, W. Timothy Needham graduated magna cum laude from Humboldt State University in 1977. He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Davis in 1980, where he was a member of the Law Review. Mr. Needham joined the Janssen Law Firm in Eureka, California in 1981, following service as a law clerk to the Alaska courts. He served as a member of the Judicial Council Committee on Uniform Local Rules and is a member of the State Bar of California and the U.S. District Court for the Northern, Eastern, Southern and Central Districts of California. He is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.
Mr. Needham’s civic involvement includes: past president of the Humboldt County Bar Association, director of KEET Public Television and director of Consumer Attorneys of California. In 2010, Mr. Needham was selected for the California Lawyer of the Year Award for 2010 by California Lawyer magazine. In 2011 he was one of six California lawyers to be named Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Public Justice Foundation. Mr. Needham and his wife Susan reside in Trinidad and have two children.
K. Jeff Nelson
Mr. Nelson is a graduate of Stanford University where he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering in 1977. He is a registered professional engineer with SHN Consulting Engineers and Geologists in Eureka, California. Mr. Nelson joined the firm in 1979 and has served as CEO since 2001. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the National Society of Professional Engineers.
Mr. Nelson’s community involvement has included the Rotary Club of Fortuna Sunrise, Past President, serving on the Boards of St. Joseph and Redwood Memorial Hospitals, Humboldt County Workforce Development Board, Fortuna Union High School, and Humboldt County Office of Education. Mr. Nelson is a fifth generation resident of Humboldt County. He and his wife Sherry reside in Fortuna and have one daughter.
Michele D. Rieke
Michele D. Rieke is a Humboldt County native, graduating from Eureka High School in 1979. For the last 28 years, Michele has worked at St. Joseph Hospital, most recently as the Director of Human Resources serving both St. Joseph and Redwood Memorial Hospitals She received her Professional in Human Resources certification in 2010 and her Senior Professional in Human Resources in 2013. Ms. Rieke is a member of the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) and the Northern California Human Resources Association (NCHRA).
Ms. Rieke serves on the Board of Directors for North Coast Dance and is active in the community. She and her husband Jack reside in Eureka. They have two children and two grandchildren.
Steven M. Strombeck
Vice ChairmanMr. Strombeck attended Humboldt State University for two years then transferred to Sacramento State University, graduating in 1982 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Management. He obtained his Contractors License in 1982 and has worked since that time as a developer/contractor. Mr. Strombeck is a licensed contractor and is the President of Strombeck Construction and owner of Strombeck Properties.
Mr. Strombeck currently serves on the Salvation Army Board of Directors and was appointed by the mayor to sit on the Board of Appeals for the City of Eureka where he has served for the past 10 years. Mr. Strombeck is active in his church and is currently the Chairman of the Board for Redwood Teen Challenge located in Eureka. Mr. Strombeck and his wife Tina reside in Eureka and have four children.