FINANCE

Griselda Middleton and Mary Ayala are new hires with Big Valley Mortgage in Madera, with Middleton as a loan officer and Ayala as a senior loan officer.

Sen. Andy Vidak (R-Hanford) announced that Lyndsay Mitchell has been hired as the legislative director of his Capital office. Mitchell has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Gettysburg College with a double major in political science and globalization studies. Most recently, she worked as the legislative director for Assembly member David Hadley where she managed his legislative package and staffed committees and Assembly floor votes.

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GOVERNMENT

Clovis City Manager Rob Woolley has announced the appointments of Jay Schengel as the new finance director and Shonna Halterman as the new general services director to become effective Jan. 1, 2017. The new directors are filling vacancies left by the retirements of the former Directors Jamie Hughson and Robert Ford.

BANKING

Vernon M. Crowder, a senior vice president & senior analyst with the Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory department for Rabobank, Madera, announced he is retiring this week to pursue a lifelong goal of a career in public and/or community service. Crowder joined Rabobank in 2010, and before that served as an agricultural economist for Bank of America for 11 years.

Rosa Compean has been appointed assistant vice president-senior mortgage consultant with Union Bank in Fresno. Bilingual in English and Spanish, Compean brings more than 15 years of banking and lending experience.

Central Valley Community Bank in Madera announced that Joseph Agassi has been appointed as vice president, commercial relationship officer, at the Modesto office. He brings more than 15 years of sales and community banking experience.

EDUCATION

Bitwise co-founder and CEO Irma Olguin Jr. has been appointed to the University Advisory Board at Fresno State by President Joseph I. Castro. The board is a panel of community members who assist the university in carrying out its mission by providing advice and counsel to the president.