IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- First Foundation Inc. (NASDAQ: FFWM) (“First Foundation”), a financial services company with two wholly-owned operating subsidiaries, First Foundation Advisors and First Foundation Bank, announced the new municipal lending and public finance service offering with the appointment of Trevor Mael as Vice President, Director of Public Finance. In his new role, Mael will oversee the department for First Foundation Bank which seeks to add to its existing strong loan portfolio with a new public finance footprint.
“As First Foundation Bank continues to expand, we continue to search for service and product offerings that complement our existing capabilities,” said Scott F. Kavanaugh, CEO. “The opportunity to offer municipal lending and government banking is a nice fit with our Sacramento location and comes at a time when we found a proven and well-connected leader in Trevor to lead this effort.”
Mael began his 10-plus years banking career with Umpqua Bank, and grew to a role as a Vice President, Relationship Manager, where he managed the bank’s municipal finance portfolio. He has built a strong reputation as a banker committed to helping communities build and grow by utilizing bank-financing. He comes to First Foundation Bank with experience also as an operator in loan administration, underwriting and credit, allowing him to effectively manage the loan process from application to funding.
The new offering will seek to focus on community development projects such as schools, transportation, infrastructure improvements, economic development, and other major projects to help grow and enrich the community. The initial offering by First Foundation Bank will include general financing for the needs of cities, counties, and special purpose districts across the First Foundation Bank footprint.
“I am honored by this opportunity to work with a relationship-driven bank with so many strong resources to support the local communities. First Foundation Bank’s expansion into financing local projects will now bridge the gap to making integral investments into the communities in which our clients and team both live and work,” said Mael.
About First Foundation
First Foundation, a financial institution founded in 1990, provides private wealth management, personal banking, and business banking. The Company has offices in California, Nevada, and Hawaii with headquarters in Irvine, California. For more information, please visit www.firstfoundationinc.com.