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The Valley 200 – 2024

This year’s edition of the Valley 200 has been the most exciting and challenging to date. With continued market growth and industry expansions throughout our five-Valley region, identifying the 200 leaders making the biggest impact was a game of inches.

It takes a village, or in this case, it takes an entire media company staff, thousands of dedicated readers and countless community partners. Our research and editorial teams have gone deeper into the talent pool, into the Valleys and into our Community of Business™ to identify this year’s elite picks.

With a redesign and expanded write-ups throughout, this year’s Valley 200 hits home on all fronts. Take our cover subjects as example; four industry professionals making an impact in health care, insurance and advisory services, education and workforce development and nonprofit and social work. Many thanks to Michelle Gaskill-Hames, Michael Olenick, Danone Simpson, and Chandra Subramanian, for being a part of this special cover shoot.

Thank you to “the village” which makes up the Inside The Valley team: Interim Editor Hannah Welk, Creative and Production Director Nina Bays, Advertising Director Eva Juse, National Advertising Director Ellen Mazen, Director of Events and Marketing Victoria Haney, Controller Ryan Hunter and Audience Development & Circulation Director Mikel Petrossian.

Lastly, I appreciate and thank all of our amazing marketing partners who’ve chosen to invest in our readers through advertisements in this special edition and throughout the year. Special thanks to Valley 200 sponsors: Ballard Rosenberg Golper & Savitt LLP, David Nazarian College of Business and Economics, Equity Union Real Estate, Kaiser Permanente, Mission Valley Bank, Poms and UCLA Health.

View the Valley 200 Class of 2024 below:

Business & Industry

Finance & Insurance

Government & Education

Health Care

Nonprofits & Business Organizations

Professional & Advisory Services

Real Estate, Construction & Engineering

Valley 200 – 2024: Raul Anaya

President of Business Banking, President for Greater Los Angeles Region, Bank of America

Anaya is president and co-head of business banking at Bank of America and is a member of the company’s executive management team. Together with his co-head Sharon Miller, he leads a nationwide team that serves 11 million business owner clients and more than 3.4 million startup to mid-sized businesses with annual revenues up to $50 million. He is also the president of Bank of America for Greater Los Angeles and oversees the bank’s local corporate and social responsibility activities. Additionally, Anaya sits on Bank of America’s Global Diversity & Inclusion Council and advises its Hispanic-Latino Executive Council. Anaya serves on the boards of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and AltaMed Health Services Foundation.

Valley 200 – 2024: Paula Bahamon

Vice President, Community Development Manager, Mission Valley Bank

As a vice president and community development manager at Mission Valley Bank in Sun Valley, Bahamon assists small- to mid-sized companies in growing their businesses. Bahamon’s responsibilities also include providing community outreach in an advisory capacity to educate business owners about financial literacy. Prior to her current role, she was a founding member of the Small Business Banking Program for Bank of America in 2010. She serves on the boards of MEND – Meet Each Need with Dignity and TMC Community Capital. She is on the advisory board of NEW Women’s Business Center and previously was on the advisory board of Woodbury University’s School of Management and was on the board of governors of the Valley Economic Alliance.

Valley 200 – 2024: Roberto Barragán

Managing Director, Icon CDC

As managing director of ICON CDC, Barragán oversees the largest small business assistance organization in the San Fernando Valley. Over the last two years, Barragán has secured over $4.5 million in grants to support client growth, sidewalk vending and business incubation programs. Most recently, he started a new Valley-based $400,000 small business micro loan fund. He is the executive director of the California Community Economic Development Association. For the past seven years, Barragán has served as the principal of Aquaria Funding Solutions, which seeks to expand community development financial institutions of color. Barragán is also on the board of the Valley Industry & Commerce Association.

Valley 200 – 2024: Victor Berrellez

Vice President – Commercial Banking Relationship Manager, US Bank

As vice president and commercial banking relationship manager at U.S. Bank, Berrellez works with middle-market companies to enhance their profitability and maximize their cash flow. Berrellez has over 30 years of experience in commercial banking. Prior to joining U.S. Bank, he worked for Bank of America and California United Bank, where he served as vice president and relationship manager. He also held management roles at American Business Bank and City National Bank. He is a two-time chair and current board member at the Valley Industry & Commerce Association. He has also served on the board of St. Cyril of Jerusalem Catholic School and as chair of the board of directors of Valley Community Healthcare.

Valley 200 – 2024: David Bonrouhi

Co-Founder, Managing Director, Calabasas Capital

Bonrouhi co-founded the boutique investment banking advisory firm Calabasas Capital in 2009. He serves as managing director of the firm, which focuses on sell- and buy-side mergers and acquisitions and private equity and debt capital raising in the lower middle market for family-held and other entrepreneur-led, privately-owned companies. Bonrouhi earned an MBA in finance and entrepreneurial studies from UCLA and a Master of Accountancy from Miami University in Ohio. He began his investment banking career at Merrill Lynch in New York after becoming a CPA while at PriceWaterhouse. He later worked in private equity for UnionBanCal Equities. He is active with the Association for Corporate Growth and other groups.

Valley 200 – 2024: Laine Caspi

Owner, Paratus Insurance

Caspi has owned Paratus Insurance Services since 2010. Located in Granada Hills, the company looks for specially designed programs for personal and commercial lines of insurance to best fit the needs of its clients. Prior to opening Paratus Insurance, Caspi owned Parents of Invention. She is currently on the boards of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Devonshire PALS, where she is a past president and the Granada Hills Community Foundation. She’s also a former president of the Rotary Club of Grenada Hills and the Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce. During the Covid pandemic, she trained volunteers and oversaw the collection and distribution of masks to Valley hospitals and delivered meals to Northridge and West Hills hospitals.

Valley 200 – 2024: Robin Choi

Region Executive, Senior Vice President, Wells Fargo

Choi was named region executive and senior vice president of Wells Fargo’s Southland Valley region in 2024. He previously served as regional banking director, where he oversaw more than 850 Wells Fargo banking professionals at 89 branches across the cities of Los Angeles, Ventura, Oxnard and the San Fernando Valley. He began his career at the company in 2003 as a registered personal banker and has held several leadership roles, including business development officer, district manager and area president. Choi was instrumental in founding the Wells Fargo Team Member Network chapter Asian Connection in Philadelphia, which promotes building and sustaining a diverse and inclusive workplace.

Valley 200 – 2024: Armida Colmenares-Stafford

First Vice President, Pacific Premier Bank

Colmenares-Stafford is first vice president/senior relationship manager for Pacific Premier Bank in the San Fernando Valley, a position she’s held since joining the bank in 2020. During her more than 30 years of commercial banking experience, she has held various senior management positions at national, regional and community banks in the greater L.A. area. Prior to joining Pacific Premier Bank, she was senior vice president/regional manager of Commercial Bank of California and senior vice president of commercial banking and community relations at Pan American Bank. She was the first Latina chair of the United Chambers of Commerce, a coalition of 32 business organizations, including 19 chambers in the Valley.

Valley 200 – 2024: Stephen Davis

Managing Director, Wealth Management, UBS

Davis has been in wealth management since 1994 and is managing director of wealth management and senior portfolio manager for UBS Financial Services in Westlake Village. Davis joined UBS in 2014 and manages proprietary model portfolios and investment strategies for his clients’ unique needs and goals. He holds a Certified Investment Management Analyst designation from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and serves on the board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley and is on the alumni board at UC-Santa Barbara.