2024-2025 NEVADA BANKERS ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Scott Johnson is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Valley Bank of Nevada.  

Johnson brings more than 28 years of financial expertise to his role, with a background spanning local institutions and national firms. Since its inception, Johnson has been instrumental in shaping Valley Bank of Nevada. He designed the financial, information technology, operations and human resources foundations of the bank. A magna cum laude graduate from Southern Utah University, Johnson has remained actively engaged with his alma mater. He completed a three-year term on the board of trustees and served as president of the National Alumni Council from 2016 to 2019.

 Ivan Ferraz is a market executive and head of commercial banking for Nevada. Based  in Las Vegas, he leads a team of bankers in Reno and Las Vegas focused on middle  market and large corporate companies, both privately held and publicly traded,  across a wide variety of industries. He has 25 years of commercial banking  experience, 19 years with Wells Fargo. Before his current position, Ivan joined Wells Fargo Bank in early 2005 as a senior  relationship manager in the Arizona Middle Market Banking office. Subsequent to  that, in 2016, he was the West region trade services manager. In 2017, he was the  investor real estate leader for the Southwest region, responsible for helping real  estate investors succeed by providing innovative ideas and smart financial solutions. Ivan graduated from Universidade Estácio de Sá in Rio de Janeiro, with a bachelor’s  degree in hotel management. In the U.S., he attended California State University, Los  Angeles, and earned a bachelor of science degree in economics and international  business. He went on to attend University of La Verne in California, where he  graduated with an M.B.A. in finance and supply chain management. Ivan stays active in his community and is a board member of Nevada Bankers  Association and Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance. He is also a past board member  of Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. A Brazilian national, Ivan moved to the U.S. in 1992 and gained dual citizenship in  2002. In addition to English, he is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese 

David R. Navarro is a Las Vegas native born and raised. He currently works for Umpqua Bank as Market Director of Southern Nevada

 and is an Adjunct Professor of Finance at UNLV. David has spent the majority of his career in the field of commercial banking serving a diverse group of clients in the Las Vegas area as well as leading teams of commercial bankers. He started his career at a regional bank and has since worked for some of the largest banks in the country holding a variety of positions ranging from credit analyst to his current role.

David is a proud graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, holding his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in the field of accounting. He is also very involved in the banking industry and in his community. David currently serves in the following roles: 

 • Board Member & Vice Chairman for the Nevada Bankers Association 

• Founding Advisory Board member for UNLV’s Commercial Banking Program 

• Board Member for Special Olympics Nevada • Board Member & Treasurer for Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada  

• Board Member & President for the UNLV Alumni Association 

• Board Member & Treasurer for Nevada State University’s Lands Corporation 

• In December of 2022 David was appointed by the Governor to serve on the State’s Board of Finance and is currently serving a two-year term on the 5-person board chaired by the Governor.

Additionally, in 2022 David and his wife started The Navarro Family Access for All Endowed Scholarship at UNLV to help provide needed financial support to first generation college students.

Outside of work, David spends most of his time with his wife, Marvelyn, and their two children, Mia Isabella (7) and Christian Alexander (4). His hobbies include fast cars, heavy metal, working out, traveling, going to concerts & comedy shows, and spending time with family & friends. 

Carolyn Crockett is President and Chief Credit Officer for First Security Bank of Nevada. Carolyn brings more than forty years of experience in the banking industry, with particular emphasis and expertise in commercial, real estate, small business and government guaranteed lending. She has lived in Las Vegas since 1989 and has held various positions at small community banks, regional banks and large national banks. Carolyn is a graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School, a graduate-level executive leadership and financial management education program at the University of Washington. Carolyn was recently appointed to and is serving a two-year term for the FDIC Advisory Committee on Community Banking, a cohort of community bankers from around the country who weigh in on a range of community bank policy and regulatory matters.

Spencer Hafen is the President CEO of Nevada Bank and Trust. 

A native Nevadan. He has worked with Nevada Bank and Trust since 2010. Prior to 2010 Hafen owned and operated an own consulting firm. He has served as a Lincoln County Commissioner, a trustee of Gover C. Dills Medical Center, and board member of various community organizations. Hafen was appointed the President and CEO of Nevada Bank and Trust in 2015. 

BJ North, Executive Vice President & Chief Banking Officer of Plumas Bank as one of 2019’s Sierra Nevada Powerful Matriarchs. Joining Plumas Bank in 2008, BJ oversees its retail network, commercial loan group & marketing. BJ is a shining example of Plumas Bank’s motto: “Here. For Good”. Every waking moment BJ is making the world a better place, whether for the betterment of Plumas Bank; for a nonprofit such as the International Women’s Forum, American Heart Association-Northern Nevada, or the SPCA of Northern Nevada, or for a friend in need. Prior to Plumas bank, BJ was the Chief Advancement officer for Truckee Meadows Community College. BJ North is the recipient of The Jefferson Award, which honors community volunteerism. We look forward to honoring BJ tomorrow at the 2nd Annual Sierra Nevada  

As the president of Las Vegas Market Executive, Global Commercial Banking

Bank of America, Al serves as the company’s enterprise leader in Las Vegas, working with company leaders across the market to help deliver Bank of America’s full range of global financial services. He also leads the Bank’s corporate social responsibility activities, including philanthropic giving, community development lending and investing, environmental initiatives, diversity efforts, arts and culture projects, and employee volunteerism. In addition to his responsibilities as Market President, Al is the Global Commercial Banking Market Executive for the Desert Mountain market, consisting of Nevada, Arizona, and Utah as well as the Company’s Commercial Gaming Business on a national basis. Welch is responsible for delivering the full breadth of the Bank’s products and advisory services to commercial companies (defined as public or private businesses with revenue of $50 million to $2 billion.) These services include credit and leasing, treasury and trade services, capital markets and investment banking, as well as investments and asset management. A native of Houston, Al was raised in Los Angeles, Houston and Melbourne, Australia. He earned Bachelor’s degrees in Finance and Marketing, and a Master of Finance degree from Texas A&M University. Al is a NASD Registered Principal with Series 7, 24 and 63 securities licenses. Al currently serves as a board member for Three Square and is a member of the UNLV College of Business Executive Advisory Board. Al also serves as an Executive sponsor of the Bank’s Native American Professionals Network and the Bank’s Nevada chapter of the Military Support and Advocacy Group. Al resides in Henderson, Nevada with his wife. 

Bill Paredes serves as Managing Director of Commercial Banking for Bank of Nevada. Mr. Paredes is remarkably successful in leading the Southern Nevada Corporate Banking Team that serves companies throughout Southern Nevada, including gaming and hospitality venues, contractors, manufacturers, healthcare organizations as well as high-net-worth individuals.  

Bill joined Bank of Nevada in 2000, and he has more than thirty (30) years of banking experience. Mr. Paredes also has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Dallas and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from the University of North Texas.  

Bill is a great supporter of the Las Vegas community. He is active in the community serving as Board Member and Treasurer for Goodwill of Southern Nevada and for Downtown Las Vegas Alliance. In addition, he serves as a Board Member for The Economic Club of Las Vegas.  

Executive Vice President, Northern Nevada Executive of Nevada State Bank. As a seasoned banking professional with more than 30 years’ experience, Rick Thomas knows how to meet the needs of businesses in the unique northern Nevada market, and he is dedicated to providing Nevada State Bank’s clients with an exceptional level of service. Rick has worked with clients in many different corporate sectors, with special emphasis on gaming loans. His experience includes commercial finance, corporate banking and treasury management for businesses, and wealth management for individuals. He is confident that he can work together with you to provide a full range of financial services for you and your company.    

As a resident of northern Nevada for more than 36 years, Rick enjoys giving back to his community. He currently serves on the board of directors for WIN (Western Industrial Nevada). Whenever possible, he takes advantage of Nevada’s world-famous outdoor lifestyle, including camping, hiking, fishing, and motorcycle riding. He also enjoys traveling to other parts of the world. Rick’s education includes a Bachelor’s degree in Managerial Sciences and Finance from the University of Nevada, Reno. 

 In his current role as the Divisional President for First Savings Bank, Robert leads the Nevada-Arizona region and is responsible for the strategic direction of First Saving Bank’s largest division.  Under his leadership, First Savings Bank was awarded as Financial Firm of the Year by NAIOP Southern Nevada in 2023 and 2024. 

Robert has twenty years of experience in the Financial Services industry with the majority of that experience in the Commercial Lending segment assisting a diverse group of entities.  

Robert was awarded the Millennium Scholarship to attend the University of Nevada – Las Vegas, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration (concentration: Finance). In 2014, Robert graduated with honors from the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado - Boulder. 

Robert has resided in Henderson, Nevada since 1996. Outside of the office, Robert enjoys spending time with his wife of 18 years and watching his son on the baseball diamond.

President, Chief Executive Officer
Toyota Financial Savings Bank (TFSB). TFSB provides banking services to Toyota, Lexus, and private label dealers and consumers. Bethel is responsible for leading all aspects of the TFSB organization, setting the bank’s strategy, overseeing operations, and promoting profitable growth.

Bethel initially joined Toyota Financial Services in 2003, performing risk management planning with an emphasis on financial hedging activities. After leaving the company for a few years, he returned in 2010, moving into leadership roles in areas across the organization. In 2019, Bethel was promoted to general manager of finance and business analytics, where he was responsible for both finance functions and analytics for the sales and marketing area. In 2021, he advanced to the level of vice president of voluntary protection products where he oversaw a business unit that generated $300M+ in annual operating income.

In 2022, Bethel was promoted to group vice president and chief social innovation officer for Toyota Motor North America (TMNA). In this crucial role, he oversaw TMNA’s strategic partnerships and philanthropic efforts. He subsequently also assumed the role of chief diversity officer. In this capacity, he led Toyota’s long-standing efforts to advance diversity and inclusion through an integrated, holistic strategy that addressed the workplace, the marketplace and society while reflecting the company’s core value of respect for people.

Bethel holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from Clark Atlanta University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Kelly School of Business at Indiana University.