Valley Republic Bancorp, the parent company of Valley Republic Bank (the ‘Bank'), announced that Senior Executive Vice President Geraud Smith has been appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and the Bank, effective March 1, 2019. Smith will replace Bruce Jay, who is retiring effective March 31, 2019. Jay will provide transition advisory services, as needed, for the remainder of 2019 and will continue to serve as a director for both the Company and the Bank.

Smith joined Valley Republic in July, 2018, as part of a deliberate succession plan. Most recently, he was the regional manager for the Middle Market Banking group with coverage over the South San Joaquin Valley and parts of the Central Coast and Southern California.