Stearns Bank Announces Two New Board of Directors Members

John C. Sizer and Lea Márquez Peterson bring deep experience in audit and regulatory oversight, economic and entrepreneurial empowerment, and corporate leadership.

St. Cloud, Minn. (October 18, 2023) – Stearns Bank N.A., an employee-owned financial institution based in Minnesota, announces that John C. Sizer and Lea Márquez Peterson will join Stearns Bank N.A. Board of Directors.

John Sizer brings a wealth of audit, financial and commercial real estate experience from his 36+ year career at Deloitte, where he retired as a Senior Audit Partner. Sizer led Deloitte’s Arizona audit practice for 17 years where he was responsible for all aspects of the practice including financial results, revenue growth strategies, client service, talent recruitment, development, and retention. He advised large, multi-national publicly traded companies as well as privately held businesses across a wide range of industries including commercial real estate, manufacturing, higher education, and consumer services.

Sizer serves on the Board of Directors for the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Child Crisis Arizona, and the AGUILA Youth Leadership Institute. He’s an Advisory Board member for HomeSmart International and LaneTerralever/Experience Dynamic.

Known for his customer-driven approach and passion for people, Sizer sees Stearns Bank’s values and priorities are a perfect fit with his own. “Stearns Bank’s history of stellar financial performance and focus on prioritizing strong risk management practices aligns well with my belief and experience that the best performers are those who invest in strong financial, operational and audit controls.”

Sizer added, “What’s most impressive is Stearns Bank’s commitment to identifying underserved communities and businesses and they are investing and taking action to expand access and inclusion. These are unmet needs and priorities I share, and I am excited to bring my skills and commitment to contribute to help Stearns Bank expand its reach to help more people achieve their greatest ambitions – it’s their mission and they live it."

Lea Márquez Peterson also joins Stearns Bank N.A.’s Board of Directors, adding decades of extensive experience as an entrepreneur and in representing thousands of small businesses, assisting them with identifying new markets, government procurement, and financing expansions and acquisitions. Márquez Peterson served as the President/CEO of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce from 2009 until November 2018, and under her leadership, the Tucson Hispanic Chamber was recognized in 2013 as the Hispanic Chamber of the Year by the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Márquez Peterson currently Chairs the national advisory Board for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), and in this role she advises the nation’s SBDC and acts as a liaison to the SBA staff with suggestions on improving programming.

Known for her entrepreneurial success and growth mindset, Márquez Peterson is looking forward to bringing her expertise to the Stearns Bank Board of Directors. “I am inspired by the mission and values of Stearns Bank and their commitment to community building, increasing equity and access, and entrepreneurial empowerment. With my background working closely with small businesses nationwide, I know first-hand that the fastest growing business sectors are minority- and women-owned businesses. They could grow more efficiently, retain more profits, and build more wealth personally and in their communities if they had more access to capital and banking services, which is exactly what Stearns Bank is putting into action.”

Márquez Peterson added, “At Stearns Bank, it’s not just talk. They are supporting entrepreneurial initiatives to build diversity in business, and tailoring financing and banking services to expand access and inclusion, and I’m excited to bring my expertise and passion to join Stearns Bank in achieving these goals.”

Currently, Márquez Peterson serves as a Commissioner on the Board of the Arizona Corporation Commission, previously serving as Chairwomen of the Arizona Corporation Commission from 2020 until 2022. As the state’s energy and water regulatory board, the Arizona Corporation Commission helps regulate electric, water, gas and wastewater industries, incorporates the businesses in the state, and tackles securities fraud. In her continuing role as a Commissioner on the Board, she is responsible for the financial impact on close to 400 privately owned utilities.

“We are thrilled to have John and Lea join our Board of Directors," said Kelly Skalicky, President and Chief Executive Officer of Stearns Bank. "The depth of their diverse experience in finance, business, and audit will guide our growth strategies, and their corporate leadership expertise will help us maximize our community impact and grow diversity in business across all sectors. We are grateful to be guided by such a strong, accomplished Board, and we’re excited for the opportunity to work with Lea and John and benefit from their talents and expertise.”

About Stearns Bank N.A.

Minnesota-based Stearns Bank National Association is a $2.2 billion, independently owned financial institution with locations in Minnesota, Florida and Arizona, and over 35,000 small business customers nationwide. Recognized as having a bulletproof balance sheet with 24% capital and earning top rankings as one of the nation’s highest-performing banks by American Banker, and most recently ranked fourth in the U.S. among banks having more than $1 billion in assets by Independent Banker’s 2023 Best of the Best ranking of banks with the highest 3-year average Return on Assets, Stearns Bank specializes in nationwide affordable housing, workforce and multifamily housing, commercial construction lending, build-to-suit and CRE-repositioning lending, family office and lender financing, USDA and SBA lending, and small business and equipment financing. As a national leader for nonprofits, Stearns Bank offers its customized suite of Nonprofit Banking Solutions specially designed to empower nonprofit organizations across the country. Driven by a passion to help others achieve their greatest ambitions, Stearns Bank’s mission is to Get the Job Done! For more information, visit StearnsBank.com.