President and CEO
Sound Community Bank
Laurie Stewart, who has led Sound Community Bank for more than 30 years, said her guiding principle as CEO is "community is our middle name."
Her employees are a large part of Stewart's community, and she measures her success by keeping layoffs and turnover as low as possible despite economic pressures.
"I think 2024 was a year of really needing to manage through challenging economic times, but still be honest to your culture and your commitment to your stakeholders, including the communities that we serve," she said.