Who We Are

Ernest Garfield is the President of Independent Bank Developers, LLC and the Chairman of Interstate Bank Developers, Inc. He is also the founder of the Alliance of Business Banks, the Arizona Financial Institutions Task Force, and the U.S. Criminal Records Agency.

The Phoenix Business Journal recognized Mr. Garfield as one of the most influential business leaders of 2007. As an Arizona State Senator from 1967 to 1968 he was Vice Chairman of the Senate Education Committee. Additionally during Mr. Garfield's service as an Arizona State Senator, he was a member of the Appropriations, Judiciary, and Commerce Industry committees.

As the State Treasurer of Arizona from 1970 to 1974 he helped reform investment law in the State of Arizona. His efforts made it possible for the State to earn more interest income during his tenure than had been earned by all previous state treasurers combined.

While serving as Arizona Corporation Commissioner from 1974 to 1978, during the middle east oil crisis, he twice chaired the White House Conference on Energy.

Since leaving public office in 1979, Mr. Garfield has been involved in bank organizations, real estate development, and publishing. To date Mr. Garfield has successfully started 31 banks.

His civic involvement has included serving on the Governor's commissions for Prevention of Family Violence, Violence Against Women, Rape Prevention, and the Sexual Assault Prevention Task Force. He is a past director on the board of the Girl Scouts-Arizona Cactus Pine Council and on the East Valley Institute of Technology Foundation Board. He continues to serve as a founding member of the Men's Anti Violence Network and as a member of the Arizona Skill Standards Commission. While in the Army, Garfield served in Korea. Mr. Garfield has been inducted into the U.S. Army Field Artillery Hall of Fame at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

Garfield holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from University of Arizona, a Bachelor of International Management from American Graduate School of International Management, and a Master of International Management from American Graduate School of International Management.

Gregory Faris is the President and Owner of Directors’ Services, LLC, a bank consulting firm specializing in de novo bank development. Mr. Faris has 23 years' experience in developing and submitting successful applications to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Federal Reserve and the FDIC. Directors’ Services, LLC provides its clients with director education, de novo bank comparative data, and an application that addresses the current concerns of various regulatory authorities. Prior to establishing Directors’ Services, LLC, Mr. Faris was a Senior Bank Examiner in two states, Senior Vice President of Allied Bancorp, Inc, and was an Associate with the bank consulting firm Souders and Associates, Inc. Mr. Faris graduated from Manchester College in North Manchester, Indiana in 1978 with a bachelor's degree in Economics.

Combining his regulatory and consulting experience, Mr. Faris provides a balanced insight in laws, regulations and strategies necessary to successfully obtain a bank charter and create a profitable financial institution.

Tina Behrens is the owner of Acuity Consulting, LLC, a consulting firm providing services to businesses and banks in organization. She has worked with the boards of banks in organization for almost ten years, and is a member of the Arizona Financial Institutions Task Force.

Ms. Behrens has worked with banks seeking National and State charters. Her expertise includes preparation of Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, cash flow projections, drafting the offering documents for the initial capital raise, assisting in the development of a Stock Option Plan and a community Advisory Board. Ms. Behrens also performs preliminary blue-sky research in preparation for the sale of stock and works with the organizers in collecting their personal and financial data for the application.

With a degree in business, Ms. Behrens has served many small businesses in a lead operations or financial role. She maintains her insurance license in the State of Arizona.

Norman C. Storey is a partner in the international law firm of Squire, Sanders and Dempsey, LLC. His practice emphasizes business and finance transactions for corporate and real estate clients, both domestic and international. His experience includes organization, formation, financing and recapitalization of banks and other financial services entities; providing legal advice regarding the operation and regulatory compliance of banks and other financial services companies; providing legal advice to non-bank business clients regarding their structure, formation, financing and operations; acquisition and sale; development, construction and leasing of real estate; and formation, restructuring and termination of joint ventures, limited liability companies, limited partnerships and other strategic alliances.

He frequently assists clients, their advisers and investment bankers in planning, structuring and implementing financial, business and real estate transactions. His clients include financial service companies including banks, holding companies, thrifts,  mortgage companies and other lenders; non-financial corporations and other business entities; real estate developers, owners, landlords, tenants and property managers; investors (individual and institutional); investment bankers; manufacturers, distributors and other corporate and real estate clients.

Mr. Storey is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University and The University of Arizona School of Law and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America.
Mr. Storey is a member of the State Bar of Arizona and the American Arbitration Association’s Panel of Commercial Arbitrators.

Thomas Pagano is Senior Managing Consultant in charge of product cost and profitability assessments. Previously, Mr. Pagano managed Client Services at Myers-Kohl Corporation and, earlier, performed a similar function as Senior Vice President, Customer Support, for Sendero Corporation. Prior to Sendero, Mr. Pagano was a senior officer at a New England based bank holding company where he gained extensive experience in investment management, strategic planning, financial institution cost accounting and ALM.

Mr. Pagano holds an MBA from City University of New York and an undergraduate degree in Economics from New York University. He has been published in various industry periodicals, including two recent articles in Credit Union Management Magazine on Activity-Based Costing and Product Profitability Management.

Mark Nolen is the owner of Middleton Consulting, an executive coaching and business owner’s advisory service. His consulting practice focuses on developing new banks with Independent Bank Developers, working with owners of small businesses serving as a confidential resource on complex business issues, interpersonal workplace issues, board relations, strategic planning, and mergers and acquisitions.

Mr. Nolen has over 37 years in the banking industry in Arizona and Wisconsin serving in various capacities as Chief Executive Officer, Member of the Board of Directors, Senior Lending Officer, and Chief Credit Officer. His banking career focused largely on executive level management, organizational leadership, strategic planning, and employee recruitment. As a senior banking officer his primary responsibilities included commercial lending, business development, treasury management, and retirement plan services.

Mr. Nolen is a former business owner, once owning a heavy duty truck dealership franchise, a contractor and homeowner’s rental store, a business development company focused on garnering new clients for community banks, and entertainment related businesses. He is a graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking – University of Delaware.