Farmers & Merchants Bank in California Hires COO

Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach (FMBL) in California has hired a chief operating officer.
Melissa Lanfre, who will also join Farmers & Merchants' executive management team, will oversee its 21 branches, the $5.1 billion-asset company announced Wednesday.

Lanfre joins Farmers & Merchants from Beach Business Bank in Manhattan Beach, Calif., where she was chief administrative officer. Beach Business Bank was acquired in June 2012 by First PacTrust, now Banc of California (BANC). Earlier, she worked at Cerritos Valley Bank, First Professional Bank and Harbor Bancorp.

Lanfre "is a highly experienced executive who understands the intricacies of the Southern California community banking sector," Daniel Walker, Farmers & Merchants' chairman and chief executive, said in a press release. "Her wealth of knowledge will be a tremendous asset to Farmers & Merchants Bank, reflective of our continuing growth in the Southern California marketplace."