Debbie Arai, AAP
AVP/Online Services Manager
Debbie heads up our online services team and products. She brings 20+ years of entrepreneurial and consulting experience to work for our clients. With a background in auditing and accounting, she understands her clients’ needs for internal controls and electronic banking systems. In line with her passion for hands-on client interaction, tailoring a system to expedite and improve processes to save clients time and money is just one of the things that she enjoys most.

Breda Cruz
AVP/Commercial Loans and Processing Manager
Breda has worked in community banking for over 20 years. Specializing in the lending field, she initially set up Thurston First Bank’s commercial loan production center and now manages the department.

Thomas L. Dhamers
SVP/Chief Financial Officer
Long ago a transplant from the Midwest, Tom calls Washington his home and is raising three children as native Washingtonians. With seven years of experience in community banking as VP/Controller/Treasurer, Tom Joined Thurston First bank in the 3rd quarter of 2007. His educational background includes a BS in Accounting from Illinois State University and an MBA from St. Martin’s University. Along with recent public service, including administering a portfolio of over $55 billion for the Department of Retirement Services as the Trust Accounting Manager, his experience also encompasses healthcare and manufacturing.

Jake Good
VP/Commercial Loan Officer
Jake grew up in Littleton, Colorado, and graduated from the University of Puget Sound. He has five years of banking experience formerly as Branch Manager and Commercial Loan Officer with a bank in Tacoma, Washington.  He is past treasurer of Fife-Milton Rotary, and former ambassador for the Fife Area Chamber Of Commerce.  Jake enjoys the outdoors. He previously coached baseball for South Puget Sound Boys and Girls Club.  In his spare time, he likes to golf and is an avid fly fisherman.

James H. Haley
President & CEO
Jim was Vice President and Senior Credit Approval Officer for U.S. Bank in Seattle from 1998 to 2004. Over his banking career, he has been a loan officer for a total of 25 years. Jim received his credit training from Bank of America, and held various lending positions in Orange County, California from 1973 through 1980. From 1980 to 1992, he held positions of Vice President and Loan Officer, Vice President and Commercial Loan Officer from Seafirst/Bank of America in Seattle and Tacoma. From 1992 through 1998, Jim was Vice President and Senior Relationship Manager at U.S. Bank in Tacoma. His community involvement includes St. Joseph Hospital Trustee Associate, Tacoma Art Museum, Broadway Center for the Performing Arts, Corporate  Council for the Arts and Tapps Island Association President.  Jim was employed by the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Committee during the Winter Olympic Games. He graduated from the University of Redlands, California and is also a graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington.

Sue Lindblad
SVP/Operations
A native of the Pacific Northwest, Sue joined Thurston First Bank during its formation period.  She utilized her 20 years of expertise in operations to assist in the opening of the bank.  As well as managing Bank Operations, Regulatory Compliance and Security, Sue enjoys working closely with Thurston First Bank clients.

Sokha Meas
Business Banking Officer
A native of Olympia, Sokha joined Thurston First bank in October 2004 before it officially opened its doors to the public. Equipped with eight years of banking experience and her passion for working with clients, she is dedicated to building and maintaining client relationships, offering customized solutions to improve their banking experience.

Tom Nelson
VP/Commercial Loan Officer
Tom has 11 years’ experience in commercial lending.  Tom most recently came from Zions Bank in the Salt Lake City, Utah market, where he began his banking career.  His experience includes working capital lines of credit, equipment financing and participation lending with a variety of national banks.  Tom previously served as President of the Young Credit Professionals Group in the Mountain States Chapter of The Risk Management Association, a national association of lenders.  In addition, Tom volunteers many hours each tax season to prepare tax returns for low-income persons and seniors through the AARP Tax-Aide program.  Tom grew up in Lacey and graduated from North Thurston High School.

Ken Pekola
SVP/Chief Credit Officer
Ken Pekola joined Thurston First Bank in October 2007 as Senior Vice President Chief Credit Officer.  Ken brings with him over 23 years of community banking experience.  Over that time he has been involved in branch operations, retail and commercial lending and credit administration.  He is a graduate of the University of Washington with a major in Economics, and in 2006, graduated with honors from the Pacific Coast Banking School.  Originally from the Grays Harbor area, Ken resides in Rochester with his wife and daughter, where they train and show Paint Horses.