Donner Summit, California

Warren Hellman and his sister Nancy Bechtle have a long track record in business, community involvement, the arts, and philanthropy. Admired for both business acumen and community consciousness, they have worked with many financial institutions over the years. Frustrated by bureaucratic barriers at other banks, they came to First Republic when new financing was needed for Sugar Bowl resort—the grande dame of California ski resorts. First Republic responded quickly and creatively providing them with a working capital line of credit, construction financing, flexible cash management, and on-site ATMs.