By Elizabeth Cloutman

Reena Carvallo leads Wells Fargo in more active community service

Reena Carvallo became manager at the Main Street branch of Wells Fargo Bank in Los Altos in March, but she is already effective in making the 40-year-old branch a more active member of the community.

The San Bruno resident said she is impressed by the bank branch and its employees, and by the people of Los Altos.

“This branch is unique,” Carvallo said. “We have full-time mortgage bankers and two financial consultants. You have to have a strong banking background to work at this location.”

Carvallo said that in the 10 years she has worked for Wells Fargo Bank, she has seen it expand from an institution that served only California to one with branches in 23 states. Since 1852, the Wells Fargo stagecoach has been its symbol. Its stages traveled the American West, delivering mail and cash. It also delivered goods, converted unprocessed gold into coins, and provided checks and bank drafts to local businesses.

Carvallo said she appreciates Los Altos residents. “Our customers are patient and down to earth. that’s what I find is very nice. It’s a close-knit community. We have employees that live in Los Altos. They enjoy serving the community they live in.”

Even though she splits her work week between the downtown Los Altos and the Mountain View branches of Wells Fargo Bank, Carvallo has led the downtown branch to greater involvement with the community. The branch has once again joined the Los Altos Village Association, a voluntary organization of downtown businesses, as well as the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce. “They do everything right,” Carvallo said of the Chamber of Commerce.

It was through the Chamber of Commerce that the Los Altos Wells Fargo became involved in the downtown arts and wine festival this year.

Carvallo coordinated her employees’ involvement in the various festival events. “I even tried to get a (Wells Fargo) stagecoach, but (it wasn’t allowed) because the horses couldn’t be near the food,” she said.

Because she works for both the downtown Los Altos and the Mountain View branches of Wells Fargo, Carvallo said it made it easier to coordinate a program, presented by bank officers, on money management for Los Altos and Mountain View high school seniors last spring.

Carvallo noted Wells Fargo will also be on the Foothill College campus Sept. 24 to help students set up checking and savings accounts and to recruit them as part-time employees. She would also like to see a Wells Fargo Bank ATM set up at Foothill.

A native of the Philippines, Carvallo has lived in the Bay Area since she was 4. She is married to Julio and has a 4-year-old son, Dominic. “Wells Fargo is really good at encouraging family life,” she said. “We try to run things efficiently, so employees will have time to spend with their families.”

Carvallo had originally planned to become a registered nurse when she entered the University of San Francisco. However after working part time for a bank, she found she enjoyed the work so much, she changed her college major to business management.

She has been involved in the banking business for the past 20 years, the last 10 with Wells Fargo.

“Every day is different,” she said of working at Wells Fargo. “There are lots of rewards helping people. You get a sense of satisfaction, and that’s why I like customer contact.

“My bottom line is making everyone successful - customers and employees - at whatever they’re doing,” she added.