With 16 marathons and many more half marathons under her belt, Rebecca Fabisch Miller knows a thing or two about going the distance for her commercial and corporate clients.
Umpqua Bank’s Executive Vice President and Regional Director of Sacramento Middle Market, Miller also leads the bank’s public finance vertical and oversees the municipal lending team. Miller’s 30 years of banking experience on Capitol Mall benefits middle-market customers ranging from family-owned businesses to publicly-traded companies.
“Our clients reflect Sacramento as a whole, from agriculture and food processing to manufacturing and construction,” Miller says. Her public finance customers include cities, counties, agencies, special districts and even charter schools. Miller is known among colleagues and customers for getting complex banking challenges over the finish line, while her genuine care for people drives her. “I enjoy crafting solutions to complicated situations, whether it’s a capital structure to finance an acquisition, or putting all the right products and services together to maximize a company’s cash flow,” she says.
Umpqua Bank has grown into a $30 billion bank that serves businesses of all sizes across five Western states. The bank has steadily built a team of the region’s top bankers, like Miller, with large-bank experience, deep local knowledge, expertise across industries and a hands-on, team-based approach to customer relationships.
“Business leaders appreciate the personal approach we take as a community partner, especially since it’s paired with expertise and solutions that rival the largest national banks,” Miller says. “We’re the ideal size to serve any Sacramento business, yet our approach to customer relationships comes from our community bank roots. We also have a great mix of people, from team members with national bank experience to longtime community bankers. Most importantly, our bankers are deeply invested in the health and vitality of local communities and see their work helping businesses succeed as an extension of this commitment.”
In tumultuous 2020, businesses looked to banks for answers, especially related to the Paycheck Protection Program. “Our customers appreciated that they could actually get us on the phone for answers and that we stepped up to make sure their loans were processed,” Miller says.
Sacramento-area businesses have successfully transitioned to several forms of digital banking and are optimistically moving forward, according to a recently released Umpqua Bank 2021 Business Barometer survey. “Business owners learned the importance of having a strong relationship with their banker and greatly accelerated adopting digital banking solutions,” Miller says. “Despite the challenges, we see regional businesses as optimistic and ready to grow, with 76% expecting recovery and improving conditions.”
Miller’s banking experience and local relationships run deep. While earning her bachelor’s degree in international business and marketing from Sacramento State and her MBA from UC Davis, she paid for her education by working evenings and weekends for a bank. Upon graduation, she landed a bank job as a credit analyst and has since gained 30 years of experience in the industry.
“I enjoy crafting solutions to complicated situations, whether it’s a capital structure to finance an acquisition or a plan to maximize a company’s cash flow.” — Rebecca Fabisch Miller EVP, Regional Director of Sacramento Middle Market
Her roles as a mother and wife are also important to Miller, as are her community contributions, including serving on the Western Bankers Association executive committee, as treasurer of the Forest Foundation and as a recent volunteer for Lemonade Day Sacramento encouraging young entrepreneurs.
“I’m grateful for all the opportunities that a life in banking has provided and look forward to ensuring Umpqua’s customers receive the very best,” Miller says. Miller’s strategic problem-solving for Umpqua Bank customers reflects the same spirit and tenacity it takes to run a marathon — and she’s still running.
