Senior Management Team
"We are proud of the experienced and respected team we have assembled. Each member has a unique background and together we have unmatched banking and business knowledge. It is the best team I have ever worked with." — Dan Yates, CEO of Endeavor Bank
Dan C. Yates - CEO
Over his four decades in the banking industry, Dan has founded two banks – Regents Bank which he grew to over $620 million in assets in 12 years and now Endeavor Bank. In addition to creating banks from the ground up, Dan has sold, acquired, and merged banks, raised capital for banks, and, as a consultant and CEO, he has turned around banks. Prior to co-founding Endeavor Bank, Dan served as President and CEO of Neighborhood National Bank in San Diego, a community development bank focused on low- to moderate-income communities.
Dan is Board President of the Conrad Prebys Foundation. He previously served on numerous nonprofit boards including the Boys & Girls Club of San Diego, the San Diego Opera, New Village Arts, the San Diego Police Officers Foundation, Western Bankers Association, and many others. He is a native San Diegan and an enthusiastic promoter of America’s Finest City.
Steven D. Sefton - President
Steve has more than 36 years of banking experience in Southern California. He most recently served as President and past CEO of Regents Bank, the largest division of former Los Angeles-based Grandpoint Bank, a title he held from May 2012 until joining the Endeavor team in June 2017. During his time with Regents, Steve oversaw the purchase and merger of another community bank, while growing the Bank's loans and deposits at a healthy rate, the key metrics in banking. In prior assignments in his career, Steve has opened two regional offices and each time grew the region to over $100 million in loans and deposits, the size of a small bank.
Steve currently serves on the Salvation Army Advisory Board, and on their Finance Committee, and is a former member of the Banker Benefits Board of the Western Bankers Association and a former Board member of The San Diego Foundation, also serving on its Finance Committee. Steve received a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from The University of Texas at Austin.
Scott T. Parker – Chief Credit Officer
Scott has over 36 years of commercial banking experience, with a career including executive level positions in several community banking institutions. Prior to joining Endeavor Bank, Scott served as Senior Vice President and Regional Manager of the San Diego market for Pacific Mercantile Bank (PMB), based in Costa Mesa, CA.
Prior to his position at PMB, Scott served as President and CEO of Vibra Bank in Chula Vista, CA, and was a founding Director. Scott was also a Regional Manager with Escondido-based Community National Bank, following its acquisition of Rancho Bernardo Community Bank (RBCB) where he served as EVP and Chief Credit Officer and was responsible for all aspects of credit administration. Scott earned his MBA in Finance from San Diego State University in 1992 and his Graduate School of Banking degree from Pacific Coast Banking School, Seattle, in 2003.
Mark A. Anderson - Chief Operations Officer
Mark has over four decades of banking and operations experience. He comes to us from Pacific Premier Bank, where he was SVP, Director of Branch Banking, ever since PPB acquired Grandpoint Bank in 2018, where he previously held the title of EVP, Branch Operations Administrator, since 2014. Prior to that, Mark was with Regents Bank for 2 years as Chief Operations Officer after Regents Bank acquired California Community Bank in 2012. He was an organizer, founder, and original employee at CCB as EVP, Chief Operations Officer.
While having his roots in Minnesota, Mark and his family moved to the San Diego area when he was 9. He began his banking career working part-time for a community bank while attending Poway High and continued while attending San Diego State. Community involvement includes fundraising efforts for organizations such as the San Diego Food Bank, the Alzheimer's Association, and Susan G Komen for the Cure.
John Harelson - Chief Banking Officer
John has lived and worked in San Diego for over 30 years and has completed over $1 Billion in business and commercial real estate financing in Southern California. He spent nine years at Torrey Pines Bank and opened its Carlsbad Office. John also opened the first San Diego offices for both Citizens Business Bank in Carmel Valley and First Choice Bank in Carlsbad.
When John isn’t coming up with creative solutions to support his business owner and real estate investor clients, he involves himself in charity work at the Coastal Community Foundation and the Carlsbad Boys & Girls Club. John is a graduate of Oregon State University, Pacific Coast Banking School, as well as the USD International Business Certificate Program.