Senior Management Team

Kelly Dudley
President

Mr. Dudley began his career at Bank of America almost two decades ago.  Formerly the Operations Manager at Santa Barbara Bank and Trust, his expertise encompasses securities processing, mutual fund pricing, income collection, and corporate actions.  Mr. Dudley is an Investment Advisor Representative and serves on the board of the United Cerebral Palsy organization.

Steven R. Hubbs, J.D.
Executive Vice President &
Chief Fiduciary Officer
B.A., Urban Studies
University of California, Riverside
Juris Doctorate
University of LaVerne, College of Law

Steve Hubbs’ career in the trust industry spans nearly 30 years, predominately in the San Diego market place. His trust experience has been with Bank of America, San Diego Trust & Savings Bank, and prior to joining the staff of First American Trust, was founding President and CEO of Arrowhead Trust in San Bernardino, California. Steve is a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington with a Trust Banking concentration. He is a member of the California Bar and its Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Section.  Steve has served on the advisory board of the Scripps Foundation and is actively involved with several San Diego charities including the Friends of Balboa Park, Youth Tennis San Diego and the Sharp Hospital Foundation.

Stephen C. Minana, J.D., LL.M
Senior Vice President
General Counsel
B.S. General Arts and Sciences
Pennsylvania State University
Juris Doctorate
Washington & Lee University School of Law
Masters in Taxation
University of Miami School of Law

Mr. Minana administered estates and managed complex trusts in both Florida and Pennsylvania before joining First American Trust.  His career has focused on providing advice on income, gift and estate tax matters to assist families in minimizing taxes on a current basis, as well as preserving wealth for future generations.  He has been involved in the implementation of family gifting programs and the use of various charitable giving alternatives.  A member of the Florida and Pennsylvania bar associations, Mr. Minana was a frequent lecturer on numerous estate planning and tax topics for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, which provides continuing legal education to attorneys in Pennsylvania.  Mr. Minana serves on the board of the Orange Coast Estate Planning Council and the board of the Orange County Bar Association Trusts & Estates Section.

Teri L. Pierce
Executive Vice President
Chief Financial Officer
B.S.B.A., Accounting
Central Michigan University

Ms. Pierce began her career at First American Trust as a staff accountant in 1984.  Later, she joined the Warmington Company, a local real estate developer, as the Controller and Member of the Executive Team from 1985-1990.  She returned to First American Trust in 1990 and, as Chief Financial Officer, is responsible for all aspects of corporate accounting and regulatory/audit reporting.  Ms. Pierce is a member of the Assistance League of Irvine and serves on the North Campus Ministry Board of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.

Robert E. Lawson, CTP®
Senior Vice President
Chief Operating Officer
Bank Security Officer
B.S., Business Administration, Finance
California State University, Long Beach

Mr. Lawson began his career at First American Trust in 1997 in the operations department.  Since then, he has held various operational, product development and managerial positions in both the Trust and Banking divisions of the company.  As Chief Operating Officer, he is primarily responsible for overseeing the daily operations of First American Trust.  Additionally, he manages the product development efforts within the company.  He is a Certified Treasury Professional® and active member of The Association for Financial Professionals®.

Kimberly Bernatz, CFP®
Senior Vice President

Director, Wealth Management Sales and Marketing
B.A., Political Science and Communications
University of Southern California 

 Kimberly Dwan Bernatz is Senior Vice President  at First American Trust. For over 20 years she has worked with high net worth individuals and families in the areas of estate and charitable planning, investment management, retirement planning and real estate. She is a graduate of USC and was previously associated with Northern Trust and Connecticut Bank and Trust. Kimberly is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, an Investment Advisor Representative and is licensed with the National Association of Securities Dealers. An active volunteer in her local community, Kimberly’s current contributions include acting as: the immediate past Chairman the Board of Pacific Chorale; a member of the Executive Committee of the UCI Paul Merage School of Business Center for Investment and Wealth Management; Chairman of Hoag Hospital’s Planned Giving and Endowment Council; and a member of the Advisory Board of the Assistance League of Newport Mesa. In 2009, Kimberly was a nominee for the Orange County Business Journal’s 15th Annual Women in Business Awards.

Jerry Braakman
EVP, Chief Investment Officer & Treasurer
BA, Economics
University of California, Irvine
MBA, Finance
University of California, Irvine

Mr. Braakman is responsible for the investment outlook, portfolio strategy, asset allocation, risk management, treasury and investment processes for First American Trust, FSB. His career started at First American Trust in 1995 and  during his tenure, he has held various operational and investment management positions. Most recently, Mr. Braakman oversaw the management of First American’s $2.3 billion corporate investment portfolio. He is also a member of the board of directors for First Security Business Bank in Orange, CA.