From left to right: Daniel Walker (chairman and CEO), Ken Walker (former CEO and president of the Main Office), Christine Walker (vice president) and W. Henry Walker (president).
Long Beach founded-and-based Farmers & Merchants Bank (F&M) was recently recognized for its philanthropic efforts at the 27th Annual National Philanthropy Day Orange County Awards.
Honored in the Outstanding Mid-size Corporation/Business, F&M was selected by a collage of Orange County-based organizations—ranging from the National Association of Women Business Owners to the Orange County School of the Arts—to honor the bank’s continual “focus on service above self and dedication to enriching the communities it serves.”
Beyond its philanthropic reach here in Long Beach and the L.A. County area, F&M annually donates more than $1 million to Orange County-based organizations, be they focused on arts or children services, community development or other causes.
In front of some 800 guests, F&M president W. Henry Walker—a fourth-generation executive at the bank—stated, “Our close ties to the communities we serve is in direct correlation to the selfless giving and sacrifice my great-grandparents provided when they founded the bank in 1907. The blessings we have received and given back throughout our 105-year history are attributed to them.”
Other honorees this year at the annual awards ceremony included Joann Leatherby with a lifetime achievement award, the PIMCO foundation, and the Assistance League Anaheim. For a complete list of honorees, click here.