Western Alliance Bank announced the appointment of Katie McDowell and Jon VanDerMeid to the organization’s Commercial and Industrial Banking team. McDowell assumes the role of Senior Vice President, Relationship Manager to support the organization’s Aerospace, Defense and Government Services team, and VanDerMeid takes on the role of Credit Underwriting and Portfolio Manager, Commercial & Industrial to support the broader Commercial and Industrial team.

“In a strategic step that reaffirms our commitment to providing outstanding, customized commercial banking for our clients, we are thrilled to welcome Katie McDowell and Jon VanDerMeid to the Western Alliance Bank team,” said Matt Griesbach, Commercial and Industrial Industry Executive, Aerospace and Defense, at Western Alliance Bank. “Through the expansion of our commercial banking team we’re able to elevate our service in an underserved market segment and continue to deliver a broad range of tailored banking solutions for companies of all sizes.”

McDowell brings nearly two decades of experience to the Western Alliance Bank team, with deep commercial and industrial experience in the aerospace, defense, and government services sectors. McDowell holds a Bachelor of Art in American Studies from Brown University as well as a Master of Business Administration from Yale School of Management, where she studied Finance and Investment Management.

VanDerMeid also joins the Western Alliance Bank team with two decades of industry experience, holding pivotal roles in commercial, leasing and investment banking underwriting. VanDerMeid has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance from Michigan State University.

“The additions of Katie McDowell and Jon VanDerMeid are part of our broader strategy to bring an even sharper, more dedicated focus to the Commercial and Industrial market – including in highly specialized sectors such as defense and government services,” said Julian Parra, Head of Commercial Banking at Western Alliance Bank. “In recent months, we’ve been building upon our already strong C&I foundation by adding incredible talent to the team, enabling us to better serve the burgeoning commercial market in California and beyond.”