Board of Directors
Jay Davidson
Founder, Chairman of the Board, and Chief Executive Officer
As founder, chairman of the board, and chief executive officer of First American State Bank and First American Bancorp, Jay Davidson is responsible for the long-term sustainable growth strategies of both organizations. Since the bank first opened its doors in 1995, assets have grown to more than $260 million, under Jay’s leadership. He and his executive team ensure clients receive the highest standard of customer service, advanced banking technology and tailor-made financial solutions for all their financial needs. Jay has said: “All banks offer similar products; it’s how we deliver them to our customer that sets us apart.”
Jay serves his community as a leader and role model by supporting numerous public and philanthropic initiatives. He was co-founder of the First American State Bank’s Fitness Festival, benefiting the Cherry Creek School Foundation. He served on the board for the Kenneth Kendall King Foundation; and he was a director at Step 13, a self-funded program, which provides assistance for severely disadvantaged members of the community. He was treasurer and a director at Kempe Children’s Foundation. He also was treasurer and a director at Kempe Children’s Foundation.
Recognized for his community and business leadership by several organizations, Jay is a member of Marquis Who’s Who: In the World, In Finance and Industry, In America and In the West and has been listed in the Denver Business Journal’s “Who’s Who in Banking and Finance.” Jay writes prolifically on topic in politics, finance, the economy and philosophy. His articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, American Thinker and The Villager Newspaper. Jay and his wife, Kristina, have been honored as “Pillars of the Community” by Arapahoe House and as “Villager Man and Woman of the Year” by The Villager Newspaper.
Jay is a graduate of the University of North Dakota, School of Engineering. He and his wife Kristina have two children and four grandchildren and reside in Greenwood Village, Colo.
Scott Yeoman
President and Chief Operating Officer
Scott joined First American State Bank in January 2018 as President and Chief Operating Officer (COO), with primary responsibility for the overall operation of the bank. He has spent over 30 years in commercial and retail banking and has been an officer of banks from the largest U.S. banking corporations to a de novo bank. Scott’s areas of expertise include general management, strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory relationships, commercial lending, and credit administration.
Scott came to Colorado from Illinois in 2006 as a member of a small group of investors that established a new bank holding company in Colorado Springs via the acquisition of a community bank. Most recently he was the President of Stockmens Bank in Colorado Springs, where he helped that niche-oriented bank enhances its internal processes in credit administration, interest rate risk management, and liquidity risk, and managed its 2017 merger with a Missouri bank.
Scott earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Iowa and a Master of Business Administration degree from DePaul University. He has served in the past as a board member on several community organizations, including the YMCA, Capitol Civic Center, and Silver Lake College. He is an avid skier, hiker, and motorcycle rider. He and his wife, Judy, have two sons and a daughter.
Kevin Preblud
Kevin brings over thirty years of operational management and financial expertise to the Board. He has worked in a variety of industries including recycling, banking, real estate and several service-related companies.
He is currently the COO of the EXDO Group overseeing their extensive real estate portfolio and service holdings which includes commercial, industrial, multi-family and retail properties with over 65 properties and more than 400 tenants.
Kevin is an enthusiastic world traveler which allows him to see the world through the lens of his camera, which as an amateur photographer, is rarely not by his side.
He is also a fourth generation Denver native and has two grown children, Anna and Joe.
Charlie McNeil
Charlie McNeil has broad experience in the energy sector having worked in the coal, oil and gas, mining, and power industries. Since 1991, he has been Chief Executive Officer of NexGen Resources Corporation, a natural resources company he founded. NexGen supplies all of the coal requirements for Xcel Energy’s Texas power plants, provides alternative fuel solutions and clean coal technology commercialization, explores and develops oil and gas resources and provides mine development and operations.
NexGen also manages a diverse portfolio of real estate assets it has developed for its own account. Under Charlie’s leadership, NexGen has been involved in over 15 company start-ups.
Dr. Ron Yaros
Dr. Ronald Yaros attended Loyola University, Chicago, Ill., and received his degree in dentistry from Indiana University School of Dentistry in 1970. He served in the U.S. Air force as a dental officer until 1973, when he began his practice of general dentistry, dental implantology and dental practice management in Denver. As the founder of Aspenwood Dental Associates and the Colorado Dental Implant Center, Ron has accumulated an impressive list of honors in his field. He earned a Fellowship with the International College of Oral Implantology, and he is an Associate Fellow and has taught at the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. He also has served on the faculty of the University of Colorado School of Dentistry.
Ron is a member if the American Dental, Colorado State Dental and Metropolitan Denver Dental Associations, as well as the Colorado Academy of General Dentistry, American Academy of Implant Dentistry, American Congress of Oral Implantologists, American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, Affiliated Dental Groups of Colorado, Military Surgeons of the United States, and a master, American Academy of Implant Prosthodontics. He has a unique pastime of real estate development, having constructed five office buildings and four apartment buildings.
Ron and his wife Chris are very active in several community organizations including the DCPA, where Chris served the DCPA Auxiliary President. They have two children and two grandchildren.
Russell Gruber
Russell Gruber has focused his career solely on the sale and leasing of industrial property. He represents landlords and tenants in the sale and leasing of warehouse/distribution facilities, manufacturing facilities, and food facilities throughout the Denver Industrial Market. Russell specializes in seller/buyer representation and lease negotiation and has vast experience in creative deal structuring for lease transactions, property dispositions, and acquisitions. His strong understanding of the Denver area market has been integral to his success. Russell has been involved in more than 600 real estate deals equaling several hundred million dollars in transactions. Over the span of Russell’s career he has been recognized as a top 10 industrial broker several times, won DMCARS top small shop broker award multiple times, and was a top 10 producer at one of the world’s largest Commercial Real Estate firms. Russell provides clients with a comprehensive approach to their real estate requirements. His ability to understand the overall objective of each requirement allows him to serve his clients, not only as their broker, but also their trusted advisor.
Advisory Board Members
Kristina Davidson
Kristina was born in Stockholm, Sweden. Kristina attended school in Sweden “Norra Real” and ”Teckniska Högskolan”. Kristina immigrated (with a green card) to America in 1974 and became a U.S. citizen in 1990. She worked as a technical senior draftsperson at Stearns-Roger Inc. from 1974–1979 in the General Arrangement group of the Power division. She also worked at Storage Technology Corporation from 1979-1981 as a senior draftsperson in the Disk system division.
After marrying in 1978 and having two children she become involved in the nonprofit sector and chaired and raised dollars for many large nonprofit events in Denver. Including the Millennium Gala & Saturday Night Alive for DCPA. Western Fantasy for VOA, Colorado Easter Seal event, Pillars of the Community for Arapahoe House, Keeping Women Young at Heart for American Heart association, Planting our Future for Kempe Children’s Foundation and Holiday Mart for Junior League of Denver. She also chaired many corporate solicitations committees soliciting funds and held several Alliance Presidents positions.
Kristina built and ran the First American State Bank Fitness Festival a registered 501C3 and raised over $1.3 million for Cherry Creek School district: 2001–2014. The 5K walk run and festival was donated to Cherry Creek School district with a $100,000 final donation as seed money for the next 10 years.
Awards and honors: Honored by Holiday Mart, Junior League of Denver. The Elway Foundation, American Heart Association Colorado & Wyoming and Denver Division, Colorado ballet Auxiliary Award, Pillars of the Community – Arapahoe House, Colorado outstanding Award-Colorado Association of Partners in Education, Villager woman of the Year.
Kristina speaks Swedish, English, and German and studied French.
Michelle Gruber
Michelle Gruber, Advisory Director, Vice President
Michelle joined the First American State Bank team in 2013. She serves the bank as Advisory Director on the Board of Directors of First American State Bank and First American Bancorp and head of Marketing and Human Resources. Her areas of expertise include project management, development and leadership. In her current role as Vice President she oversees the bank’s marketing, public relations, community outreach and philanthropy efforts. Michelle is the founder of The Village Toy Drive which benefits Volunteers of American Colorado (VOA). The drive collects toys and donations every Holiday season for under privileged children in Colorado. In 2023 she was awarded VOA’s Special Friend and was named a 7News Everyday Hero by Colorado’s KMGH-TV in recognition of 10 years of serving the community.
Michelle graduated from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado in 2007. She has two sons and lives in Greenwood Village with her husband.
Executive Team
Jay Davidson
Founder, Chairman of the Board, and Chief Executive Officer
jdavidson@fasbank.com
303-694-6464 xt. 306
Scott Yeoman
President and Chief Operating Officer
syeoman@fasbank.com
303-694-6464 xt. 301
John E. Phillips
Chief Financial Officer
jphillips@fasbank.com
303-694-6464 xt. 302
John Phillips is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of both First American Bancorp and First American State Bank. He is also the Secretary to the Board of Directors of both entities. He has worked in the banking industry since 1972. Prior to beginning his banking career, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from the University of Colorado – Boulder in 1971 and an MBA from CU- Boulder in 1972.
His experience in banking includes work at five different institutions in six cities, including Chicago, London England, Oklahoma City, Dallas, Houston and now Denver. Prior to joining First American State Bank, John was the President and CEO of Riverway Bank in Houston, Tex. for 15 years. During his stint at Riverway he contributed towards building the bank from $70 million to $700 million in size before presiding over the bank’s sale in 2002.
John’s experience includes medium and large corporate lending, international construction finance, oil and gas reserve-based lending, and community bank management as a Chief Lending Officer (CLO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). In total, John’s banking career spans nearly 50 years, six cities and five banks with more than 35 years serving in a C-level management position.
Dave Korn
Chief Loan Officer
dkorn@fasbank.com
303-694-6464 xt. 348
Dave joined First American State Bank’s team in March 2008. Since entering Colorado’s banking industry in early 1991. He has had experience in extending a variety of credit products, including construction loan origination, mortgage lending, and commercial and investment transactions. His exposure to large credit, and portfolio management, and complex cash flow generation analysis have led him to his leadership position as the Chief Lending Officer, managing the Bank’s lenders and loan portfolio in concert with Board and Bank goals and directives. He directs lenders and is responsible for the oversight of overall credit quality, cash flow consistency, and presentation analysis as head of the Loan Committee. He works with other senior management to manage credit products offered, targeted returns, and growth and profitability goals for the Bank.
Dave volunteers with Project Healing Waters, a dedicated physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and veterans. He had served as an Executive Member of Families First Colorado 12 years, a non-profit organization focused on child and family health and welfare and dedicated to breaking the cycle of abuse with support services and education. He earned his Business Finance and Mathematics minor from the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire, and is also a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School from the University of Washington in Seattle.
Brad Leal
Senior Vice President, Treasury Management and Operations
bleal@fasbank.com
303-694-6464 xt. 309
Brad Leal joined First American State Bank in August 2023. With more than a decade of banking experience in Colorado, Brad has been primarily focused on payments and technology products and services. He remains active in providing the treasury management services essential to the bank’s business customers and is committed to further developing those products and services to best serve First American State Bank clientele.
Brad is proud to have started his professional career in the U.S. Marine Corps as an infantryman, having experienced both combat and non-combat deployments. The experience and connections gained during that time continue to serve him well to this day. Brad volunteers his time with veteran focused non-profits, including the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation (MCSF). MCSF provides needs-based college scholarships to the children of Marines that served honorably, as well as Navy Corpsmen who served with Marines.
He earned his B.S. in Business Administration with a focus in Finance from Regis Jesuit University, and he is also a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Colorado in Boulder.