Dawn Hartley

VP, Relationship Banking Officer
Medford Branch

Dawn Hartley was born and raised in Jackson County. “The Rogue Valley is a beautiful place to live,” she says.

While raising three sons, she and her family spent a lot of time at little league games. Her numbers skills proved invaluable in terms of scorekeeping, which could sometimes be extra challenging with more than one game going on at a time, she says.

A couple years ago, she decided to leave a bank where she had worked for about 20 years to launch a new Medford branch for Oregon Pacific Bank, where she’s now a Vice President and Relationship Banking Officer.

“The reason I chose to join Oregon Pacific Bank was because of the outstanding reputation they have and because they are an Oregon-based community bank,” she says.

The new Medford branch has faced some challenges because it opened to the public just before the pandemic. The bank’s teammates, however, soon found themselves playing a vital community role as they reached out to local businesses to help them arrange loans through the federal Paycheck Protection Program. Their good work attracted a lot of new customers to OPB, and many local jobs have remained intact due to their tireless efforts.

“We were there to reach out to them and let them know we’re still here to help with any financial needs,” she says.

Dawn also helps the community by serving on the board of Community Works, which provides resources for anyone affected by domestic and sexual violence. The organization funds the Dunn House, which serves as a crisis shelter and helps secure housing for homeless children and others in need.

“It’s phenomenal what this organization does for the people that need these services in the valley,” she says. “It’s been so rewarding to hear some of the stories about how we’ve helped them.”

She recalls hearing from one woman who found refuge as a child with her mother at the Dunn House, and then found herself in need again as an adult. The service helped the woman find a secure and successful path, and she now volunteers for Community Works to give back.

Dawn also serves on the advisory board for the The Salvation Army, which in addition to accepting donations and running a thrift store, also provides transitional housing for families and offers summer day camps and after-school programs that feature music and creative arts programs.

Dawn is grateful for OPB’s encouragement of employees to contribute to nonprofit and community aid organizations. “The bank is so amazing – the support they give to their employees and to the community,” she says.

In her free time, Dawn enjoys hiking and taking in Jackson County’s four-season weather. She and her extended family often have get-togethers, and her children and grandchildren keep her busy. She says there’s nowhere she’d rather be.