Sunflower Bank Hires David Musicant for New Role of Regional President in Southern California

Sunflower Bank is pleased to announce that David Musicant has joined the organization in a newly created regional president role to lead strategy and growth of its commercial banking teams in two of the ten largest MSAs in the Southwestern and Western United States. Adding a second regional president in California marks an important milestone in the Bank’s continued expansion in the state and underscores its commitment to serving middle‑market commercial clients through relationship‑focused service and tailored financial solutions.

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Sunflower Bank’s holding company, FirstSun Capital Bancorp (“FirstSun”) completed its acquisition of First Foundation Inc. on April 1, 2026. As a result, First Foundation Bank has merged with and into Sunflower Bank and Irvine-based First Foundation Advisors is a wholly owned subsidiary of FirstSun. This merger greatly expands Sunflower Bank’s footprint and capabilities in California.

Musicant oversees the Bank’s commercial banking strategy in Orange County and is scaling immediately with new hires in Irvine to complement First Foundation Advisors’ well-established presence. In San Diego, Ernesto Arredondo and Steve Clark continue to lead the local market as Co-Managing Group Directors.

James Canepa, who joined Sunflower Bank as regional president in 2024 to establish its commercial banking presence in California, now oversees strategy for Greater Los Angeles and the Inland Empire. Under Canepa’s leadership, Sunflower Bank has built strong middle-market capabilities focused on the distinct needs of each market. Creating two Southern California regions enables Sunflower Bank to support its relationship-driven model as it continues to expand.

“David Musicant’s deep middle-market knowledge and proven banking leadership in the region and its key industries make him an excellent addition to our Southern California team that now includes First Foundation Advisors,” said Neal Arnold, Chief Executive Officer and President at Sunflower Bank. “With David on board, we look forward to accelerating our growth and strengthening client relationships in the region.”

Musicant has more than 35 years of middle-market banking experience in Southern California. He has held senior leadership roles at both national and large regional banks. Most recently, Musicant was a managing director leading West Coast market expansion for an out-of-footprint bank responsible for building corporate client coverage teams across Financial Services, Healthcare, Technology, and Entertainment. Musicant is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara and holds a degree in Business and Managerial Economics.

“It’s an exciting time to join Sunflower Bank. With the acquisition of First Foundation, the Bank is both doubling its size and making a statement move into Southern California. Growth in clients, staff, and market share is why I’m here, and the Bank has committed the resources necessary to achieve these objectives,” said Musicant. “My charge is to partner with the existing First Foundation and Sunflower Bank teams and build relationships that will multiply our growth over the next several years.”

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