William “Bill” Trezza: Cultivating Community One Step at a Time

What do bocce courts, Italian heritage, community service and banking have in common? If you’re Bill Trezza, all go hand in hand as he prepares for the Festa Italiana 2023.

There’s a common phrase in the Italian community to describe the role and responsibility one has to give back to others. “Una mano d’aiuto” translates to “a helping hand,” describing how each person has a unique gift or talent to help others. For William “Bill” Trezza, this phrase is not only cultural but the embodiment of his life’s work. As the retired CEO of BAC Community Bank in Stockton, California, he has spent a great amount of his career in service, using his banking knowledge to help businesses thrive. He’s been an asset to many budding and prosperous organizations, from nonprofits to local businesses, including the Pacific Italian Alliance.

From Jersey to the California Coast
Growing up in a large Italian family in Orange, New Jersey (his father had 59 first cousins alone with the last name Trezza), Bill was surrounded by family who encouraged him to pursue an education. “I worked in the family junkyard while going to college, and my father said, ‘Go put on a suit and use a pencil,’” recalled Bill. That advice paid off as he graduated from Villanova University with an accounting degree and shortly after, became a bank examiner with a branch of the U.S. Treasury Department.

Five years into the job, Bill realized audit work wasn’t his calling, and he wanted to explore other positions. In 1975, he took a job at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. At the time, the agency was modernizing its regulatory and administrative functions across its 14 national offices. This was Bill’s opportunity to take a leadership role and further his experience. As he began to make a name for himself in the department, he was assigned to other offices, including New York City. In 1980, he was assigned to San Francisco, as bank supervisor for the west coast region. It was here he fell in love with California.

“It was the early ’80s and the economy was booming,” said Trezza. The agency also offered him the position to manage the New England region and he rejected it in lieu of an executive position at BAC Community Bank in Stockton. The bank needed a chief financial officer. Bill had heard that the majority owner, Art Berberian, had invested $3 million to restore the bank’s financial footing. That commitment gave him the comfort to accept the position. The bank regained profitability in mid-year and Bill became the chief executive officer two years later in 1984.

Time, Talent, Treasure
He also found this position allowed him the flexibility to become well acquainted with the community, but it wasn’t until 1988, upon the birth of his daughter, Andrea, did he find the desire to get involved. Seeing the care provided by Dameron Hospital and feeling the elation of being a new father, Bill felt a sense of gratitude that ignited a spark in him. “I was indebted to the hospital,” he admitted. With his time, talent and treasure, Bill got involved with the Dameron Hospital Foundation and soon became of great value to other non-profits in the area such as Hospice of San Joaquin and El Concillio, assisting in fundraising and financial management to those who needed his expertise. “A lot of these non-profits have a lot of heart,” said Bill, but they would need more than just intention if they were to truly make an impact in the community.

Another example was Bill’s involvement in the development of Mary Graham Children’s Shelter. “What I love about that was that we started from scratch,” he said, referring to funding for the shelter. With help from San Joaquin County and other private investors, the committee was able to secure funding to build and finance the shelter. In fact, it was so successful that the organization had a $1 million surplus. This allowed them to repurpose the funds to aid foster youth for education toward college, junior college or trade school. Today, because of these efforts, the nonprofit continues to maintain the endowment for foster youth.

Connecting Italian Heritage
Bill found great satisfaction using his financial talents to better the community, and this also carried over into his other love, his Italian culture. He became acquainted with Paul Mariani, who brought him onto the Pacific Italian Alliance board of directors. Noticing a wide range of Italian organizations in San Joaquin County with little united front, Bill wanted to create a bridge to bring groups together. So, in 2016, at the Italian Athletic Club location, PIA joined with a handful of other Italian clubs (IAC, Liguri nel Mondo and the Italian School for Language) to organize Festa Italiana, a festival celebrating the motto “all things Italian.” Each organization celebrated its unique qualities while uniting under the Italian heritage. The event became so successful that within a few short years Festa had to move the event to larger grounds at the Waterloo Gun and Bocce Club, and then eventually to its current location at the Lodi Grape
Festival fairgrounds.
This year’s event will take place on Sunday, June 11, and intends to live up to its motto. From delicious regional cuisines, Italian art and bocce ball to live entertainment, the festival will celebrate the many generations of Italian culture. The venue also gives recognition to the various Italian histories and regions of local families such as those from Genova and Piedmonte to “below the olive oil line,” or the southern regions in Salerno and Puglia, where Bill’s family resides. While he admits his own Italian is limited to mostly a Napoletano dialect that’s been more Americanized over the years, he’s proud to be part of the local community, building and connecting culture.

To connect with Bill in his many projects or learn more about Festa Italiana, visit their website at festa-italiana.com or contact the organization at 209-242-9970.

Clams Oreganata
Recipe courtesy of Bill Trezza

Ingredients
2 dozen cherrystone clams
2½ sticks butter
1 whole garlic bulb
1 cup coarse breadcrumbs
1½ cups parmigiana cheese
1 cup oregano
1 tbsp. ground black pepper
3 fresh lemons

Directions
Steam clams in 4 to 6” of water. Melt butter over low fire but do not cook. Press garlic and place pulp in melted butter. When clams are done (shells open wide), let cool and remove from shells. Cut clams into 5 or 6 pieces per clam. Mix the dry ingredients with the chopped clams, then pour in the warm garlic butter and mix evenly; you may use some of the clam broth to moisten the mix for better handling. Use a tablespoon to put mix in half shells and broil for approximately 5 minutes or until clams are browned. Squeeze fresh lemons over clams and serve hot with cocktail forks.