Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Yvonne Debesa has a deep-rooted love for her community, contributing her time to many boards and community efforts, including those in the education arena. She currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Sunstate Bank, a community bank serving the Miami area. Her career in banking spans more than 40 years, beginning when she was in high school and got a part-time job in the bookkeeping department at Republic National Bank. This led her to change her career direction from teaching to banking.

Yvonne went on to attend Florida International University, where she earned her bachelor’s in business administration and later her master’s in accounting. While attending school, she continued working at Republic National Bank, learning the ins and outs of the banking industry from the ground up and working in various departments.

Over the years, she held a variety of executive levelpositions in banking before securing her current position at Sunstate Bank in 2011. She loves the variety that comes from working at a community bank as it enables her to wear many hats and stay engaged in her community. In fact, her focus on the community dates back to the early days in her career. “A client once told me ‘It does not matter what you do in business or personally – what matters is what you do to give back to your community,’ and that really stuck with me,” she says. Ms. Debesa is a founding member of the AAA Scholarship Foundation Bank Advisory Board, offering her expertise to help grow state scholarship programs that provide educational options for low-income families. Aside from her work with the AAA Scholarship Foundation, Yvonne is actively involved in a multitude of civic and business organizations including the South Florida Banking
Institute, Greater Miami Chamber-Banking and Financial Services Committee, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Miami – Women’s Leadership Council, FIU Alumni Board, United Way’s WomenUnited, and Alfalit International.

For her unwavering efforts in the community, she has been recognized by Florida International University as an Alumni Leader; by Miami Dade College as an “I am MDC” alumni ambassador; and in 2013 received the Alumni Achievement Award from The Education Fund, a nonprofit supporting students and teachers in Miami- Dade County Public Schools. “You have to have balance in your life,” Yvonne says. “Fulfill your responsibilities and then do what makes you happy. And for me, giving back is fulfilling.”