A respected financial and governance expert, Christa brings extensive leadership experience to the Board, having twice served as CEO and held several board-level leadership positions. Most recently, she served as interim CEO of Balco Holdings, Inc., where she managed all financial, regulatory, and risk operations through the successful division and dissolution of the enterprise in 2022. Previously, as President and CEO of Mechanics Bank, she achieved a 43% improvement in core earnings in a single year and doubled the value of the company in less than two years, ultimately leading the bank through a successful sale at a premium.

Christa’s deep expertise in oversight is reflected in her numerous leadership roles, including service as Board Chair and Chair of Audit and Compensation committees. Her current board service spans the utility (Global Water Resources), nuclear (Deep Isolation Nuclear), insurance (The Doctors Company), and agricultural (Tanimura & Antle) sectors. This includes roles as Audit Committee Chair for The Doctors Company and Tanimura & Antle, and Nominating & Governance Committee Chair for Global Water Resources. A recognized leader in her field, she was honored as one of the NACD’s Top 100 Board Directors in the U.S. in 2023. She has also been twice named one of the "Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business" by the San Francisco Business Times and was recognized by Private Company Director Magazine as one of the "North America Top 50 Private Directors to Watch."

She earned an MBA from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Sacramento. Ms. Steele is an NACD Board Leadership Fellow with Governance Certification and holds a Certification in Cyber Security Oversight from Carnegie Mellon University.