Christine M. Walker-Bowman Joins Mission Preservation Foundation Board

Christine M. Walker-Bowman is Named to the Mission Preservation Foundation Board of Directors

The Mission Preservation Foundation Board of Directors proudly announces Christine M. Walker-Bowman as its newest board member. Walker-Bowman is Co-President of the Farmers & Merchants Bank Foundation and First Vice President of Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach. She has served two decades with the nearly 117-year-old banking institution representing the fifth-generation Walker family member dedicated to servicing Southern California communities through banking.

Mission Preservation Foundation President and Board Chair George O’Connell says, “It is a good day when our board welcomes someone of Christine’s caliber, training, and perspective. Her business acumen and personal passion for the Mission will definitely serve the entity well and we all look forward to having her at the table.”

Farmers & Merchants Bank has a long history of supporting Mission San Juan Capistrano’s programming including the Battle of the Mariachis, Music Under the Stars, and Capistrano Lights. In 2023, Farmers & Merchants Bank and the Walker family were celebrated for their steadfast support at the annual Romance of the Mission Gala.

During her tenure with Farmers & Merchants Bank, Christine has held leadership roles across the family brands including trust services, compliance, real estate investments, alternative investments, and strategic planning. Walker-Bowman is dedicated to the preservation of the bank’s history and what their extensive efforts of “doing good” have accomplished. She is particularly passionate about recognizing teachers and mentors who empower their students to thrive, financial literary, animal therapy programs, and support and rehabilitation for disadvantaged women and children.

A graduate of Westmont College with a B.A. in economics and business, Christine has served on multiple philanthropic boards and currently serves on the board of Farmers & Merchants Trust Company, F & M Bank Foundation, and Orange County High School of the Arts. A dedicated wife and mother of two daughters, Christine has a love for horses, nature, history, and the arts.

About Mission San Juan Capistrano

Known as the “Jewel of the Missions,” Mission San Juan Capistrano is a historic landmark and museum that features permanent exhibits with original artifacts as well as traveling and temporary exhibits. Orange County’s only Mission, the site is home to Serra Chapel, The Great Stone Church, and the original padres’ quarters of the South Wing and promotes faith, education, preservation, and cultural event programming.

Founded on November 1, 1776, by Saint Junipero Serra as the seventh of 21 California missions established by Spain, Mission San Juan Capistrano is owned by the Diocese of Orange and receives no church or state funding. The Mission Preservation Foundation, comprised of business and community leaders, is its fundraising entity committed to ensuring education, preservation, and its long-term historic and religious significance.

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Christine M. Bowman WalkerPhoto byFarmers & Merchants Bank