Breaking banking's color barrier, rising through ranks.

CLIFTON L. Johnson decided to become a banker at the age of 12 after his mother, who worked as a cook at a bank, asked one of the officers to show him around.

There was just one hitch. Blacks didn't become bankers in Texas in 1957. "My high school counselors were shocked," he said, but "my father told me to do it if I wanted to."

After 36 years in banking, Johnson has made much of his father's advice, rising through the ranks of Union Bank of California during a more than two-decade span.

With his recent promotion to vice president and senior relationship manager in Union Bank of California's Beverly Hills private banking operations, Johnson plans to focus on developing business relationships with high net worth African Americans. His new role will help the bank "take advantage of the ... wealth accumulation of the African American population," he said.

Back in 1968, Johnson said he was surprised when L.A.-based Security Pacific National Bank recruited him to out of the University of North Texas.

"I really wondered why they would come to Texas," he said, but he soon found out. "They felt with a Southern background I had a better shot of assimilating with the banking culture, which is very conservative."

Johnson joined Union Bank in 1981. His most recent position was branch manager in Torrance.

Along the way, Johnson became the first black chairman of Torrance's Chamber of Commerce. Johnson sees his community involvement as key to his professional accomplishments. "To be successful on the business side, you need exposure. My passion is being involved in my job, which ties directly into the community," he said.

Johnson has been married for 37 years and has two daughters. He loves jazz music and occasionally slips away to go fishing.