Matt and Stacie Mihalik were introduced by a mutual friend, and it wasn’t long before they went on their first date. One date led to many more, and eventually, Matt decided to propose. While on a trip through Germany, Austria, and Italy, Matt found the perfect romantic setting—a Venetian gondola—and there, he asked Stacie to marry him.
Upon returning from their romantic getaway, the couple decided it was time for a change of scenery from their Midwestern home. “After enduring five Midwestern winters, I realized I was destined for the California sunshine,” says Stacie. “So we relocated to my home state. Shortly after, we celebrated our marriage with a beautiful ceremony and reception in Napa. Wanting to fully enjoy the occasion and spend quality time with family and friends—most of whom were flying in—we turned the event into a weekend getaway in Napa. Surrounded by incredible wineries and restaurants, we created many cherished memories together that beautiful weekend.”
Stacie and Matt settled down in Danville and quickly fell in love with the area. Stacie’s parents, who had been living in San Mateo, also moved to the Blackhawk area to be closer to their grandchildren. “We moved to Blackhawk in 2019, the year our daughter Sophie was born. Our son Evan was already two years old, and with Sophie on the way, we were searching for a home with more space. In fact, we moved into our new house just a couple of weeks before Sophie made her early arrival, surprising the whole family,” says Stacie.
Matt was born in Cleveland, OH, and earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees in finance from Baldwin Wallace University. His early interest in banking naturally led him to a successful career at Key Bank, where he spent 14 years in the Corporate Treasury department, steadily taking on greater responsibilities. “Even as a child, I was fascinated by banking and investments. I would try to read the Wall Street Journal, pretending to keep up with the bond and equity markets—though I didn’t really understand it all, I liked to think I did. This interest grew throughout my high school and college years as I took more finance and economics courses, which eventually led me to my first real job at Key Bank right after college,” says Matt.
Stacie was born in San Mateo, CA, and attended Aragon High School before moving on to UCLA. After earning her undergraduate degree, she began working in investment management, gaining valuable experience in both equities and fixed income over the course of four years. Eager to advance her career, she pursued an MBA in Marketing and Finance from Michigan State University. Through her graduate program, she was recruited to National City Bank (now PNC Bank), where she participated in a leadership development program, rotating through several departments, including wealth management. During one of these rotations, she met a close friend of Matt’s—and the rest is history. “I’m most passionate about marketing, viewing it as a way to solve problems for customers, create value, and build long-term relationships—something I have always loved, whether in personal interactions or in a corporate setting,” says Stacie.
Volunteering has always been close to Stacie’s heart. She began, during her time at UCLA, playing sports with children who were wards of the court. Throughout her life, she has been a dedicated Big Sister in Big Brothers Big Sisters programs in various cities. Stacie has also lent her marketing expertise to several non-profit boards in Cleveland and the Bay Area. Her guiding principle is to leave the world a little better than she found it, which
drives her passion for helping organizations in need. She currently enjoys supporting Blackhawk Country Club, the Blackhawk Swim Team, and St. Isidore School with their marketing efforts. Matt is an active member of the Knights of Columbus Council 4060 in Danville, setting an example for his children, Evan and Sophie, by giving back to the community. He believes there’s no better way to lead than by showing them the importance of service.
Evan and Sophie bring so much joy to the family. Evan, who is a second-grader, is known at school for his ability to brighten anyone’s day with his silly jokes and a smile. His favorite sport is swimming, and he had a fantastic time during his first year on the Blackhawk Swim Team (HOX). Sophie, who is in Kindergarten, is a natural performer and loves ballet, soccer, and swimming. She thoroughly enjoyed her first year on the mini-
HOX, a great pre-swim team program that introduces young children to the excitement of
summer recreational swimming.
Stacie’s multicultural background, with her mother being Salvadoran and Chinese and her father German and Hungarian, has given her a rich linguistic heritage. She learned both German and Spanish early on, and now she and Matt hope to pass that love of language to their children. Evan and Sophie are already fluent in Spanish, and Matt and Stacie are excited for them to continue learning German.
Matt and Stacie have always had a passion for travel, exploring destinations across Europe, South America, and Central America. “Experiencing different cultures firsthand is one of the best ways to learn about the world we live in, and we hope to inspire a love of travel in Evan and Sophie,” says Stacie.
No matter where their travels take them, the Mihalik family says they are always happy to return home to Blackhawk. “Our neighborhood is absolutely wonderful. We love all our neighbors, the natural beauty of the area, and our proximity to fun areas in California. Through Blackhawk Country Club, we’ve made friends with so many families that have children around the same age. One of our favorite things about the Blackhawk area is all the memories our family has of hanging out at the Blackhawk pool or fire pits on summer evenings.”
By Megan Scott, Resident since 2010
Images Courtesy of Mihalik Family