Santa Cruz County Bank Recognized by American Banker

Women in Banking Top Teams Award 
Krista Snelling Named as one of the Top 25 Most Powerful Women to Watch

SANTA CRUZ, Calif., Oct. 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Santa Cruz County Bank (the "Bank", OTCQX: SCZC), with assets of $1.75 billion, is a top-rated community bank headquartered in Santa Cruz County. Today, the Bank announced two national recognitions by American Banker Magazine. Krista Snelling was named in American Banker Magazine's 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking and Finance - Watch List for 2023. Four members of the Bank's executive team received American Banker Magazine's Women in Banking Top Teams Award: Krista Snelling, President & Chief Executive Officer, Cecilia Situ, Chief Financial Officer, Mary Anne Carson, Chief Marketing Officer, and Shamara van der Voort, Chief Operations Officer.

American Banker Magazine has been recognizing women in banking and finance for 21 years. The 2023 Women to Watch list includes influential leaders at the top of banks and financial institutions in the United States and Canada.  The 2023 Top Teams honor is awarded to five women banking teams from banks and financial institutions across the U.S.

Chana Schoenberger, Editor-in-Chief at American Banker, says of the honorees, "These women represent so much more than world-class business acumen and inspirational leadership skills. They symbolize the perseverance it takes to create meaningful change, the commitment needed to build stronger communities, and the creativity that's essential to drive the industry into a new age."

Santa Cruz County Bank Board Chairman Stephen Pahl remarked, "It is an honor to receive recognition within our industry from American Banker. Our leadership team is key to the Bank's success and strong performance. The recognition of our CEO and Executive team underscores the Bank's exemplary leadership and commitment to excellence, innovation, and growth."

ABOUT SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BANK
Founded in 2004, Santa Cruz County Bank is the wholly owned subsidiary of West Coast Community Bancorp. It is a top-rated, locally owned and operated, full-service community bank headquartered in Santa Cruz, California. The Bank has branches in Aptos, Capitola, Cupertino, Monterey, Salinas, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, and Watsonville. Santa Cruz County Bank is distinguished from "big banks" by its relationship-based service, problem-solving focus, and direct access to decision makers. The Bank is a leading SBA lender in Santa Cruz County and Silicon Valley and a top USDA lender in the state of California. As a full-service bank, Santa Cruz County Bank offers competitive deposit and lending solutions for businesses and individuals including business loans, lines of credit, commercial real estate financing, construction lending, agricultural loans, SBA and USDA government guaranteed loans, asset-based lending, credit cards, merchant services, remote deposit capture, mobile and online banking, bill payment, and treasury management. True to its community roots, Santa Cruz County Bank has supported regional well-being by actively participating in and donating to local not-for-profit organizations.

West Coast Community Bancorp stock is publicly traded on the OTCQX U.S. Premier Market under the symbol SCZC. Stock purchase orders may be placed online, through a brokerage firm, or through Market Makers listed in the Investor Relations section of the Bank's website. For more information about Santa Cruz County Bank visit www.sccountybank.com or contact [email protected].

This release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Words such as "believe," "expect," "estimate," "project," "forecast," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "may," "will," "could," "should," "predicts," "continue," and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements; however, the absence of these words does not mean the statements are not forward-looking.  Such risks and uncertainties may include but are not necessarily limited to fluctuations in interest rates, inflation, government regulations and general economic conditions, the effects of and changes in monetary and fiscal policies, including the interest rate policies of the Federal Reserve Board and their related effects on inflation risk, and competition within the business areas in which the Bank is conducting its operations, including the real estate market in California and other factors beyond the Bank's control. Such risks and uncertainties could cause results for subsequent interim periods or for the entire year to differ materially from those indicated. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which reflect management's view only as of the date hereof. The Bank undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

SOURCE Santa Cruz County Bank