SANTA PAULA, CA. - Santa Clara Valley Bank (SCVBank;OTCBB: SCVE) today announced that Mrs. Leslie A. Cornejo has been elected Chairperson of the Board. Mrs. Cornejo replaces Mr. Scott Rushing who has served as Chairman for the past two years. Mr. Rushing will continue to serve as a Director of the Bank. Additionally, Mr. Elias F. Valdes was re-elected as Vice Chairman. In the spirit and tradition of community based organizations, the SCVBank Board has customarily rotated the leadership of the Board.

President and CEO Cheryl L. Knight commented, “Leslie Cornejo is highly qualified to lead SCVBank.” Mrs. Cornejo was raised in Southern California, attended local public schools and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish from the University of California at Irvine in 1971. She is also a graduate of the Marian Bergeson Excellence in Public Services Series and was appointed by the Governor of California to the 31st District Agricultural Association (Ventura County Fair Board), also serving as a past President. She participates in a number of local civic activities and is a board member of the Santa Paula Police and Fire Foundation. Mrs. Cornejo has owned Santa Paula Travel Agency since 1989 and is a founding director of Santa Clara Valley Bank.

Incoming Chairperson Cornejo stated, "I am honored to be selected by my fellow members of the Board of Directors of SCVBank to serve as their Chairperson. My focus for the future is to continue the fine work of my predecessors in building shareholder value, as well as attending to the banking needs of our community."

Knight praised outgoing Chairman Rushing for his leadership, “Mr. Rushing provided his constant support and leadership as Chairman of the Board for the past two years as the economy and bank recovered and moved forward.”

Outgoing Chairman Rushing reflected, “It was an honor and a privilege to serve as the Bank’s Chairman for the past two years. We had many challenges but never lost our focus on delivery of excellent customer service. I want to thank our executive officers and staff for all their support. Great progress was made positioning the bank to take advantage of opportunities as the economy continues to recover. I am certain our new Chairperson Leslie Cornejo will be an effective leader.”

Founded in 1998, SCVBank currently operates three branches in Santa Paula, Fillmore, and Valencia. Under its stock symbol of SCVE., SCVBank’s stock is traded through McAdams Wright Ragen and Raymond James & Associate. The Bank’s web site is www.SCVBank.com.

Santa Clara Valley Bank Corporation Headquarters
901 East Main Street
Santa Paula, California 93060
805 525-1999
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