Kenna Helms Joins City National Bank as Senior Vice President/Manager of Palo Alto Private Banking

Business Wire, Sept 18, 2000

Business Editors

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 18, 2000

City National Bank (NYSE:CYN) today announced the appointment of Kenna Helms as senior vice president/manager of its Palo Alto private banking team.

With more than 26 years' experience in trusts, estate planning and financial services, Helms brings an extraordinary background to City National's dynamic Northern California private banking division, serving the asset management and credit needs of some of Silicon Valley's and the Peninsula's most affluent individuals and successful entrepreneurs.

Helms comes most recently from Comerica Bank where, as vice president and senior trust officer, she oversaw Comerica's California trust administration activities.

"Kenna possesses a unique combination of financial and legal services expertise, making her an invaluable asset to City National," said Bob Brant, executive vice president and Northern California regional manager.

"Those skills, along with her adept delivery of outstanding client service, made her the perfect choice to head our Palo Alto private banking team. Kenna is well established in the Bay Area professional community and held in high esteem by her colleagues and peers."

City National Bank has offered premier private banking-related services to affluent and successful individuals since the institution's inception. City National's reputation was built on providing highly personalized, relationship-oriented banking services and products. City National has specialized, local private banking offices in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego and San Francisco counties, along with the new team in Palo Alto.

Helms' distinguished career includes experience in the trust and estate planning divisions of several prominent financial institutions, including serving as vice president and trust officer for both Comerica Bank and Wells Fargo Bank. Her comprehensive knowledge of trust and estate planning is complemented by her expert legal knowledge, Brant said.

Helms holds a Juris Doctorate from Santa Clara University, with a specialty in probate and estate planning, and is an active member of the State Bar of California. She has held positions as chief counsel for U.S. Leasing Corporation and in the Office of General Counsel at Bank of America. She also has held key positions at Citibank and was in private practice in San Francisco.

Helms, who currently resides in Palo Alto, was raised in Silicon Valley where she attended both junior and senior high school, prior to her matriculation at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she completed an undergraduate degree in business administration. She is actively involved in community service organizations, including fund-raising, training and community outreach as a member of the Junior League of Palo Alto.

Helms can be reached at City National Bank, 525 University Ave., Palo Alto, and by phone at 650/566-3080.

About City National

City National Corp. is a publicly owned corporation with $8.7 billion in total assets whose stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "CYN."

The corporation's wholly owned subsidiary, City National Bank, is California's premier private and business bank, with 50 offices in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. In addition, the bank's trust and investment division, City National Investments, has $15.5 billion in assets under management or administration.

For more information about the corporation, its Fax-On-Demand Information Service is at 800/873-5293, and the corporation's Web page is at http://www.cnb.com.

Note to Editors: Photo available upon request.