Sunwest Bank Announces Appointment of M. Cassandra Hoag as New Director

Business Wire, Jan 30, 2007

TUSTIN, Calif. -- Sunwest Bank (OTCBB:SWST) announced that M. Cassandra (Cassie) Hoag has been appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of Sunwest Bank. Ms. Hoag is the founder and managing director of Equity Architects, LLC, a strategic advisory firm that helps small companies prepare for and secure capital for growth, realize synergistic mergers, structure essential liaisons and engineer turnarounds and cultural change.

Ms. Hoag honed her skills as a C-level executive in the healthcare field, in operational, sales and marketing roles for Imagyn Medical Technologies, Coram Healthcare, CURAFLEX Health Services, and Foster Medical Corporation. With a BSBA degree in Marketing from the University of Delaware, she also has experience in the retail and consumer products industries (Strawbridge & Clothier and Avon Products, Inc., respectively).

Ms. Hoag currently serves on several company and not-for-profit boards and holds memberships in a number of Orange County-based associations, including the Orange County Venture Group. She has done volunteer work for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the Y-ME Organization, the City of San Juan Capistrano and St. Anne School, and was named "Entrepreneur to Watch" by the National Association of Women Business Owners in 2006.

"We are happy to welcome Cassie Hoag to our board," said Glenn Gray, President and CEO of Sunwest Bank. "Her extensive business background, especially helping small companies handle growth, will be beneficial to us as we continue our growth as a premier provider of business banking expertise to Southern California businesses."

Sunwest Bank is a leading provider of banking services to small to middle-market businesses throughout Southern California. Headquartered in Tustin with locations in Newport Beach, Laguna Hills and Anaheim, Sunwest Bank offers customized banking solutions with the highest level of personal service. Sunwest Bank has expertise with homeowners' associations and property management companies, lockbox processing, healthcare professionals, women-owned businesses, and residential and commercial real estate developers. Online banking is available through its corporate website: www.sunwestbank.com.