909 SE Bay Boulevard
PO BOX 2280
Newport, OR 97365

Rose Wharton to Manage New Oregon Coast Bank Pacific City Office

For Immediate Release

Friday, January 30, 2004

Contact: Fred Postlewait
              Oregon Coast Bank
              541-265-9000

Pacific City, OR – Longtime Cloverdale banker, Rose Wharton, has been named manager of the new Oregon Coast Bank Pacific City office. The bank will be located at 35490 Airport Way in the old Medical Office Building, which Oregon Coast Bank has purchased. Remodeling plans are now being finalized and the building is expected to be completed by mid-June. A temporary facility is slated for opening in April with limited initial services.

Wharton, a Cloverdale native and resident, previously worked for 30 years at the US Bank branch in Cloverdale. She served as manager for the past 15 years. Active in the community, Wharton serves on the Tillamook Bay Community College Board, the Cloverdale Water Board and is a Nestucca High School Booster. Her husband, Randy, is principal of Nestucca High School. The couple has two children — Misty Wharton, 26, is a graduate student at George Fox University and Joshua Wharton, 24, works for Intel in the Portland area. In her spare time, Rose Wharton loves to quilt and spend as much time as possible with her extended family, most of which still reside in the area.

“We wanted to find an experienced banker with longtime local ties — someone who understood the needs of the community –” explained Fred Postlewait, President and Chief Executive Office of Oregon Coast Bank. “Our Board of Directors was elated that Rose decided to lead our efforts in the Pacific City area. Besides being strong in agriculture lending, construction lending and refinancing, Rose has a great relationship with her customers.”

“I always said if I ever left US Bank, it would be for the opportunity of working for an independent community bank with Coast roots,” commented Wharton. “Oregon Coast Bank does a great job of providing an alternative to the bureaucracy of chain banks and I’m excited to be able to help bring that level of service to our community.”

Wharton is currently commuting to Newport to familiarize herself with Oregon Coast Bank’s operations. Over the next several months she will be involved in the hundreds of details required of opening a new bank office including naming additional Pacific City office staff members.