OREGON COAST BANK
909 SE Bay Boulevard
PO Box 2280
Newport, OR 97365

Barb Smidt Joins Oregon Coast Bank as Manager of Lincoln City Office

For Immediate Release
Thursday, May 4th, 2016

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

Newport, OR – Veteran community banker Barb Smidt has been chosen to manage Oregon Coast Bank’s Lincoln City office. Smidt, a graduate of Iowa State University, has been in banking for more than twenty years, most recently serving as Vice President of Retail Sales and Marketing for First Community Bank in Keokuk, Iowa. Besides managing Oregon Coast Bank’s Lincoln City office, Smidt will also be an active lender.

Smidt moved to Lincoln City last year when her husband, Mark, was named publisher of The News Guard. The couple has two grown children, both of whom reside in Iowa. Avid long distance runners, Barb and Mark now enjoy training on central coast beaches and trails, including Cascade Head and Cape Perpetua. Barb recently completed a 50-mile race in Missouri.

“I’ve found Oregon Coast Bank’s philosophy of genuine face to face customer service to be a breath of fresh air,” explains Smidt. “As the multi-state banks have focused on their own growth, they seem to have forgotten the simple things like answering phones with a real person and understanding customer’s unique circumstances.”

“In each of our coastal communities our goal is to provide someone who is committed to becoming part of the community and relishes the idea of becoming the community’s banker. Barb seems genuinely excited about that prospect and it becomes her job to provide capital to the local businesses and home owners in the coming years,” said Fred Postlewait, President and Chief Executive Officer of Oregon Coast Bank. “We’re fortunate that the Smidts chose to relocate to Lincoln City.”

Joe Postlewait, Oregon Coast Bank’s Senior Vice President, added: “Technology is changing the way you borrow for many individuals. If, however, you are even slightly different from the masses you are more likely to need a skilled individual lender on your side. Our goal is to provide one for each community and then add the support staff to allow her to do her job. Barb is our choice for Lincoln City.”

Locally owned and operated, Oregon Coast Bank has over $200 million in assets. Over the past 13 years the bank has invested more than $575 million into the central coast economy in the form of loans to local families and businesses. Oregon Coast Bank currently operates offices in Lincoln City, Newport, Pacific City, Tillamook, Waldport and Toledo.