TACOMA, Wash., May 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Columbia Bank announced the promotion of Vice President and Team Leader, Elizabeth Anderson, to Senior Vice President. She will continue in her position as Team Leader in the bank's Special Credits department. Ms. Anderson leads the daily operations of this department that is responsible for preventing and minimizing risk and exposure to commercial loan loss. She also assists lending personnel regarding problem loan recognition, resolution and transfer to Special Credits.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040512/SFW085 )

Per Mark Nelson, Executive Vice President and Chief Banking Officer, "Our loan quality has improved over the last several quarters, and Elizabeth has certainly contributed to that success. Her leadership and contributions have been integral."

Ms. Anderson has nearly 25 years of banking experience, and has been with Columbia Bank since January of 2002. She began her career at Puget Sound Bank, where she held various positions before joining the Special Credits department in 1988.

Ms. Anderson is a graduate of Northwest Intermediate Commercial Lending, the Northwest Intermediate Banking School and the Pacific Coast Banking School.

A past President and Treasurer of the Spanaway Parkland Rotary, she currently resides in Spanaway with her husband, and two sons.

Columbia Bank is a Washington state-chartered, full-service commercial bank providing products and services to individuals, business and the real estate community. A wholly owned subsidiary of Columbia Banking System Inc., (Nasdaq: COLB) Columbia Bank currently operates 34 branches in Pierce, King, Cowlitz, Kitsap and Thurston counties.

Contact: JoAnne Coy, Vice President, Marketing Director

               253-305-1965


SOURCE  Columbia Bank
    -0-                             05/12/2004
    /CONTACT:  JoAnne Coy, Vice President, Marketing Director of Columbia
Bank, +1-253-305-1965/
    /Photo:  NewsCom:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040512/SFW085
              AP Archive:  http://photoarchive.ap.org
              PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com/
    /Web site:  http://www.columbiabank.com /
    (COLB)

CO:  Columbia Bank; Columbia Banking System Inc.
ST:  Washington
IN:  FIN
SU:  PER

ND-GF 
-- SFW085 --
5954 05/12/200414:18 EDThttp://www.prnewswire.com