TACOMA, Wash., June 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Columbia Bank welcomes Carol Wells-Reed as Vice President and new Branch Manager of its Bonney Lake Branch. She will work within this growing community to develop relationships with local businesses and clientele, as well as oversee operations of the branch.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040630/SFW081 )

Ms. Wells-Reed has over 18 years of banking experience and comes to Columbia from Bank of America, where she was a branch manager in Lacey. Her career has been varied and includes being the owner and operator of her own successful home design and construction firm, a kitchen and bath designer, as well as serving in several capacities, including branch manager, for Seafirst and Bank of America for 15 years.

Carol has earned an American Institute of Banking diploma. Her community involvement includes various United Way programs, as well as working with youth programs, church youth groups and the former Tone School in Tacoma for homeless children. She was recognized as a Volunteer of the Year by her employer in 1994. She lives in the South Hill area of Puyallup, where she has resided for nearly 20 years.

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-                             06/30/2004
    /CONTACT:  JoAnne Coy, Vice President, Marketing Director of Columbia
Bank, +1-253-305-1965/
    /Photo:  NewsCom:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040630/SFW081
              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

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