TACOMA, Wash., Oct. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Columbia Bank announced that Jerri Pavitt has joined the Columbia Private Banking Team in Bellevue as a Senior Vice President and Private Banking Officer.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071023/AQTU256)

"Jerri is a fantastic addition to our Bellevue Columbia Private Banking team. Her passion and enthusiasm for providing comprehensive financial solutions to her clients complements the core values of Columbia Private Banking," said Dean McSweeney, Senior Vice President and Private Banking Manager.

Mrs. Pavitt has an extensive banking career with over 15 years in the professional market, lending to physicians and dentists in the Northwest. She began her career at Seafirst Bank/Bank of America, and was most recently a Vice President in Business Banking with Cascade Bank. Ms. Pavitt enjoys building client relationships and meeting client expectations both on a personal and on a business level.

A Seattle native and an eastside resident for 35 years, she resides in Bellevue with her husband, Bill.

Columbia Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Columbia Banking System, Inc. (Nasdaq: COLB), is a Washington state-chartered full-service commercial bank providing products and services to individuals, business and the real estate community. With the July 23, 2007 completion of the acquisitions of Mountain Bank Holding Company and Town Center Bancorp, Columbia Bank has 48 banking offices in Pierce, King, Cowlitz, Kitsap and Thurston counties in Washington State, and Clackamas and Multnomah counties in Oregon. Included in Columbia Bank are former branches of Mt. Rainier National Bank, doing business as Mt. Rainier Bank, with 7 branches in King and Pierce counties. More information about Columbia can be found on its website at http://www.columbiabank.com.

    Contact: Stephanie Ursino, Senior Vice President
             Marketing Director
             Columbia Bank
             253-305-1993

SOURCE Columbia Bank

Contact: Stephanie Ursino, Senior Vice President, Marketing Director of Columbia Bank, +1-253-305-1993