TACOMA, Wash., June 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Columbia Bank welcomed Kristine Crawford to its Columbia Private Banking team in Tacoma. She joins Columbia as a Vice President and Private Banking Officer and will work directly with Private Banking clients.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070604/AQM237)

"Kristine joins our Tacoma Private Banking team with an extensive academic and industry experience background in serving the affluent client market. Her commitment to serving clients with exceptional service makes her a great addition to our team," said Dean McSweeney, Senior Vice President and Private Banking Manager.

Ms. Crawford offers her Private Banking clients over 25 years of financial services experience. She began her career at Puget Sound Bank in 1982 and was most recently with Viking Bank. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Pacific Lutheran University and a Master of Education Degree from the University of Puget Sound.

A resident of Tacoma and Puyallup since 1980, Ms. Crawford and her fiance recently built a house in Buckley. She has accepted a position on the Audit Committee of The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation.

Columbia Bank is a Washington state-chartered, full-service commercial bank providing financial 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 35 branches in Pierce, King, Cowlitz, Kitsap and Thurston counties. More information about Columbia can be found on its website at http://www.columbiabank.com.

    Contact: JoAnne Coy, Vice President
    Marketing and Communications Director
    Columbia Bank
    253-305-1965

SOURCE Columbia Bank

Contact: JoAnne Coy, Vice President, Marketing and Communications Director of Columbia Bank, +1-253-305-1965