Plaza Bank Hires Commercial Real Estate Financing Expert

IRVINE, CA--(Marketwired - Apr 20, 2015) - Plaza Bank (OTCBB: PLZB) (the "Bank") is pleased to announce the hiring of Chris Kelleher as Vice President and Business Development Officer. With more than 20 years of experience in commercial real estate financing, Mr. Kelleher further strengthens Plaza Bank's position as a premier community business bank serving Southern California and Southern Nevada. 

"I am excited to have Chris join Plaza Bank, as we continue to grow and seek new opportunities to serve our small business communities," said Gene Galloway, President and CEO of the Bank. "With a proven track record, deep expertise, and relationships in commercial real estate financing, Chris adds a new dimension to our sales team -- one that will translate into expanded lending options for both new and existing customers."

Prior to joining Plaza Bank, Mr. Kelleher was Business Development Officer for California Statewide Certified Development Corporation (CDC), a non-profit organization that provides commercial real estate financing to small businesses under the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) 504 Loan Programs. Before that, he held similar roles with Wells Fargo Bank and Bank of America.

At Plaza Bank, Mr. Kelleher brings his strong network of contacts, extensive credit analysis skills, and vast knowledge of SBA 504 lending specifically to provide owner-user commercial real estate financing -- for buying or refinancing -- on transactions ranging from $500,000 to $5 million-plus.

"Plaza Bank is an excellent fit for my skills, experience, and passion for providing small businesses with creative financing options," Mr. Kelleher said. "I'm fortunate to become part of a proven sales team that has historically been among the top 10 SBA 7a lenders in California, despite being smaller than many of our competitors. That's a tribute to Plaza Bank's dedicated staff, commitment to client relationships, and highly personalized service."

Mr. Kelleher earned his bachelor's degree in Management from San Diego State University and currently lives in Redondo Beach, where he enjoys live music, hiking, and cultural events, among other hobbies.

About Plaza Bank

Plaza Bank is full service community bank serving the business and professional communities in Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bank is committed to meeting the financial needs of small to middle market businesses and professional firms with loans for working capital, equipment and owner-occupied commercial real estate financing and a full array of cash management services. Our bankers are experienced, professional and knowledgeable. For more information, visit www.plazabank.com or call President and CEO Gene Galloway at (949) 502-4309 or (702) 277-2221.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain matters discussed in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and are subject to the safe harbors created by that Act. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include the words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "estimate," or words of similar meaning, or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "would," "should," "could," or "may." Forward-looking statements are based on currently available information, expectations, assumptions, projections, and management's judgment about the Bank, the banking industry and general economic conditions. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, nor should they be relied upon as representing management's views as of any subsequent date. Future events are difficult to predict, and the expectations described above are necessarily subject to risk and uncertainty that may cause actual results to differ materially and adversely.

Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties and actual results may differ materially from those presented, either expressed or implied, in this press release. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to: the Bank's ability to successfully execute its business plans and achieve its objectives; changes in general economic, real estate and financial market conditions, either nationally or locally in areas in which the Bank conducts its operations; changes in interest rates; new litigation or claims or changes in existing litigation or claims; future credit loss experience; increased competitive challenges and expanding product and pricing pressures among financial institutions; legislation or regulatory changes which adversely affect the Bank's operations or business; loss of key personnel; changes in accounting policies or procedures as may be required by the Financial Accounting Standards Board or other regulatory agencies; and the ability to satisfy requirements related to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other regulation on internal control.