Community West Bancshares Appoints New President & CEO for Subsidiary, Goleta National Bank.

Business Editors

GOLETA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 28, 2000

Community West Bancshares (Nasdaq:CWBC) today announced the appointment of Lynda Nahra, executive vice president/chief operating officer, as the new president and chief executive officer of its subsidiary, Goleta National Bank (GNB).

Nahra will assume responsibility for day-to-day management and operations of the bank.

John Markel, chairman of the board of Community West Bancshares, commented: "I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Lynda Nahra as president and chief executive officer. Ms. Nahra brings more than 30 years of banking experience to GNB, primarily in the community banking arena. Additionally, she has held management positions in lending, business development, marketing and operations. Her proven abilities since joining GNB in October 1997, particularly her key role with respect to the successful opening of our branch operations in Ventura, Calif., make her the ideal person to take over day-to-day operations of GNB and to implement the strategic planning initiatives of the executive committee of the board of directors."

Markel also announced that Lew Stone, who has served as president and chief executive officer of Goleta National Bank since the company's founding, will now assume a dual role.

"In addition to his responsibilities as president and chief executive officer of the holding company, Community West Bancshares, Lew will also now serve as executive vice president of special products for Goleta National Bank. These special products include: Small Business Administration (SBA) loans, alternative mortgage products (AMP), retail/wholesale mortgages and Goleta's new short-term consumer loan products, which are being expanded on a national level," Markel said.

"As the primary architect of our successful SBA lending program, which in 10 years has grown from less than $3 million per year to more than $80 million per year, Lew Stone's extensive expertise and relationships throughout the banking community will be a vital component of the future success of our special products operations. The board believes that this re-alignment of responsibilities and personnel resources is key to the successful implementation of programs that comprise the future direction of Community West Bancshares as it continues to focus on new areas of generating non-interest (fee) income."

Company Overview

Community West Bancshares is a financial services company with headquarters in Goleta. The company currently has two subsidiaries, Palomar Community Bank has a full-service branch located in Escondido, Calif. Goleta National Bank (GNB) has two full-service branches, one in Goleta and one in Ventura. It is one of the nation's largest SBA lenders, with loan-production offices located in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Orgeon, Washington and Nevada. The principal business areas and profit generators of the company are core banking with net interest margins, mortgage lending with fee income and SBA lending with fee income.