Melanie Dressel, President and CEO of Columbia State Bank Awarded 2010 Business Leader of the Year

TACOMA, Wash., May 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Melanie Dressel, President and CEO of Columbia State Bank, was recognized for her achievements at the Milgard School of Business 9th Annual Business Leader of the Year awards ceremony held on April 21, 2010 at the Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center.  

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100506/SF01017)

Dressel accepted the Business Leader of the Year award by saying, "I would like to thank the Milgard School of Business for this wonderful, but very humbling award. It is very meaningful to me because I have such high regard for UWT's School of Business. We at Columbia Bank have had the direct benefit of the quality of education the students receive as we have hired interns and graduates of the program. Without exception, they have been wonderful additions to our team."

The Milgard School of Business has hosted the Business Leadership Awards since 2001 recognizing local business leaders in the South Sound Community for outstanding service to their company and the community.

About Columbia

Columbia State Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Columbia Banking System, Inc. is a Washington state-chartered full-service commercial bank headquartered in Tacoma, Washington. Columbia Bank was awarded second place in the large employer category by Seattle Business Magazine's 100 Best Companies to Work For 2009 and was designated one of Puget Sound Business Journal's "Washington's Best Workplaces 2009".

With the January, 2010 FDIC-assisted acquisitions of Columbia River Bank and American Marine Bank, Columbia State Bank has 85 banking offices, including 60 branches in Washington State and 25 branches in Oregon. Columbia Bank does business under the Bank of Astoria name at the Bank of Astoria's former branches located in Astoria, Warrenton, Seaside, Cannon Beach, Manzanita and Tillamook. More information about Columbia can be found on its website at www.columbiabank.com.

SOURCE Columbia State Bank