BBVA Compass appoints Florida business leader to its National Advisory Board

-Providing insight into a key market

-Marielena Villamil is co-founder of The Washington Economics Group Inc.

-Business and civic leader will continue to serve on South Florida board

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Oct 20, 2014, 04:28 ET

HOUSTON, Oct. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Civic leader and business executive Marielena Villamil has been named the 22^nd member of BBVA Compass' National Advisory Board, which is made up of executives from across the bank's Sunbelt footprint.

BBVA Compass corporate logo

Villamil is the co-founder and president of The Washington Economics Group Inc., an economics consulting firm based in Coral Gables, Fla. Villamil, who serves on several community boards, earned her master's degree from Vermont's Middlebury College and her bachelor's degree from St. Mary's Dominican College in New Orleans. She will continue to serve on the bank's South Florida board, which she joined last year.

"Marielena has done an amazing job promoting the bank here in South Florida during the past year, and she's even attended a BBVA shareholder's meeting in Spain to learn more about the bank," said BBVA Compass South Florida Market President Roberto R. Munoz. "We're so proud to have someone from Miami sit on our national board."

National board members help generate business for the bank and provide BBVA Compass leaders with insight about financial needs in specific markets and industries.

About BBVA Group

BBVA Compass is a subsidiary of BBVA Compass Bancshares Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of BBVA (NYSE: BBVA) (MAD: BBVA). BBVA is a customer-centric global financial services group founded in 1857. The Group has a solid position in Spain, is the largest financial institution in Mexico and has leading franchises in South America and the Sunbelt region of the United States. Its diversified business is geared toward high-growth markets and relies on technology as a key sustainable competitive advantage. Corporate responsibility is at the core of its business model. BBVA fosters financial education and inclusion, and supports scientific research and culture. It operates with the highest integrity, a long-term vision and applies the best practices. The Group is present in the main sustainability indexes. More information about the BBVA Group can be found at www.bbva.com.

About BBVA Compass

BBVA Compass is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that operates 673 branches, including 342 in Texas, 89 in Alabama, 77 in Arizona, 62 in California, 45 in Florida, 38 in Colorado and 20 in New Mexico. BBVA Compass ranks among the top 25 largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest banks in Alabama (2nd), Texas (4th) and Arizona (5th). BBVA Compass has been recognized as one of the leading small business lenders by the Small Business Administration and recently earned the top ranking with customers in American Banker's 2014 annual reputation survey of the top 25 largest U.S. retail banks. Additional information about BBVA Compass can be found at www.bbvacompass.com, by following @BBVACompassNews on Twitter or visiting newsroom.bbvacompass.com.