COLUMBIA BANK NAMED TOP SBA LENDER IN SEATTLE AND PORTLAND REGIONS, RANKED TOP 20 NATIONALLY

TACOMA, Wash., March 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Columbia Bank, the wholly owned subsidiary of Columbia Banking System, Inc. (NASDAQ: COLB) ("Columbia"), today announced it was recognized as the leading Small Business Administration (SBA) lender by the SBA's Portland and Seattle area district offices.

The rankings cover the federal fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2021 and are based on the number of loans made by each bank during the period.

During the past year, Columbia Bank provided 186 loans to small businesses in the Seattle region and moved up a spot from a year earlier to become the No. 1 ranked SBA lender in the district. In the Portland district, Columbia Bank made 191 SBA loans. This is the fourth consecutive year the bank has been ranked first by the SBA's Portland District Office. Nationally, Columbia Bank now ranks 18.

Chris Merrywell, Columbia's chief operating officer, said, "As a community bank focused on serving the small businesses that fuel our local communities, we are committed to helping them reach their business goals. These rankings demonstrate the work that our bankers are doing every day to help clients and small businesses thrive in our communities. I'm proud of what our teams have accomplished."

Scott Bossom, senior vice president and SBA Manager, added, "I'm so proud of the work our teams did over the past year to help small businesses across the Northwest. It was not an easy year and many businesses faced so many uncertainties. Ranking in the top spot in the Seattle District is an amazing accomplishment and is a testament to the work and partnerships our teams create with each other and our clients."

About Columbia 
Headquartered in Tacoma, Washington, Columbia Banking System, Inc. (NASDAQ: COLB) is the holding company of Columbia Bank, a Washington state-chartered full-service commercial bank with locations throughout Washington, Oregon and Idaho. The bank has been named one of Puget Sound Business Journal's "Washington's Best Workplaces," more than 10 times. Columbia was named the #1 bank in the Northwest on the Forbes 2021 list of "America's Best Banks" marking 10 consecutive years on the publication's list of top financial institutions. More information about Columbia can be found on its website at www.columbiabank.com.

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SOURCE Columbia Bank