Geraud Smith Appointed to Board of Directors

BAKERSFIELD, Calif., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Valley Republic Bancorp (the "Company") (OTCQX: VLLX), the parent company of Valley Republic Bank (the "Bank"), announced today that Geraud Smith, President and CEO of the Company and the Bank, has been appointed as a director of the Company and the Bank, effective March 20, 2019.  Smith was named President and CEO of both the Company and the Bank, effective March 1, 2019, to replace Bruce Jay, the lead organizer, President and CEO since the inception of the Bank in 2009.  Jay is retiring on March 31, 2019, but will remain a director of both the Company and the Bank. 

Smith was hired in July, 2018 as Senior Executive Vice President, as part of the Company's succession plan.  Smith is an accomplished banker with over 20 years of commercial banking experience with a focus on real estate, oil and gas, and agriculture.  Smith worked for one of the major banks for the past 20 years, working in Fresno for 12 years and the past 8 years in Bakersfield.  Most recently, he was the regional manager for the Middle Market Banking group with coverage over the South San Joaquin Valley and parts of the Central Coast and Southern California.

About Valley Republic Bancorp and Valley Republic Bank

Valley Republic Bancorp is a bank holding company formed in 2016. Valley Republic Bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Valley Republic Bancorp, headquartered in Bakersfield, California. The Company is subject to the regulatory oversight of the Federal Reserve Bank and the Bank is subject to the regulatory oversight of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the California Department of Business Oversight. Valley Republic Bank is an FDIC-insured, state-chartered, commercial bank in its eleventh year of operation, having been established in 2009. Valley Republic Bank is a full-service, community bank with three full-service banking offices in Bakersfield and one full-service banking office in Delano. Valley Republic Bank emphasizes professional, high quality banking services provided to a wide range of businesses and professionals. The Bank also provides a full complement of banking services that are available to individuals and non-profit organizations.

SOURCE Valley Republic Bancorp