Umpqua Bank to Open New Agriculture and Commercial Banking Center in California's Central Coast

Umpqua Bank to Open New Agriculture and Commercial Banking Center in California's Central Coast

Hires Industry Veteran Mark Pearce to Lead Team

PASO ROBLES, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Umpqua Bank, a subsidiary ofUmpqua Holdings Corporation (NAS: UMPQ) , has hired Mark Pearce as senior vice president and manager of its new Central Coast, Calif. commercial agriculture center. A California native and long-time resident of the Central Coast, Pearce has more than 20 years of experience in agricultural finance and is a leading authority in the industry. He has deep knowledge of production agriculture and the region, and will focus on expanding Umpqua's investments in agriculture and commercial business financing throughout the Central Coast.

In addition to serving as a key point of contact for Umpqua Bank's commercial agriculture clients, Pearce will oversee day-to-day operations of Umpqua's new agriculture and commercial banking center. The office will provide agriculture and commercial business financing, including operating, equipment and real estate loans for farmers, ranchers and other local businesses. It will be located in Templeton and is slated to open in January of 2013.

"Mark is an industry leader in agricultural finance, with deep knowledge of both the industry and the Central Coast, which is one of the country's most important agricultural regions," said Cort O'Haver, executive vice president for Umpqua Bank. "Mark adds invaluable expertise to Umpqua's commercial lending teams and will play a key role as we continue our expansion into California."

Before joining Umpqua Bank, Pearce spent more than 15 years with Farm Credit West on the Central Coast. He was the senior vice president in charge of their Paso Robles office serving nearly 500 area farmers and ranchers. Most recently, he was their regional vice president of agribusiness responsible for Capital Markets sales and purchase transactions along with serving area agribusiness customers. Pearce is a 10-year member of the Agricultural Liaison Advisory Board of San Luis Obispo County, and serves on the board of Chrysalis House, a nonprofit adoption agency in Fresno, Calif.

Pearce is a graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo where he earned a Bachelor of Science in agricultural business management. He attended the Pacific Coast Banking School and holds a Chartered Financial Consultant designation from The American College in Bryn Mawr, Penn.

For more information about Umpqua and its commercial banking division and services, visit www.umpquabank.com.

About Umpqua Bank

Umpqua Bank, headquartered in Roseburg, Ore., is a subsidiary of Umpqua Holdings Corporation with locations between San Francisco and Seattle, along the Oregon and Northern California Coast, and in Central Oregon and Northern Nevada. Umpqua Bank has been recognized for its innovative customer experience and banking strategy by national publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, BusinessWeek, Fast Company and CNBC. The company has been recognized for the past six years in a row on FORTUNE magazine's list of the country's "100 Best Companies To Work For." Umpqua Holdings also owns a retail brokerage subsidiary, Umpqua Investments Inc., which offers services through Umpqua Bank stores and in dedicated offices throughout Oregon. Umpqua's Private Bank Division serves high net worth individuals and nonprofits by providing customized financial solutions and offerings. Umpqua Holdings Corporation is headquartered in Portland, Ore. For more information, visit http://www.umpquabank.com.

LANE PR
Ming Lacey, 503-546-7891
ming.lacey@lanepr.com

KEYWORDS: United States North America California Nevada Oregon

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