Columbia Bank Taps Veteran Jeff Singer As Senior Vice President And Eugene Market Regional Manager

Columbia Bank (NASDAQ:COLB) announced that it has hired industry veteran and long-time Eugene market leader Jeff Singer. For the past 23 years, Jeff held multiple positions at Umpqua Bank, including his most recent position as Senior Commercial Relationship Manager. He played a major role in Umpqua's growth and success, including overseeing commercial credit exposure, managing deposit portfolios and leading a team of approximately 50 banking associates from Salem, Oregon to Northern California.

"Jeff will be a wonderful addition to our team, and his knowledge of Lane County will be a tremendous asset to our clients, employees, and community partners," said Clint Stein, Columbia Bank Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. "Jeff brings a high level of integrity, a collaborative management style, authenticity and dedication that our clients have come to expect."

A graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School and an alum of the University of Oregon, Singer graduated with Bachelor of Science degrees in economics, finance and management. Active in the community, Jeff is board treasurer for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) in Eugene; in that role, he advocates for abused and neglected children in Lane County. Singer is also an active supporter of the Eugene Chapter of the Active 20-30 Club – a young adult leadership development organization, and was previously the organization's treasurer.

Jeff will occupy the position currently held by Denise Ghazal, Columbia Bank's Greater Eugene Regional Manager, who will retire in early 2020. Denise has been responsible for commercial and retail banking teams in the Eugene and Springfield markets and will support Jeff through the transition.

"It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the community here in Lane County," said Denise Ghazal. "While I'm sad to be saying goodbye to so many friends, I am delighted to be passing the torch to such an accomplished banker and advocate for the greater Eugene community as Jeff."

Stein added, "Denise has been an exemplary leader and a mentor to many bankers throughout her career. We truly express our gratitude and appreciation for her years of service. She set an exceptional example for everyone who worked with her. While we will certainly miss Denise, we congratulate her on her retirement."

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. For the 13th consecutive year, the bank was named in 2019 as one of Puget Sound Business Journal's "Washington's Best Workplaces," and for the 8th consecutive year, Columbia has been ranked as one of the nation's best banks by Forbes. More information about Columbia can be found on its website at www.columbiabank.com.

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