Headline: Tom Mitchell starts new commercial real estate lending program at Oakland’s Community Bank of the Bay

Publication: (Press Release)

Dateline: May 9, 2006

Tom Mitchell starts new commercial real estate lending program at Oakland’s Community Bank of the Bay

OAKLAND, Calif., (May 9, 2006) – Community Bank of the Bay (CBYAA.OB) has appointed Thomas Mitchell to start a new commercial real estate lending program.

The new program offers “a comprehensive and competitive choice of permanent, bridge and construction financing for commercial, industrial and multi-family residential properties,” said Mitchell.

“Because of our ability to place loans in the secondary market, we can offer a variety of rates and terms to accommodate almost any kind of borrower,” Mitchell said.
 
 “Tom brings more than 20 years of experience in the commercial real estate market to the bank,” said Brian Garrett, president and chief executive officer. “We are very fortunate to have someone with such proven expertise and local market knowledge.”

Mitchell, 50, will be vice president of commercial real estate.

He most recently served as vice president of commercial real estate for KeyBank Real Estate Capital in Walnut Creek, where he was responsible for marketing, originating and underwriting construction and bridge financing for commercial, multi-family and condominium real estate loans in northern California.

Previously, Mitchell was assistant regional manager of Manulife Financial in Concord, Calif., working with commercial and multi-family real estate loans throughout the western United States; vice president of Riverbank Financial Group in San Francisco, managing a loan portfolio of more than $170 million in commercial real estate debt and equity investments; and he began his career with the Robert A. McNeil Corporation, analyzing commercial real estate markets and leases for a $350 million portfolio of income-producing properties.
 
Mitchell, a Concord resident, received his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Northern Colorado and an M.B.A. degree in management in at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. He served in the United States Air Force.

Community Bank of the Bay is located at 1750 Broadway, Oakland. The office is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Information on the bank and its services is available online at www.communitybankbay.com.

#  #  #

A photo of Tom Mitchell, as well as b/w and color copies of the NEW Community Bank logo, all scanned specifically for print publication, are easily available upon request. Call 510-304-2411.