Santa Cruz County Bank Announces New Board Member

SANTA CRUZ, CA – July 12, 2023: Santa Cruz County Bank (the “Bank” OTCQX: SCZC) announced the appointment of James R. Castellanos to the Bank’s Board of Directors.

James R. Castellanos is President and CEO of Casco Properties, a leading property management company in San Jose. Under his leadership, the company has renovated over 1,500 apartment units in the Santa Clara Valley, and they currently manage 1,000 units in Silicon Valley and Santa Cruz County. Mr. Castellanos has extensive experience in all types of commercial real estate including multi-family, apartment, warehouse, and automotive. Mr. Castellanos also serves as Founder and Principal CEO of Casco Financial, a regional leader in mortgage-backed real estate loans and a lender of choice for Silicon Valley real estate developers.

Mr. Castellanos serves on the Real Estate Curriculum Options Advisory Board for Santa Clara University Leavey School of Business, and on the San Jose Police Foundation Board of Directors. He served on a community bank Board for seven years, which involved oversight of policies, strategic planning, bank financials, and merger negotiations.

Santa Cruz County Bank Board Chairman Stephen D. Pahl stated, “We are pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Castellanos to the Bank’s Board of Directors. I know from firsthand experience the level of expertise and banking knowledge Jim brings to the table. We are fortunate to have him join us and value his connections in the Silicon Valley where we continue to expand our reach.

On his appointment, Mr. Castellanos stated, “I am excited to join the Board of Directors and to work with the Bank's leadership team. The collective strengths of the executive leadership and the Board of Directors — experience, expertise, and deep industry knowledge — are driving the Bank’s success. I’ve witnessed the unfolding of this incredible story over the last two decades and I am truly honored to be part of this great team."

ABOUT SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BANK

Santa Cruz County Bank was founded in 2004. It is a top-rated, locally-owned and operated, full-service community bank headquartered in Santa Cruz, California. The bank has branches in Aptos, Capitola, Cupertino, Monterey, Salinas, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, and Watsonville. Santa Cruz County Bank is distinguished from "big banks" by its relationship-based service, problem-solving focus, and direct access to decision makers. The bank is a leading SBA lender in Santa Cruz County and Silicon Valley and a top USDA lender in the state of California. As a full-service bank, Santa Cruz County Bank offers competitive deposit and lending solutions for businesses and individuals; including business loans, lines of credit, commercial real estate financing, construction lending, asset-based lending, agricultural loans, SBA and USDA government guaranteed loans, credit cards, merchant services, remote deposit capture, mobile and online banking, bill payment, and treasury management. True to its community roots, Santa Cruz County Bank has supported regional well-being by actively participating in and donating to local not-for-profit organizations.

Santa Cruz County Bank stock is publicly traded on the OTCQX U.S. Premier marketplace under the symbol SCZC. Stock purchase orders may be placed online, through a brokerage firm, or through Market Makers listed in the Investor Relations section of the bank’s website. For more information about Santa Cruz County Bank, visit www.sccountybank.com.