NEIGHBORHOOD NATIONAL BANK CELEBRATES ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF EAST COUNTY BRANCH, HIGHLIGHTING YEAR'S SUCCESSES

SAN DIEGO, CA — December 5, 2006 — After a year of service in East County, Neighborhood National Bank (NNB) celebrates the growth and accomplishments of its Casa de Oro location.  Since expanding operations into East County in August of 2005, NNB has been successfully achieving its goal of providing quality banking services to its customers, while continuing to attract new banking customers in the area.

"It's been a good year," said V.P./Branch Manager Rebecca Humphries. “We’ve all been working very hard and it’s paid off.  As we look forward, we are excited about the growth and positive changes to come.”

With administrative headquarters in National City and its main office in Southeast San Diego, Neighborhood National Bank has provided banking services through-out the County, primarily focusing on low-to-moderate income areas and underserved communities.  This makes a total of three locations for NNB in the County, and it remains the only full-service community development bank in the San Diego region.  Founded on the management philosophy to assist clients and build the community while still earning a profit, Neighborhood National Bank is distinct in its approach.  Many small and medium sized businesses have benefited from NNB’s unique approach to banking.
 
“The move to East County is part of a well thought-out plan that has proven beneficial in many ways,” stated President and CEO Bob Adkins.  “Our primary focus has been on retail merchants, which has helped us grow our transaction volume— during the past year we have been able to increase our deposit volume and the number of merchant customers served.  Going forward we plan on expanding our retail non-merchant customer base in the area.”

Festivities for this anniversary milestone will begin Monday, December 4 and continue through December 8, 2006 at the Casa de Oro branch.  “Each day a host of tantalizing desserts will be unveiled, along with a selection of promotional gifts for our customers,” states Humphries. “It is such a pleasure to express our appreciation to our customers and the community, and this is an opportunity to do just that.”

About Neighborhood National Bank

Designated as the first Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) in the nation to receive a national bank charter from the U.S. Department of Treasury, Neighborhood National Bank opened to the public in September 1997 to bring more financial services to San Diego’s under-served communities.  As a CDFI, NNB’s commitment and aim is to rebuild and generate growth in underserved San Diego neighborhoods by providing commercial real estate loans, commercial business loans, consumer loans, lines of credit and other banking services— particularly services to businesses that are woman and minority-owned.  NNB is a full-service bank with assets exceeding $100 million.

Neighborhood National Bank operates from three banking locations, one in San Diego, one in National City, and our newest location in the Casa de Oro area of Spring Valley.  In addition, NNB maintains standalone ATM sites in Paradise Valley and Mission Hills. For more banking information, please call 619-789-4400 or visit: www.mynnb.com.

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