MECHANICS BANK ANNOUNCES TWO NEW BOARD MEMBERS

Mechanics Bank has announced the election of two new board members, Adrienne Crowe and Meheriar Hasan, effective July 1, 2013.  The two additions expand the Mechanics Bank board positions to 12.

“These two directors bring both broad experience and targeted expertise to our board,” says Dianne D. Felton, Chairman of Mechanics Bank.  “Given the generally heightened demand by regulators and the corporate community for qualified, independent and professional board members, we are pleased that Hasan and Adrienne exceed those very high standards.”

Ms. Crowe is a 27-year veteran of Bank of America, most recently serving as Area President and head of the Sacramento Regional Commercial Banking Office.  She has also held senior management positions in that bank’s regional commercial banking offices in Los Angeles and Long Beach as well as credit administration posts in Southern California and Hong Kong. Ms. Crowe retired from Bank of America in 2000.

“Adrienne’s strong background in credit and her deep familiarity with one of our most important markets will make her a tremendous resource to our Sacramento offices as we continue to grow our client relationships there,” says Ms. Felton.

A Sacramento resident, Ms. Crowe is recognized for her nonprofit activities and community service.  She currently serves on the board of directors for Mercy Housing, Inc. and The California Endowment.  Her board and board level committee assignments with Dignity Health (formerly Catholic Healthcare West) spanned seventeen years. Prior board stints include Mercy Healthcare Sacramento, now Dignity Health (1996‐1998), Valley Vision (1996‐2000), United Way (1992‐2000), Neighborhood Housing Service (1992‐1996) and the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce (1989‐1992). She was the recipient of the 1997 Black Women Achievement Award from the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

Mr. Hasan is currently managing principal and founder of MMH Consulting and also senior advisor at McKinsey & Company. He has also held a number of senior banking positions over his 27-year career. Those included serving as executive vice president and head of U.S. Bank’s Internet and Mobile Channel from 2009 to 2012, where he led the development of one of the largest and most successful digital channels in the banking industry.  Prior to that he spent eight years at Wells Fargo, most recently as executive vice president of Wells Fargo’s Home Consumer Finance Group where he built a highly acclaimed direct-to-consumer distribution channel, and earlier as head of Online Sales and Marketing in the Internet Services Group.  Before Wells Fargo, he held posts at Digital Insight (now Intuit), Transamerica Life Company and Transamerica Consumer Finance, and at American Savings where he began his career.

“The technological expertise Hasan brings to the board will help us ask the right questions in our deliberations concerning technology investments,” says Ms. Felton. “The ability to assess new technologies—deciding which spaces to be in and which to avoid—is absolutely vital. It is imperative that we develop and execute our strategy knowingly and with focus on client needs.  Our viability as an organization depends on getting it right.”

“In a banking environment that has never been more challenging, we are tremendously grateful and honored to have recruited these exceptional new board members,” says Ms. Felton. “We look forward to working with them.”