PRESS RELEASE - Harold Ashford

For Immediate Release

Contact:
William E. “Bill” Castle
President & CEO
South Valley Bank & Trust
541.880.5210

Harold Ashford Graduates Northwest Bank Directors College

Klamath Falls, OR – September XX 2010 – South Valley Bank & Trust is pleased to announce the graduation of Harold J. Ashford, Certified Public Accountant, of Harold Ashford & Associates, from the Oregon Bankers Association Northwest Bank Directors College.  

The Bank Directors program enhances directors' understanding of their responsibilities to their financial institutions. Co-sponsored by the Division of Finance and Corporate Securities, and the Oregon, Idaho and Washington Bankers Associations.  The Northwest Bank Directors College is completed over the course of six months. 

Ashford brings business and accounting expertise to the South Valley board of directors. With an accounting degree from OSU in 1972, he has more than 33 years of experience in public accounting. Mr. Ashford has operated his CPA firm in Bend since 1977.  

Mr. Ashford’s extensive public service includes serving as a budget member of the Deschutes County Rural Fire Protection District #2, and serving 22 years as a board member of J Bar J Properties, an affiliate of J Bar J Youth Services in Bend.  He is also a member of Community Forest Authority of Deschutes County,  the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Rate Review committee for Central Electric Co-op, and treasurer of Central Oregon Youth Investment Foundation.  

Former service includes serving as a board member of the St. Charles Medical Center, committee member of the Oregon State Board of Accountancy, and six years on the Oregon State University Foundation, the last two years as a member of the executive committee and chair of the audit committee.

South Valley Bank & Trust
Headquartered in Klamath Falls, Oregon, South Valley Bank & Trust was founded in 1977 by local business leaders who wanted to provide community-oriented financial services to businesses and their workers and families. The privately owned financial institution, a subsidiary of South Valley Bancorp, Inc., currently posts assets of approximately $850 million. South Valley maintains its hometown banking tradition providing local management and decision-making at 25 locations in the Klamath/Lake, Central Oregon, Rogue, and Three Rivers Regions. The bank that puts Your Business First® delivers a broad range of business and personal banking products and services as well as trust, estate and retirement services.  Through a subsidiary, South Valley Wealth Management, the bank also offers investment services for individual, corporate and non-profit clients.  For more information about South Valley Bank & Trust, visit www.southvalleybank.com.