Heritage Oaks Bancorp Announces Simone Lagomarsino Named President & CEO

Heritage Oaks Bancorp

announced that effective Saturday, September 10, 2011, Simone Lagomarsino will become the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer and the Bank's Chief Executive Officer, subject to final regulatory approval or non-objection. Lagomarsino succeeds Lawrence P. Ward, whose retirement was previously announced and who will remain on the Company's and Bank's Board of Directors. Ms. Lagomarsino also will join both the Company's and Bank's board of directors. Lagomarsino comes to the post following 20 years in executive positions including president and CEO for Kinecta Federal Credit Union; CEO for Hawthorne Financial Corporation, CFO at Warner Center Bank, Ventura County National Bank, First Plus Bank, and Imperial Financial Group. Michael J. Morris, Chairman of the Board for the Company and the Bank, said "Simone is the right leader to take us to the next level of our development. We are ecstatic to find a professional who has it all – impeccable experience, razor sharp knowledge and management skills and dedication to the precepts of community banking."