SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BANCORP ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF RICHARD MARTIN TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS

San Diego, Calif., May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Southern California Bancorp (the “Company”) (Nasdaq: BCAL), announces the appointment of Richard Martin to the Board of Directors of the Company and of its wholly owned subsidiary, Bank of Southern California, N.A. (the “Bank”), effective May 18, 2023. Mr. Martin has been appointed to serve on the Company’s Audit and Risk Committee.

“We are very pleased to welcome Richard Martin as a director to our boards,” said David Rainer, Chairman and CEO of the Company and the Bank. “Richard brings more than 30 years of corporate experience as a certified public accountant, including his tenure of more than 10 years at two of the Big Four accounting firms and 12 years of experience on the Board of Directors of Americas United Bank, and he has a strong presence in our local business and nonprofit communities. We believe Richard’s extensive accounting and board experience will bring significant insights and value to our boards.”

“I am delighted to be joining the boards of the Company and the Bank,” said Richard Martin. “Dave and his team have done an outstanding job of developing and expanding the Bank’s franchise in Southern California over the last two years, while providing outstanding service to small and medium-sized businesses in our communities, and I look forward to contributing to its continued development.”

Mr. Martin, a certified public accountant, founded R. Martin & Associates in 2003, a certified public accounting firm providing business consulting, tax, and accounting services to a broad variety of industries. Before founding R. Martin & Associates, he served for seven years as a Senior Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers (1995 – 2000; 2001 – 2003), providing clients with business consulting, tax consulting, and compliance services, including consulting on optimal business structuring, mergers and acquisitions, and accounting methods review. Prior to that, he served as a Supervising Senior Tax Specialist for public accounting firm KPMG (1990 – 1994).

Mr. Martin served for 12 years on the board of directors of Americas United Bank (2006 – 2018), where his tenure included serving as the Chairman of the Asset and Liability Committee, as well as the Nominating Committee, and as a member of the Audit Committee. Mr. Martin currently serves on the board of directors of Glendale Memorial Hospital-Dignity Health, City of Burbank Treasurer’s Oversight Committee, and the foundation board for Village Christian Schools. Additionally, he has served on the board of directors and audit committee for the Burbank YMCA and the Advisory Board for the Accounting Department of Glendale Community College. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the California Society of Certified Public Accountants, and Latino Deal Makers.