CERRITOS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- First Choice Bank (the “Bank”) (OTCQX: FCBK), announced the appointment of Ben Buskey to the position of Regional Vice President of Orange County. Ben will be reporting to Chief Banking Officer, Nicole Swain.

Ben comes to First Choice Bank with over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry, specifically targeting commercial and industrial lending, equipment finance, real estate lending, treasury management solutions and commercial insurance. In his new role, Buskey will be responsible for growing the Bank’s commercial and industrial footings by providing clients within the Orange County region the highest level banking possible. “Ben has extensive sales and leadership experience in the Orange County banking community and will be a valuable asset in the continued success of First Choice Bank,” said Nicole Swain, Chief Banking Officer.

Robert Franko, the Bank’s President & CEO added, “Ben is exactly the banker we wanted for this vital Southern California market. He values his clients and his clients, in turn, value and respect Ben’s expertise and dedication.”

Ben is very active in the community, serving on the board of directors of Greater Union Baptist Church and as president of the Orange County Bankers Club. He is a native of Orange County and currently resides in the city of Orange with his wife and two daughters.

“I am very excited and honored to be a part of such a great team,” said Buskey. “First Choice Bank truly has a deep commitment to be the First in Speed, Service and Solutions, and do everything they can to excel at that commitment. I can think of no better place to be, where I can provide business owners not with just a product, but rather a true banking partnership.”

ABOUT FIRST CHOICE BANK

First Choice Bank, headquartered in Cerritos, California is a community focused financial institution, serving diverse consumers and commercial clients and specializing in loans to small businesses, Private Banking clients, Commercial and Industrial (C&I) loans, and commercial real estate loans with a niche in providing finance for the hospitality industry. The Bank is a Preferred Small Business Administration (SBA) Lender. Founded in 2005, First Choice Bank has quickly become a leading provider of financial services that enable our customers to grow, maintain strength, and reach unprecedented levels of success. We strive to surpass our clients' expectations through our efficiency and professionalism and are committed to being "First in Speed, Service, and Solutions." First Choice Bank stock is traded on the Over the Counter (OTCQX); our Ticker Symbol is FCBK.

The Bank's web site is www.FirstChoiceBankCA.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Except for the historical information in this news release, the matters described herein contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Such risks and uncertainties include: the credit risks of lending activities, including changes in the level and trend of loan delinquencies and charge-offs, results of examinations by our banking regulators, our ability to maintain adequate levels of capital and liquidity, our ability to manage loan delinquency rates, our ability to price deposits to retain existing customers and achieve low-cost deposit growth, manage expenses and lower the efficiency ratio, expand or maintain the net interest margin, mitigate interest rate risk for changes in the interest rate environment, competitive pressures in the banking industry, access to available sources of credit to manage liquidity, the local and national economic environment, and other risks and uncertainties.Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. First Choice Bank undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date of this release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Investors are encouraged to read the First Choice Bank annual reports which are available on our website.

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First Choice Bank
Robert M. Franko, 562-345-9241
President & Chief Executive Officer
or
Yvonne L. Chen, 562-345-9244
Chief Financial officer

Source: First Choice Bank