Southwest Community Bank
5810 El Camino Real
Carlsbad, CA, 92008
(760) 918-2620
www.swcbank.com

President and/or CEO: Frank J. Mercardante, 56.

Date opened for business: Dec. 1, 1997

• Assets as of latest quarter 12/31/03: $339 million
  
  
• ROA: 1.21 percent
  
  
• Core capital as percentage of assets: 7.97 percent
  
  
• Provision for loan losses: $800,000
  
  
• Plant the flag: The holding company Southwest Community Bancorp operates Southwest Community Bank, a San Diego-headquartered, full-service community bank with branches in Carlsbad, Encinitas, Downtown San Diego, Escondido, El Cajon, Murrieta and Anaheim. The bank also operates loan production offices in Glendale and Florida. The holding company is the majority owner of Financial Data Solutions Inc., a data processing services company with processing centers in Murrieta, El Monte and San Leandro.
  
  
• Employment: The bank has about 87 employees. Recent significant changes in staff include the promotion of Stuart F. McFarland from Chief Credit Officer to President & Chief Operating Officer of the Bank and Diane Sitar from Senior Vice President, Loan Administration to Chief Credit Officer.
  
  
• Directors:
  
  Allan Arendsee, BRE Commercial Real Estate.
  
  Carol Beres, asset manager and investor.
  
  Richard Chan, president, CC IMEX, dba Embi Tech (biomedical research)
  
  Karen Estes, insurance agent, Teague Insurance Agency.
  
  Philip Holtkamp, certified public accountant Managing Partner, Diehl, Evans&Co. LLP.
  
  Howard Levenson, chairman, Southwest Community Bank; chairman and CEO, Western Financial Corp.
  
  Frank Mercardante, president and CEO, Southwest Community Bancorp,CEO Southwest Community Bank.
  
  Paul Weil, vice-chairman and secretary, Southwest Community Bank; attorney, Paul M. Weil & Associates
  
  
• Key personnel: Mercardante, CEO; Stuart McFarland, president and COO; Diane Sitar, chief credit officer; James L. Lemery, CFO.
  
  
• Niche or target customer: Southwest Community is a business bank, focusing on SBA, commercial real estate and construction lending. For the last three years we have been designated the leading SBA lender in San Diego County. Maximum legal lending limit is $6.5 million; however, we routinely make loans in excess of our legal limit by bringing in participating banks.