MEDFORD, Ore., Sept. 10, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PremierWest Bancorp (Nasdaq:PRWT) and PremierWest Bank named Georges St. Laurent to its Board of Directors. Mr. St. Laurent is a seasoned business executive with diverse investments in financial services, real estate and agricultural operations. He has hands-on banking experience having served as Chairman & CEO and controlling shareholder of Western Bank, Oregon's largest independent public bank during the 1990s prior to its acquisition by Washington Mutual.
Mr. St. Laurent's diverse business interests have spanned a wide variety of industries from serving as a founding Director for Celera -- the company that sequenced the human genome -- to the CEO of GS Containers -- the manufacturer of Sterno Canned Heat prior to its sale to Colgate Palmolive. Mr. St. Laurent is a graduate of Yale University and holds an MBA degree from Harvard.
In announcing Mr. St. Laurent's appointment, John A. Duke, Chairman of PremierWest Bancorp, stated, "We are fortunate to add an individual with Mr. St. Laurent's extensive background and experience to our Board of Directors. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that complements the substantial core of wisdom that currently resides in our Board." James M. Ford, President & CEO of PremierWest, added, "I look forward to having Georges' counsel on financial matters facing the financial service industry today. He has been very successful and will serve our shareholders well in his capacity as a Director."
ABOUT PREMIERWEST BANCORP
PremierWest Bancorp is a financial services holding company headquartered in Medford, Oregon. We operate primarily through our subsidiary PremierWest Bank. PremierWest offers a full array of financial products and services through a network of full service banking offices serving a territory which currently includes high growth markets in Southern & Central Oregon and Northern California. Additionally, PremierWest offers expanded banking related services through two subsidiaries, Premier Finance Company and PremierWest Investment Services, Inc.