Ojai Community Bank Establishes Shari Skinner Scholarship Fund

Ojai, California, February 1, 2010—Ojai Community Bank and the Rotary Club Education Foundation have announced formation of a new scholarship fund honoring the life of the bank’s founding President, Shari Skinner, who died last February after a long battle with cancer.

The scholarships will provide aid to high school students who wish to continue their formal education at vocational or scholastic institutions.

The fund will be administered in Shari’s name by the Rotary Club of Ojai Educational Fund, which was founded in 1991 and has awarded between $20,000 and $30,000 in scholarships annually ever since. Skinner was a member and President of the Rotary Club of Ojai.

“Shari dedicated her life to providing to those who had big dreams and were willing to work for them,” said the bank’s board Chairman, Don Scanlin. “In the bank, she assisted local businesses in growing and diversifying, by providing loans and offering her knowledge to support their vision.”

Ojai Community Bank maintains a separate charitable donation program, that gives over $30,000 annually to local Ojai and Santa Paula charities, youth sports teams and cultural events. Supporting the citizens and the community has always been a founding principle of the bank. It follows that this dedication would continue in Shari’s name.

Members of the community may also contribute to the scholarship fund. Tax deductible donations can be dropped off at the bank, 402 W. Ojai Ave. in Ojai, or mailed to the Rotary Club of Ojai Education Foundation, P.O. Box 511, Ojai, CA 93024. Checks should be made out to the Rotary Club of Ojai Education Foundation, with a memo line reading: “Shari Skinner Memorial Scholarship.”

Ojai Community Bank is a publicly traded company, traded under the symbol OJCB on the Over the Counter Bulletin Board (www.otcbb.com). Located at 402 W. Ojai Avenue, the Bank was created from a locally generated capital offering, and is primarily owned by Ojai Valley investors. Member FDIC.

Company Contact:
Donald Scanlin, Chairman of the Board,
or David Brubaker, President/CEO, Ojai Community Bank, 805-646-9909
Public Relations Contact:
Barbara Brown, BBM&D Strategic Branding, 805-667-6671

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