Columbia Bank's Second Annual Melanie Dressel Community Commitment Event Launches April 23

TACOMA, Wash., April 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The second annual Melanie Dressel Community Commitment Day, now Week, will commence Monday, April 23 and continue through April 29. The week honors the memory of Columbia Bank's late Chief Executive Officer Melanie Dressel and her legacy of community support as over 1,000 Columbia Bank employee volunteers and partners participate in community projects throughout three Northwest states.

Dressel, who passed away in 2017 was a deeply committed volunteer and philanthropist, and the bank created this event to honor her memory and impactful works. Beginning on April 23, groups of employees and community members across the bank's footprint will participate in volunteer activities that impact the lives of their neighbors, friends and families.

"Melanie set an extraordinary example of what it means to give back to the community," said Hadley Robbins, Columbia Bank's chief executive officer. "She tirelessly encouraged all of our employees to participate in community service. She set the bar high and through her memory, continues to lead and encourage all of us to do more for each other and the places we live and work."

More than 1,000 Columbia Bank employees and community partners will spend the week volunteering for a range of nonprofit organizations throughout the Puget Sound, Portland Metro, Salem, Eugene, Eastern Washington and Idaho markets including: Northwest Harvest, Oregon Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, Eugene Mission and many more.

In 2017, more than 600 employees, family and friends participated in 76 different volunteer projects in 50 different cities in Washington, Oregon and Idaho for the inaugural Melanie Dressel Community Commitment Day.

The Melanie Dressel Community Commitment Week allows Columbia Bank employees to choose projects they are passionate about in their community and embark on a week-long mission to deliver as much community impact as possible. The Week serves as a welcome addition to Columbia Bank's already robust corporate social responsibility profile with successful annual campaigns such as the Warm Hearts Winter Drive, Relay for Life and the American Heart Association Heart Walk.

About Columbia Bank
Headquartered in Tacoma, Washington, Columbia Banking System, Inc. (NASDAQ: COLB) is the holding company of Columbia Bank, a Washington state-chartered full-service commercial bank with locations throughout Washington, Oregon and Idaho. For the eleventh consecutive year, the bank was named in 2017 as one of Puget Sound Business Journal's "Washington's Best Workplaces." Columbia ranked 11th on the 2018 Forbes list of best banks. More information about Columbia can be found on its website at www.columbiabank.com.

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SOURCE Columbia Bank