SAN DIEGO, Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank at Commerce (Nasdaq: BCOM) today
announced the initiation of the Rainbow Community Plan, a four-year commitment
to provide comprehensive financial assistance to San Diego's low- and
moderate-income communities and small businesses.
    Rainbow Community Program is named after the Bank's "rainbow" logo and was
announced by Peter Q. Davis, chairman and CEO.
    "We are extremely proud of the outstanding evaluation we have received
from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (F.D.I.C.) for our Community
Reinvestment Act (CRA) performance, and this new program formalizes our
commitment to meet the future needs of our entire community," Davis said.
    The Rainbow Community Program will be managed by a newly created Community
Reinvestment Advisory Council comprised of bank management and members of
several community-based organizations.  The committee includes:  Robert Ito,
Housing Development Corp.; John Johnston, San Diego Urban League; Herman
Collins, The Collins Group; Margaret Penrose, Union of Pan Asian Communities;
Michelle Gray, Graysoft; Marco Polo Cortez, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce;
Sister Margaret Castro, St. Rita's Catholic Parish; Matthew Brown, BRYCO;
Peter Q. Davis, Gary Cristofani and Julie Duepner, Bank of Commerce.
    "The Rainbow Plan recognizes the special lending needs of low and moderate
income business borrowers who often lack the access to capital," said Herman
Collins, Collins Group, a governmental relations consulting firm that assisted
Bank of Commerce in the plan development.  "Often borrowers needing less than
$50,000 of capital go unassisted by banks and lending institutions.  These
unmet credit needs are critical in a small business owner's ability to attract
new business through facade improvements, or in building new business through
financing for products and goods.  Bank of Commerce is helping to meet these
needs and others of small business," Collins added.
    The Community Reinvestment Advisory Council has received the approval of
the Diego City/County Reinvestment Task Force.
    The Rainbow Community Program will primarily include initial allocation of
resources in the areas of business lending, service, investment and community
outreach.  Key examples of the program include:

    -- Lending - Bank of Commerce will act as a specialized lender for small
business in a low- and moderate-income area participating in the San Diego
City/County Facade Rebate Program.

    -- Service - Bank of Commerce will host periodic regional forums to be
conducted by lending and business development professionals on subjects such
as creating financial and business plans, specialized product lending and loan
application technical assistance.

    -- Investment - Bank of Commerce will partner with San Diego Community
Foundation to administer up to $200,000 in matching grants aimed at fostering
the development of small businesses in low- and moderate-income communities.

    -- Community Outreach - Bank of Commerce will communicate its employment
and vendor supplier opportunities to the low- and moderate-income community on
a quarterly basis through local community newspapers.

    "Our focus in this new program is in concert with our on-going business
philosophy of assisting small business owners in our community to every extent
possible," Davis added.
    In addition to being the nation's leading Small Business Administration
(SBA) bank lender, Bank of Commerce is also the largest publicly held bank
headquartered in San Diego with total assets of $697.4 million as of
September 30, 1998.  The bank operates ten full service branch offices in
Southern California.

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