OREGON COAST BANK
909 SE Bay Boulevard
PO Box 2280
Newport, OR 97365


Melissa Chown Named Vice President – Credit Aministrator


For Immediate Release
Thursday, January 11, 2018

Contact: Joe Postlewait
Oregon Coast Bank
541-265-9000


Newport, OR – The Oregon Coast Bank Board of Directors recently promoted Melissa Chown to the position of Vice President – Credit Administrator.  Chown first joined the bank four years ago as a teller.  Within nine months she advanced to become a loan officer, where she has excelled in both commercial and consumer lending.

A native of Hampshire County on the southern coast of England, Chown earned a BSC degree in psychology at the University of Plymouth in the United Kingdom.  After receiving a BA in Speech Communications at Portland State University, she went on to earn both an MBA and JD at Willamette University in Salem.  Upon passing the bar exam, she became a practicing attorney in Newport, specializing in civil litigation.

After several years in practice, Chown began contemplating a career change.  When the opportunity to join Oregon Coast Bank arose, she was excited to become part of an organization that has such a positive effect on the community.  “Over the past decade Oregon Coast Bank has loaned more than $639 million to local families and businesses,” cites Chown.  “It’s great to be in a profession where customers are genuinely glad to see you and it’s personally rewarding in that I know I’m making a difference in the community.”  Although still a member of the bar, Chown looks forward to a long career as a banker.

Chown and her husband Cory Blake, a Newport attorney, reside in Waldport, where she is a member of South Lincoln County CERS, the community emergency response team.  She chairs the safety commission of their home owners association and is a member of the Newport Library Reading Circle.  Besides reading extensively in her spare time, she enjoys making jewelry.

“Melissa has worked hard in developing the skills and community banking perspective necessary for the central coast market,” explained Joe Postlewait, President of Oregon Coast Bank.  “Whether she’s working with families or business owners, she has a great rapport with her customers, which makes her an outstanding loan officer.  As Vice President – Credit Administrator, Melissa has become a very important part of our management team.”

Founded in 2002, Oregon Coast Bank is a locally owned and operated community institution with over $200 million in assets.  The bank operates offices in Newport, Toledo, Waldport, Lincoln City, Pacific City and Tillamook.

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