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First California Financial Group, Inc.: First California Promotes Edmond Sahakian to Executive Vice President

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^{Published in Stocks and Investing on Tuesday, September 15th 2009 at 6:34 GMT by Market Wire}  

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA--(Marketwire - September 15, 2009) - First California Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: [ FCAL ]) today announced the promotion of Edmond R. Sahakian to executive vice president of First California Bank, with expanded responsibilities including leadership of all of First California's banking offices in Southern California.

"Ed is one of the premier bankers in the state and has been a tremendous asset to our retail banking business development efforts since joining First California in 2004," said C. G. Kum, president and chief executive officer. "His strong background in banking, focus on providing the highest level of service to our customers and dynamic leadership make Ed the perfect candidate for this well-deserved promotion."

Sahakian, 46, joined First California Bank as senior vice president and manager of the retail banking division. Previously, he served as vice president of California Federal Bank. Following the acquisition of California Federal Bank by Citibank in 2002, Sahakian led the successful integration of the two banks in the central coast region. Prior to that, he held various management positions at Countrywide Home Loans and at California Federal Bank. Sahakian began his banking career in 1986 at Home Savings of America, where he advanced to the position of vice president of retail banking. Sahakian received his bachelor's degree from California State University, Northridge, and is a graduate of the University of Washington's Pacific Coast Banking School.

About First California

First California Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: [ FCAL ]) is the holding company of First California Bank. Celebrating 30 years of business in 2009, First California is a regional force of strength and stability in Southern California banking. With assets of $1.45 billion and led by an experienced team of bankers, the company is one of the strongest capitalized financial institutions in the region. The bank specializes in serving the comprehensive financial needs of the commercial market, particularly small- and middle-sized businesses, professional firms and commercial real estate development and construction companies. Committed to providing the best client service available in its markets, First California offers a full line of quality commercial banking products through 17 full-service branch offices in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties. The holding company's Web site can be accessed at [ www.fcalgroup.com ]. For additional information on First California Bank's products and services, visit [ www.fcbank.com ].