The largest bank headquartered in the Pacific Northwest is adding a new voice to its boardroom.

Columbia Banking System has appointed Simone Lagomarsino, a financial executive with more than 40 years in banking leadership, to its board of directors effective Sept. 1.

Lagomarsino will serve on the board's Enterprise Risk Management Committee and Audit Committee, two panels that oversee how the company manages lending risk and financial controls across its nine-state footprint.

The appointment matters locally. Columbia Bank, the system's subsidiary, employed roughly 6,054 people as of March and operates more than 350 branches from Washington to Texas. Its headquarters sits at 1301 A Street in downtown Tacoma.

"Simone brings deep banking experience, proven executive leadership and a strong understanding of risk, governance and value creation," Clint Stein, Columbia's chairman, CEO and president, said in a July 30 announcement.

Lagomarsino most recently served as president and chief risk officer of First Foundation Inc. and First Foundation Bank until that company's sale.

Before that, she led Luther Burbank Corporation and Luther Burbank Savings as president and CEO, repositioning the organization and expanding its digital capabilities before its sale. She also ran the California Bankers Association and Heritage Oaks Bancorp.

Her board résumé includes seats at Pacific Premier Bancorp, the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco and the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

That Pacific Premier connection is notable. Columbia completed its all-stock acquisition of Pacific Premier on Aug. 31, 2025, a deal that expanded the company to more than 350 locations and pushed its deposit market share into Southern California's top 10.

Lagomarsino, who sat on Pacific Premier's board, now joins the combined entity's governance structure.

In fiscal year 2025, Columbia Bank delivered nearly $27 million in SBA financing to 252 small business owners and held the No. 1 SBA lender position in Washington and Oregon, according to the company's LinkedIn page. The bank has earned that recognition from the U.S. Small Business Administration six consecutive years.

Columbia Banking System (Nasdaq: COLB) carried a market capitalization of approximately $9.05 billion as of late July. The board voted to appoint Lagomarsino on July 28. No public timeline has been set for her first committee appearance.