OAKDALE, Calif., May 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oak Valley Community Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oak Valley Bancorp (NASDAQ: OVLY) is pleased to announce that it was named by Best Companies Group as one of 2025 Best Places to Work: Central Valley. At the same time, OVCB was recognized by Opportunity Stanislaus for “Growing the Economy” by increasing their workforce by 10% or more throughout 2024.

"Being named one of the Best Places to Work in the Central Valley for the second time is a true honor and a meaningful reflection of who we are as an organization. This recognition speaks to the environment we’ve worked hard to create: one that prioritizes growth, values each individual, and fosters a culture of excellence from the inside out. What truly sets us apart is our deep-rooted service culture. Our team consistently goes beyond expectations, creating experiences that build trust, strengthen relationships, and turn customers into lifelong advocates. That level of care doesn't just happen - it’s driven by a team that believes in our mission and takes pride in their work every day. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to our employees. Your commitment to our customers, our communities, and to one another is the reason we continue to grow and succeed. This award belongs to each of you," stated Chris Courtney, CEO.

Best Places to Work: Central Valley is a survey and recognition program dedicated to celebrating those employers locally who excel at creating quality jobs and environments where employees are happy to work. As a research-driven program from Best Companies Group, Best Places to Work examines a company’s practices, programs, and benefits and surveys employees for their perspective. All companies that participated in the 2025 Best Places to Work: Central Valley program receive an in-depth evaluation identifying strengths and weaknesses according to their employees. In turn, this report can be used in developing or enhancing employee retention and recruitment programs.

We are honored to be recognized with this year’s Best Places to Work recipients; Black Water Consulting Engineers, DeHart Plumbing, Heating & Air, E- Technologies Group, Grimbleby Coleman, Haggerty Construction, IT Solutions/Currie, One Digital, Reed Family Companies, Stanislaus County Office of Education, The Wonderful Company, and Westwood Professional Services.

Best Places to Work: Central Valley is brought to you by Opportunity Stanislaus. For more information on Best Places to Work: Central Valley visit www.bestplacestoworkcentralvalley.com.

About Opportunity Stanislaus
Opportunity Stanislaus is a local economic development organization focused on improving the economic vitality of Stanislaus County. To do so, they help local entrepreneurs start and grow businesses and work to attract innovative companies to the county. For more information visit www.opportunitystanislaus.com.

About Oak Valley Community Bank
Oak Valley Bancorp operates Oak Valley Community Bank & their Eastern Sierra Community Bank division, through which it offers a variety of loan and deposit products to individuals and small businesses. They currently operate through 18 conveniently located branches: Oakdale, Turlock, Stockton, Patterson, Ripon, Escalon, Manteca, Tracy, Sacramento, Roseville, two branches in Sonora, three branches in Modesto, and three branches in their Eastern Sierra division, which includes Bridgeport, Mammoth Lakes, and Bishop. The company will open its 19^th branch location in Lodi later this year. For more information visit www.ovcb.com.