BayCom Corp 10-K

Item 1. Business The disclosures set forth in this item are qualified by “Item 1A. Risk Factors” below and the section captioned “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” above and other cautionary statements set forth elsewhere in this Form 10-K. Overview General. BayCom is a bank holding company headquartered in Walnut Creek, California. BayCom’s wholly owned banking subsidiary, United Business Bank, provides a broad range of financial services to businesses and business owners as well as individuals through its network of 34 full-service branches, with 16 locations in California, two in Washington, five in New Mexico and 11 in Colorado. The Company’s business activities generally are limited to passive investment activities and oversight of its investment in the Bank. Accordingly, the information set forth in this Form 10-K, including consolidated financial statements and related data, relate primarily to the Bank. Our principal objective is to continue to increase shareholder value and generate consistent earnings growth by expanding our commercial banking franchise through both strategic acquisitions and organic growth. Since 2010, we have expanded our geographic footprint through ten strategic acquisitions. We believe our strategy of selectively acquiring and integrating community banks has provided us with economies of scale and improved our overall franchise efficiency. Looking forward, we expect to continue to pursue strategic acquisitions and believe our targeted market areas present us with many and varied acquisition opportunities. We are also focused on continuing to grow organically and believe the metropolitan and community markets in which we operate currently provide meaningful opportunities to expand our commercial client base and increase both interest-earning assets and market share. We believe our geographic footprint, which now includes the San Francisco Bay area, the metropolitan markets of Los Angeles, California, Seattle, Washington, and Denver, Colorado, and community markets including Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Custer, Delta, and Grand counties, Colorado, provides us with access to low cost, stable core deposits in community markets that we can use to fund commercial loan growth. We strive to provide an enhanced banking experience for our clients by providing them with a comprehensive suite of sophisticated banking products and services tailored to meet their needs, while delivering the high-quality, relationship-based client service of a community bank. As of December 31, 2022, we had, on a consolidated basis, total assets of $2.5 billion, total deposits of $2.1 billion, total loans of $2.0 billion (net of allowances) and total shareholders’ equity of $317.1 million. We continue to focus on growing our commercial loan portfolios through acquisitions as well as organic growth. At December 31, 2022, our $2.0 billion total loan portfolio included $527.8 million, or 26.1%, of acquired loans (all of which were recorded to their estimated fair values at the time of acquisition), and the remaining $1.5 billion, or 73.9%, consisted of loans we originated. The profitability of our operations depends primarily on our net interest income after provision for loan losses, which is the difference between interest earned on interest earning assets and interest paid on interest bearing liabilities less provision for loan losses. Our net income is also affected by other factors, including noninterest income and noninterest expense. Our History and Growth. In January 2017, the Company became the holding company for the Bank. The Bank commenced banking operations as Bay Commercial Bank in July 2004 and changed the name to United Business Bank in April 2017, following our acquisition of United Business Bank, FSB in April 2017. The Bank was founded in March 2004 as a California state chartered commercial bank, by a group of Walnut Creek business and community leaders, including George Guarini, who serves as our Chief Executive Officer. The severe economic recession beginning in 2008 and the ongoing consolidation in the banking industry created an opportunity for our management team and board to build an attractive commercial banking franchise and create long-term value for our shareholders by employing an acquisition strategy that focuses on opportunities that grow our product portfolio and expand the business geographically. 5 Table of Contents Since 2010, we have implemented our vision of becoming a strategic consolidator of community banks and a destination for seasoned bankers and businesspersons who share our entrepreneurial spirit. While not without risk, we believe there are certain advantages resulting from mergers and acquisitions. These advantages include, among others, the diversification of our loan portfolio with seasoned loans, the expansion of our market areas and an effective method to augment our growth and risk management infrastructure through the retention of local lending personnel and credit administration personnel to manage the client relationships of the banks being acquired. We believe we have a successful track record of selectively acquiring, integrating and consolidating community banks. Since 2010, we have completed 10 acquisitions with aggregate total assets of approximately $2.3 billion and total deposits of approximately $1.9 billion. We have sought to integrate the banks we acquire into our existing operational platform and enhance shareholder value through the creation of efficiencies within the combined operations. In April 2017, we completed our largest acquisition to date when we acquired First ULB Corp (“FULB”), the holding company for United Business Bank, FSB, headquartered in Oakland, California. This acquisition increased our deposits by approximately $428.0 million. At the time of acquisition, United Business Bank, FSB had total assets of approximately $473.1 million, which significantly increased our total asset size and provided us with nine full-service banking offices in Long Beach, Oakland, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose and Glendale, California; and Seattle, Washington and Albuquerque, New Mexico. This acquisition significantly increased our total asset size, expanded our geographic footprint and added low cost, stable deposits associated with a strong network of relationship with labor unions. In November 2017, we acquired Plaza Bank, with one branch located in Seattle, Washington. At the time of the acquisition, Plaza Bank had approximately $75.8 million in total assets and $54.2 million in deposits. In November 2018, we acquired Bethlehem Financial Corporation (“BFC”), the holding company for MyBank, headquartered in Belin, New Mexico, and paid a total of $23.5 million in cash for all of the outstanding equity securities of BFC. MyBank operated through five branches serving Central New Mexico. At the time of acquisition, MyBank had approximately $157.8 million in total assets and $135.5 million in deposits. In May 2019, we acquired Uniti Financial Corporation (“UFC”), the holding company for Uniti Bank, headquartered in Buena Park, California, which had three branch offices located in Southern California. At the time of acquisition, UFC had approximately $318.0 million in total assets and $265.8 million in deposits. In October 2019, we acquired TIG Bancorp (“TIG”), the holding company for First State Bank of Colorado, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, which had seven branch offices and serves the Denver metropolitan area and other Colorado communities. At the time of acquisition, TIG had approximately $235.6 million in total assets and $202.8 million in total deposits. In February 2020, we acquired Grand Mountain Bancshares, Inc. (“GMB”), the holding company for Grand Mountain Bank, headquartered in Granby, Colorado, which had four branch locations across Grand County and a loan office in Summit County, Colorado. At the time of acquisition, GMB had approximately $130.9 million in total assets and $118.1 million in deposits. In February 2022, we acquired Pacific Enterprise Bancorp (“PEB”), the holding company for Pacific Enterprise Bank, which had one branch location located in Irvine, California. At the time of acquisition, PEB had approximately $446.1 million in total assets and $376.7 million in deposits. Our Markets We target our services to small and medium-sized businesses, professional firms, real estate professionals, nonprofit businesses, labor unions and related nonprofit entities and businesses and individual consumers. As of December 31, 2022, including our principal executive offices, we operate a total of 34 full-service banking branches consisting of branch offices in Northern and Southern California; Denver, Colorado, and Custer, Delta, and Grand counties, Colorado; Seattle, Washington and Central New Mexico. We believe this diverse geographic footprint provides us with access to low 6 Table of Contents cost, stable core deposits in community markets that we can use to fund commercial loan growth in our metropolitan markets. We generally lend in markets where we have a physical presence through our branch offices. A majority of our branches are located in the San Francisco Bay Area which includes the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma, California. We operate primarily in the San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, and the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California Metropolitan Statistical Areas (“MSA”) with additional operations in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, California MSA, with borrowers or properties located in San Francisco Bay Area comprising 34.4%, Northern California comprising 25.1% and Southern California comprising 9.4% of our loan portfolio as of December 31, 2022. In addition, deposits located in California comprised 61.8% of total deposits as of December 31, 2022. With a population of approximately 4.6 million, the San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward MSA represents the third most populous area in California and the thirteenth largest in the United States. In addition to its current size, the market also demonstrates key characteristics we believe provide the opportunity for additional growth, with a median household income of $116,005 versus a national average of $69,717, and the third highest population density in the nation. The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA also demonstrates key characteristics that provide us growth opportunities, including a population of approximately 2 million and a median household income of $139,892. The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, California MSA, with approximately 13 million residents, is the largest MSA in California, the second largest MSA in the United States, and one of the most significant business markets in the world. The economic base of the area is heavily dependent on small and medium-sized businesses, providing us with a market rich in potential customers. We believe the market’s median household income of $82,503, large concentration of small and medium-sized businesses, and its highest population density in the nation position the area as an attractive market in which to expand operations. We serve the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue MSA, which includes King County (which includes the city of Seattle), through two branch offices. We serve the Albuquerque MSA, in Central New Mexico the most populous city in the state of New Mexico through five branch offices we acquired from FULB and BFC, in 2017 and 2018, respectively. We serve the Denver MSA and the Colorado communities in Custer, Delta, and Grand counties through eleven branch offices. As of December 31, 2022, borrowers or properties located outside of California in the states of Colorado, New Mexico and Washington composed 4.8%, 2.5% and 4.3% of our loan portfolio, respectively. As of December 31, 2022, deposits located outside of California in the states of Colorado, New Mexico and Washington comprised 16.2%, 8.5% and 7.9% of total deposits, respectively. Lending We provide a comprehensive suite of financial solutions that competes with large, national competitors, but with the personalized attention and nimbleness of a relationship-focused community bank. We provide our commercial clients with a diverse array of cash management services. A general description of the range of commercial banking products and other services we offer follows. Lending Activities. We offer a full range of lending products, including commercial and multifamily real estate loans (including owner-occupied and investor real estate loans), commercial and industrial loans (including equipment loans and working capital lines of credit), SBA loans including income producing real estate loans and small business loans under the SBA 7(a) and 504 loan programs, construction and land loans, agriculture-related loans and consumer loans. Our preference is for owner-occupied real estate and commercial and industrial loans. We also offer consumer loans predominantly as an accommodation to our commercial clients, which include installment loans, unsecured and secured personal lines of credit, and overdraft protection. Lending activities originate from the relationships and efforts of our bankers. We are a preferred lender under the SBA loan program. 7 Table of Contents We may periodically purchase whole loans and loan participation interests or participate in syndicates originating new loans, including shared national credits, primarily during periods of reduced loan demand in our primary market areas and at times to support our Community Reinvestment Act lending activities. Any such purchases or loan participations are made generally consistent with our underwriting standards; however, the loans may be located outside of our normal lending areas. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we purchased $134.5 million and $152.0 million, respectively, of loans and loan participation interests, principally commercial and industrial loans and multifamily real estate loans. We are a business-focused community bank, serving small and medium-sized businesses, trade unions and their related businesses, entrepreneurs and professionals located in our markets. We do not target any specific industries or business segments, rather we look to the quality of the client relationship. We attempt to differentiate ourselves by having an attentive and focused approach to our clients and utilizing, to the fullest extent possible, the flexibility that results from being an independently owned and operated bank. We focus on establishing and building strong financial relationships with our clients, using a trusted advisor and relationship approach. We emphasize personalized “relationship banking,” where the relationship is predicated on ongoing client contact, client access to decision makers, and our understanding of the clients’ business, market and competition which allows us to better meet the needs of our clients. At December 31, 2022, we had net loans of $2.0 billion, representing 80.4% of our total assets. For additional information concerning our loan portfolio, see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Comparison of Financial Condition at December 31, 2022 and 2021 — Loans”, contained in this Form 10-K. Concentrations of Credit Risk. The largest portion of our loan portfolio represents lending conducted with businesses and individuals in Northern California, including the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern California. Our loan portfolio consists primarily of commercial real estate loans (including multifamily) and construction loans, which totaled $1.7 billion and constituted 85.0% of total loans as of December 31, 2022. Commercial and industrial loans totaled $188.5 million and constituted 9.3% of total loans as of December 31, 2022. Our commercial real estate loans are generally secured by first liens on real property. The commercial and industrial loans are typically secured by general business assets, accounts receivable inventory and/or the corporate guaranty of the borrower and personal guaranty of its principals. The geographic concentration of our loans subjects our business to the general economic conditions within California, Colorado, New Mexico and Washington. The risks created by such concentrations have been considered by management in the determination of the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses. Management believes the allowance for loan losses is adequate to cover probable incurred losses in our loan portfolio as of December 31, 2022. Comprehensive risk management practices and appropriate capital levels are essential elements of a sound commercial real estate lending program. A concentration in commercial real estate adds a dimension of risk that compounds the risk inherent in individual loans. Interagency bank guidance on commercial real estate concentrations describes sound risk management practices which include board and management oversight, portfolio management, management information systems, market analysis, portfolio stress testing and sensitivity analysis, credit underwriting standards and credit risk review functions. Management believes it has implemented these practices in order to monitor the commercial real estate concentrations in our loan portfolio. Large Credit Relationships. As of December 31, 2022, the aggregate amount of loans to our 10 and 25 largest borrowers (including related entities) amounted to approximately $180.0 million, or 8.9% of total loans, and $313.9 million, or 15.5% of total loans, respectively. The table below shows our five largest borrowing relationships as of December 31, 2022 in descending order. Each of the loans in these borrowing relationships is currently performing in accordance with the loan repayment terms as of December 31, 2022. ​ ​ 8 Table of Contents ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Loan Collateral ​ ​ Number of ​ CRE Owner ​ CRE Non-Owner ​ One-to-Four ​ ​ ​ ​ Total Borrower Type loans Occupied Occupied Family Total ​ ​ Commitment ​ ​ (Dollars in thousands) Real estate investor ​ 1 ​ $ — ​ $ — ​ $ 26,810 ​ $ 26,810 ​ $ 27,000 Church ​ 1 ​ 26,845 ​ — ​ — ​ 26,845 ​ 26,845 Commercial real estate investor ​ 1 ​ — ​ 23,500 ​ — ​ 23,500 ​ 23,500 Commercial real estate investor ​ 2 ​ 21,059 ​ — ​ — ​ 21,059 ​ 21,059 Commercial real estate investor ​ 1 ​ ​ — ​ 19,000 ​ ​ — ​ ​ 19,000 ​ ​ 19,000 Total ​ 6 ​ $ 47,904 ​ $ 42,500 ​ $ 26,810 ​ $ 117,214 ​ $ 117,404 ​ Loan Underwriting and Approval. Our current loan origination activities are governed by established policies and procedures intended to mitigate the risks inherent to the types of collateral and borrowers financed by us. These policies provide a general framework for our loan origination, monitoring and funding activities, while recognizing that not all risks can be anticipated. The Bank’s Board of Directors and senior management establish, review, and modify the Bank’s lending policies. The Bank’s lending policies are updated annually and approved by the Board of Directors. It prescribes underwriting guidelines and procedures for all loan categories in which the Bank participates to establish risk tolerance and parameters that are communicated throughout the Bank to ensure consistent and uniform lending practices. The underwriting guidelines include, among other things, approval limitation and hierarchy, documentation standards, loan-to-value limits, debt coverage ratio, overall credit-worthiness of the borrower, guarantor support, etc. Loan originations are obtained through a variety of sources, including existing clients, walk-in clients, referrals from brokers or existing clients, and advertising. Our Board of Directors has granted loan approval authority to certain officers up to prescribed limits, depending on the officer’s experience, the type of loan and whether the loan is secured or unsecured. Our Board of Directors delegates loan approval authority up to board-approved limits to our Director Loan Committee, which is comprised of members of our Board of Directors. Managing credit risk is an enterprise-wide process. The principal economic risk associated with each category of loans that we make is the creditworthiness of the borrower and the value of the underlying collateral, if any. Borrower creditworthiness is affected by general economic conditions and the strength of the relevant business market segment. We assess the lending risks, economic conditions and other relevant factors related to the quality of our loan portfolio in order to identify possible credit quality risks. Our strategy for credit risk management includes well-defined, centralized credit policies, uniform underwriting criteria and ongoing risk monitoring and review processes for all credit exposures. Our processes emphasize early-stage review of loans, regular credit evaluations and management reviews of loans, which supplement the ongoing and proactive credit monitoring and loan servicing provided by our bankers. The Bank’s lending and credit policies require management to regularly review the Bank’s loan portfolio so that the Bank can monitor the quality of its assets. If during the ordinary course of business, management becomes aware that a borrower may not be able to meet the contractual payment obligations under a loan, then such policies require that the loan be supervised more closely with consideration given to, among other things, placing the loan on nonaccrual status, requiring additional allowance for loan losses, and (if appropriate) charging-off a part or all of the loan. Potential problem loans are those loans that are currently accruing interest and are not considered impaired, but which we are monitoring because the financial information of the borrower causes us concern as to their ability to comply with their loan repayment terms. We attempt to identify potential problem loans early in an effort to seek aggressive resolution of these situations before the loans become a loss, record any necessary charge-offs promptly and maintain adequate allowance levels for probable loan losses inherent in the loan portfolio. Results of loan reviews by consultants as well as examination of the loan portfolio by state and federal regulators are also considered by management and the board in determining the level of the allowance for loan losses. General economic factors affecting a borrower’s ability to repay include interest, inflation and unemployment rates, as well as other factors affecting a borrower’s clients, suppliers and employees. The well-established financial institutions in our primary markets make proportionately more loans to medium-to-large-sized businesses than we 9 Table of Contents originate. Many of our commercial loans are, or will likely be, made to small- to-medium-sized businesses that may be less able to withstand competitive, economic and financial pressures than larger borrowers. Our loan policies provide general guidelines for loan-to-value ratios that restrict the size of loans to a maximum percentage of the value of the collateral securing the loans, which varies by the type of collateral. Our internal loan-to-value limitations follow limits established by applicable law. Exceptions are fully disclosed to the approving authority, either an individual officer or the appropriate management or board committee prior to commitment. Exceptions are reported to the Board of Directors quarterly. Lending Limits. Our lending activities are subject to a variety of lending limits imposed by federal and state law. In general, we are subject to a legal lending limit on loans to a single borrower based on the Bank’s capital level. The dollar amounts of our lending limit increases or decreases as the Bank’s capital increases or decreases. We are able to sell participations in its larger loans to other financial institutions, which allows us to manage the risk involved in these loans and to meet the lending needs of its clients’ requiring extensions of credit in excess of these limits. We have strict policies and procedures in place for the establishment of limits with respect to specific products and businesses and evaluating exceptions to the internal limits for individual relationships. Exceptions to our policies are allowed only with the prior approval of the Board of Directors and if the borrower exhibits financial strength or sufficient, measurable compensating factors exist after consideration of the loan-to-value ratio, borrower’s financial condition, net worth, credit history, earnings capacity, installment obligations, and current payment history. At December 31, 2022, our authorized legal lending limit for loans to one borrower was $53.4 million for unsecured loans (or 15% of total risk-based capital) and $89.0 million (or 25% of total risk-based capital) for specific secured loans. Currently, we maintain an in-house limit of $11.7 million for unsecured loans and $19.6 million for secured loans. At December 31, 2022, there were seven loans to an aggregate of seven individuals or entities or related interests that exceeded these internal limits. Loan Types. We provide a variety of loans to meet our clients’ needs. The real estate portion of our loan portfolio is comprised of the following: mortgage loans secured typically by commercial and multifamily properties; construction and land loans; and mortgages and revolving lines of credit secured by equity in residential properties. At December 31, 2022, we held $1.8 billion in loans secured by real estate, representing 90.5% of total loans receivable, and a total of $42.3 million in undisbursed real estate related commitments. The types of our loans are described below: Commercial Real Estate Loans. Our commercial real estate loans include loans secured by office buildings, retail facilities, hotels, gas stations, convalescent facilities, industrial use buildings, restaurants, multifamily properties and agricultural real estate. At December 31, 2022, our commercial and multifamily real estate loan portfolio totaled $1.7 billion, or 84.3% of total loans. Our commercial real estate loans may be owner-occupied or non-owner occupied. As of December 31, 2022, our commercial real estate loans, excluding loans secured by multifamily properties, consisted of $658.2 million of owner-occupied commercial real estate loans, or 32.6% of the total loan portfolio, and $808.9 million of non-owner occupied commercial real estate loans, or 40.0% of the total loan portfolio. Commercial real estate secured loans generally carry higher interest rates and have shorter terms than one-to-four family residential real estate loans. Commercial real estate lending typically involves higher loan principal amount and the repayment of the loan is dependent, in large part, on sufficient income from the properties securing the loans, to cover operating expenses and debt service. We require our commercial real estate loans to be secured by a property with adequate margins and generally obtain a guarantee from responsible parties. Our commercial real estate loans generally are collateralized by first liens on real estate, have interest rates which may be fixed for three to five years, or adjust annually. Commercial real estate loan terms generally are limited to 15 years or less, although payments may be structured on a longer amortization basis up to 20 years with balloon payments or rate adjustments due at the end of three to seven years. We generally charge an origination fee for our services. The Company also offers commercial real estate loans as a SBA “preferred lender” under the SBA’s 504 loan program in conjunction with junior lien financing from a Certified Development Company ("CDC"). Preferred lender status is the highest designation awarded to lenders by the SBA, and accordingly, grants such lenders full lending authority to approve SBA loans. The SBA 504 loan program is an economic development-financing program providing long-term, 10 Table of Contents low down payment loans to businesses. Typically, a SBA 504 project includes a loan secured from a private-sector lender, such as the Bank, with a senior lien, a loan secured from a CDC (funded by a 100% SBA-guaranteed debenture) with a junior lien covering up to 40% of the total cost, and a contribution of at least 10% equity from the borrower. The CDC is a non-profit corporation established to contribute to the economic development of its community by working together with the SBA and private sector lenders such as the Bank, to provide financing to small businesses. SBA debenture limits are $5.0 million for regular SBA 504 loans and $5.5 million for those SBA 504 loans that meet a public policy goal. The Company generally offers SBA 504 loans within a range of $600,000 to $5.0 million. At December 31, 2022, our commercial real estate loan portfolio included $107.6 million of loans originated under the SBA’s 504 loan program. The Company also offers commercial real estate loans under the SBA 7(a) loan program, which is described further under “Commercial and Industrial Loans’ below. The Bank sells, from time to time, the guaranteed portion its SBA 7(a) loans in the secondary market. The Bank bases its SBA 7(a) loan sales on the level of its SBA 7(a) loan originations, the premiums available in the secondary market for the sale of such loans, and general liquidity considerations of the Bank. During 2022, the Bank originated $36.4 million in commercial real estate SBA 7(a) loans. During 2022, the Bank sold $28.4 million of the guaranteed portion of its commercial real estate SBA 7(a) loans, for which it recognized a gain of $2.2 million. At December 31, 2022, the Bank had $82.3 million of commercial real estate SBA 7(a) loans where the guaranteed portion totaling $61.7 million has not been sold. Payments on loans secured by such properties are often dependent on the successful operation (in the case of owner-occupied real estate) or management (in the case of non-owner occupied real estate) of the properties. Accordingly, repayment of these loans may be subject to adverse conditions in the real estate market or the economy, to a greater extent than other types of loans. Commercial real estate loans are underwritten primarily using a cash flow analysis and secondarily as loans secured by real estate. In underwriting commercial real estate loans, we seek to minimize risks in a variety of ways, including giving careful consideration to the property’s age, condition, operating history, future operating projections, current and projected market rental rates, vacancy rates, location and physical condition. The underwriting analysis also may include credit verification, reviews of appraisals, environmental hazards or reports, the borrower’s liquidity and leverage, management experience of the owners or principals, economic condition, industry trends and any guarantees, including SBA loan guarantees. We generally require personal guarantees from the principal owners of the property supported by a review by our management of the principal owners’ personal financial statements. We attempt to limit our risk by analyzing the borrowers’ cash flow and collateral value on an ongoing basis and by an annual review of rent rolls and financial statements. The loan-to-value ratio as established by an independent appraisal typically will not exceed 80% at loan origination and is lower in most cases. At December 31, 2022, the average loan size in our commercial real estate portfolio was approximately $1.1 million with an estimated weighted average loan-to-value ratio of 45.5%. Agriculture is a major industry in the Central Valley of California, one of our lending markets. We make agricultural real estate secured loans to borrowers with a strong capital base, sufficient management depth, proven ability to operate through agricultural cycles, reliable cash flows and adequate financial reporting. Generally, our agricultural real estate secured loans amortize over periods of 20 years or less and the typical loan-to-value ratio will not exceed 80% at loan origination, although actual loan-to-value ratios are typically lower. Payments on agricultural real estate secured loans depend, to a large degree, on the results of operations of the related farm entity. The repayment is also subject to other economic and weather conditions, as well as market prices for agricultural products, which can be highly volatile. Among the more common risks involved in agricultural lending, are weather conditions, disease, water availability and water distribution rights, which can be mitigated through multi-peril crop insurance. Commodity prices also present a risk, which may be managed by the use of set price contracts. As part of our underwriting, the borrower is required to obtain multi-peril crop insurance. Normally, in making agricultural real estate secured loans, our required beginning and projected operating margins provide for reasonable reserves to offset unexpected yield and price deficiencies. We also consider the borrower’s management succession, life insurance and business continuation plan when evaluating agricultural real estate secured loans. At December 31, 2022, our agricultural real estate secured loans, totaled $17.3 million, or 0.9% of total loans. 11 Table of Contents The following table presents a breakdown of our commercial real estate loan portfolio at the dates indicated: ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ December 31, 2022 ​ December 31, 2021 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ % of Total ​ ​ ​ ​ % of Total ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Amount in Category Amount in Category ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (Dollars in thousands) ​ ​ ​ (Dollars in thousands) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Retail ​ $ 416,294 ​ 24.4 % $ 326,329 ​ 25.1 % ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Multifamily residential ​ 240,441 14.1 ​ 203,852 15.7 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Hotel/motel ​ 236,551 13.9 ​ 171,571 13.2 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Office ​ 210,748 ​ 12.4 ​ 188,161 ​ 14.5 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Gas station ​ 147,984 8.7 ​ 116,174 8.9 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Industrial ​ 148,710 8.7 ​ 88,327 6.8 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Restaurants ​ 80,337 4.7 ​ 64,349 5.0 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Automotive shops/car wash ​ 70,401 4.1 ​ 34,105 2.6 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Church ​ 49,116 2.9 ​ 21,902 1.7 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Convalescent facility ​ ​ 43,733 ​ 2.6 ​ ​ 49,512 ​ 3.8 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Agriculture real estate ​ ​ 17,240 ​ 1.0 ​ ​ 23,629 ​ 1.8 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Other ​ 43,161 2.5 ​ 11,773 0.8 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Total commercial real estate loans ​ $ 1,704,716 100.0 % $ 1,299,684 100.0 % ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ We currently target individual commercial real estate loans between $1.0 million and $5.0 million. As of December 31, 2022, the largest commercial real estate loan had a net outstanding balance of $26.8 million and was secured by a church located in San Diego, California. The second largest commercial real estate loan had a net outstanding balance of $23.5 million and was secured by retail shopping center located in Sacramento, California. Both of these loans were performing according to their respective loan repayment terms as of December 31, 2022. Construction and Land Loans. We make loans to finance the construction of residential and non-residential properties. Construction loans include loans for owner-occupied one-to-four family homes and commercial projects (such as multifamily housing, industrial, office and retail centers). These loans generally are collateralized by first liens on real estate and typically have a term of less than one-year floating interest rates and commitment fees. Construction loans are typically made to builders/developers that have an established record of successful project completion and loan repayment. We conduct periodic inspections, either directly or through an agent, prior to approval of periodic draws on these loans, based on the percentage of completion. Underwriting guidelines for our construction loans are similar to those described above for our commercial real estate lending. Our construction loans have terms that typically range from six months to two years, depending on factors such as the type and size of the development and the financial strength of the borrower/guarantor. Construction loans are typically structured with an interest-only period during the construction phase. Construction loans are underwritten to either mature, or transition to a traditional amortizing loan at the completion of the construction phase. The loan-to-value ratio on our construction loans, as established by independent appraisal, typically will not exceed 80% at loan origination, and is lower in most cases. At December 31, 2022, we had $13.2 million in construction and land loans outstanding, representing 0.7% of total loans, with $5.3 million in undisbursed commitments. The average loan size in our construction and land loan portfolio was approximately $235,000 at December 31, 2022, with an estimated weighted average loan-to-value ratio of 50.7%. On a more limited basis, we also make land loans to developers, builders and individuals, to finance the commercial development of improved lots or unimproved land. In making land loans, we follow underwriting policies and disbursement and monitoring procedures similar to those for construction loans. The initial term on land loans is typically one to three years with monthly interest-only payments. Construction and land loans generally involve additional risks attributable to the fact that loan funds are advanced upon the security of a project under construction, and the project is of uncertain value prior to its completion. Because of uncertainties inherent in estimating construction costs, the market value of the completed project and the effects of governmental regulation on real property, it can be difficult to accurately evaluate the total funds required to complete a 12 Table of Contents project and the related loan-to-value ratio. As a result of these uncertainties, construction lending often involves the disbursement of substantial funds, with repayment dependent, in part, on the success of the ultimate project rather than the ability of a borrower or guarantor to repay the loan. If we are forced to foreclose on a project prior to completion, there is no assurance that we will be able to recover the entire unpaid portion of the loan. In addition, we may be required to fund additional amounts to complete a project, and it may be necessary to hold the property for an indeterminate period of time subject to the regulatory limitations imposed by local, state or federal laws. Loans on land under development or held for future construction also pose additional risk because of the lack of income being produced by the property and the potential illiquid nature of the collateral. One-to-Four Family Residential Loans. We do not originate owner-occupied one-to-four family residential real estate loans. Our one-to-four family real estate loans were either acquired through our mergers with other financial institutions or by purchases of whole loan pools with servicing retained. Generally, these loans were originated to meet the requirements of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Federal Housing Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and jumbo loans for sale in the secondary market to investors. Our one-to-four family loans do not allow for interest-only payments, nor negative amortization of principal, and carry allowable prepayment restrictions. At December 31, 2022, our one-to-four family loan portfolio, including home equity loans and lines of credit, totaled $110.6 million or 5.5% of total loans. As of December 31, 2022, the one-to-family loan portfolio included one loan to a real estate investor, which had a net outstanding balance of $26.8 million, and was secured by a multi-unit residential property complex located in Atwater, California. This loan was performing in accordance to their loan repayment terms as of December 31, 2022. We do originate a limited amount of home equity loans and home equity lines of credit. Home equity loans and home equity lines of credit generally may have a loan-to-value of up 80% at the time origination when combined with the first mortgage. The majority of these loans are secured by a first or second mortgage on residential property. Home equity lines of credit allow for a ten-year draw period, with a ten-year repayment period, and the interest rate is generally tied to the prime rate as published by the Wall Street Journal and may include a margin. Home equity loans generally have ten-year maturities based on a 30-year amortization. We retain a valid lien on the real estate, obtain a title insurance policy that insures the property is free from encumbrances and require hazard insurance. At December 31, 2022, home equity loans and lines of credit totaled $7.7 million, or 0.4% of total loans, of which $3.8 million were secured by junior liens. Unfunded commitments on home equity lines of credit at December 31, 2022, totaled $8.7 million. Commercial and Industrial Loans. We make commercial and industrial loans, including commercial lines of credit, working capital loans, term loans, equipment financing, acquisition, expansion and development loans, SBA loans, letters of credit and other loan products, primarily in our target markets, which are underwritten on the basis of the borrower’s ability to service the debt from operating income. We take as collateral, a lien on general business assets, including, among other things, real estate, accounts receivable, inventory and equipment, and generally obtain a personal guaranty of the borrower or principal. Our operating lines of credit typically are limited to a percentage of the value of the assets securing the line. Lines of credit and term loans are typically reviewed annually. The terms of our commercial and industrial loans vary by purpose and by type of underlying collateral. We typically make equipment loans for a term of five years or less at fixed or adjustable rates, with the loan fully amortized over the term. Loans to support working capital typically have terms not exceeding one year and are usually secured by accounts receivable, inventory and personal guarantees of the principals of the business. The interest rates charged on loans vary with the degree of risk and loan amount and are further subject to competitive pressures, money market rates, the availability of funds and government regulations. For loans secured by accounts receivable and inventory, principal is typically repaid as the assets securing the loan are converted into cash (monitored on a monthly or more frequent basis as determined necessary in the underwriting process), and for loans secured with other types of collateral, principal is typically due at maturity. Terms greater than five years may be appropriate in some circumstances, based upon the useful life of the underlying asset being financed or if some form of credit enhancement, such as an SBA guarantee is obtained. The SBA 7(a) program serves as the SBA's primary business loan program to help qualified small businesses obtain financing when they might not be eligible for business loans through normal lending channels. Loans made by the Bank under the SBA 7(a) program generally are made to small businesses to provide working capital or to provide funding for the purchase of businesses, real estate, or machinery and equipment. These loans generally are secured by a combination of assets that may include equipment, receivables, inventory, business real property, and sometimes a lien on the personal residence of the borrower. SBA 7(a) loans are all adjustable-rate loans based upon the Wall Street Journal 13 Table of Contents prime lending rate. Loan proceeds under this program can be used for most business purposes including working capital, machinery and equipment, furniture and fixtures, land and building (including purchase, renovation and new construction), leasehold improvements and debt refinancing. Loan maturity is generally up to 10 years for non-real estate collateral and up to 25 years for real estate collateral. In general, the SBA guarantees up to 75% of the loan amount depending on loan size. The Company is required by the SBA to service the loan and retain a contractual minimum of 5% on all SBA 7(a) loans, but generally retains 25% (the unguaranteed portion). The loan servicing spread is generally a minimum of 1.00% on all loans. The Company generally offers SBA 7(a) loans within a range of $200,000 to $3.0 million. The Bank has sold, and may in the future sell, the guaranteed portion of certain of its SBA 7(a) loans in the secondary market. The Bank bases its SBA 7(a) loan sales on the level of its SBA 7(a) loan originations, the premiums available in the secondary market for the sale of such loans, and general liquidity considerations of the Bank. During 2022, the Bank originated $17.8 million in commercial and industrial SBA 7(a) loans. During 2022, the Bank sold $5.6 million of the guaranteed portion of its commercial and industrial SBA 7(a) loans, for which it recognized a gain of $502,000. At December 31, 2022, the Bank had $19.7 million of commercial and industrial SBA 7(a) loans where the guaranteed portion totaling $14.8 million has not been sold. Commercial and industrial loans also include loans originated under the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), which expired on May 31, 2021. The Bank, as a qualified SBA lender, was authorized to originate loans under PPP to provide near-term relief to help small businesses impacted by COVID-19 sustain operations. The SBA guarantees 100% of the PPP loans made to eligible borrowers. The entire principal amount of the borrower's PPP loan, including any accrued interest, is eligible to be forgiven and repaid by the SBA if the borrower meets the PPP conditions. At December 31, 2022, there were 51 PPP loans outstanding totaling $11.1 million. We also make agricultural operating loans, including loans to finance the purchase of machinery, equipment and breeding stock; seasonal crop operating loans used to fund the borrower’s crop production operating expenses; and operating and revolving loans used to purchase livestock for resale and related livestock production expense. We typically originate agricultural operating loans on the basis of the borrower’s ability to make repayment from the cash flow of the borrower’s agricultural business. As a result, the availability of funds for the repayment of agricultural operating loans may be substantially dependent on the success of the business itself and the general economic environment. As of December 31, 2022, we had agricultural operating loans of $17.2 million or 1.0% of total loans. As part of the PEB Merger, the Company acquired certain small business loans to borrowers qualified under the California Capital Access Program for Small Business, a state guaranteed loan program sponsored by the California Pollution Control Financing Authority (“CalCAP”). PEB ceased originating loans under this loan program in 2017. Under this loan program, the borrower, CalCAP and the participating lender contributed funds to a loss reserve account that is held in a demand deposit account at the participating lender. The borrower contributions to the loss reserve account are attributed to the participating lender. Losses on qualified loans are charged to this account after approval by CalCAP. Under the program, if a loan defaults, the participating lender has immediate coverage of 100% of the loss. The participating lender must return recoveries from the borrower, less expenses, to the loan loss reserve account. The funds in the loss reserve account are the property of CalCAP, however, in the event that the participating lender leaves the program any excess funds, after all loans have been repaid or unenrolled from the program by the participating lender and provided there are no pending claims for reimbursement, are distributed to CalCAP and the participating lender based on their respective contributions to the loss reserve account. Funds contributed by the participating lender to the loss reserve account are treated as a receivable from CalCAP and evaluated for impairment quarterly. As of December 31, 2022, we had loans enrolled in this program totaling $26.3 million or 1.3% of total loans. In addition, as successor to PEB, the Company was approved by the CalCAP, in partnership with the California Air Resources Board, to originate loans to California truckers in the On-Road Heavy-Duty Vehicle Air Quality Loan Program. Under this loan program, CalCAP solely contributes funds to a loss reserve account that is held in a demand deposit account at the participating lender. Losses are handled in the same manner as described above. The funds are the property of CalCAP and are payable upon termination of the program. When the loss reserve account balance exceeds the total associated loan balance, the excess is to be remitted to CalCAP. As of December 31, 2022, we had loans enrolled in this program totaling $26.2 million or 1.3% of total loans. 14 Table of Contents In general, commercial and industrial loans may involve increased credit risk; therefore, typically yield a higher return. The increased risk in commercial and industrial loans derives from the expectation that such loans generally are serviced principally from the operations of the business, and those operations may not be successful. Any interruption or discontinuance of operating cash flows from the business, which may be influenced by events not under the control of the borrower such as economic events and changes in governmental regulations, could materially affect the ability of the borrower to repay the loan. In addition, the collateral securing commercial and industrial loans generally includes moveable property such as equipment and inventory, which may decline in value more rapidly than we anticipate, exposing us to increased credit risk. As a result of these additional complexities, variables and risks, commercial and industrial loans require extensive underwriting and servicing. Consumer Loans. We generally make consumer loans as an accommodation to our clients on a case-by-case basis. These loans represent a small portion of our overall loan portfolio. However, these loans are important in terms of servicing our client’s needs. We make a variety of loans to individuals for personal and household purposes, including secured and unsecured term loans. Consumer loans are underwritten based on the individual borrower’s income, current debt level, past credit history and the value of any available collateral. The terms of consumer loans vary considerably based upon the loan type, nature of collateral and size of the loan. Consumer loans entail greater risk than do residential real estate loans because they may be unsecured or, if secured, the value of the collateral, such as an automobile or boat, may be more difficult to assess and more likely to decrease in value than real estate. In such cases, any repossessed collateral for a defaulted consumer loan may not provide an adequate source of repayment for the outstanding loan balance. The remaining deficiency often will not warrant further substantial collection efforts against the borrower beyond obtaining a deficiency judgment. In addition, consumer loan collections are dependent on the borrower’s continuing financial stability, and thus are more likely to be adversely affected by job loss, divorce, illness or personal bankruptcy. Furthermore, the application of various federal and state laws may limit the amount which can be recovered on such loans. As of December 31, 2022, consumer loans totaled $4.2 million or 0.2% of total loans. For additional information concerning our loan portfolio, see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Comparison of Financial Condition at December 31, 2022 and 2021 — Loans and “Note 4 – Loans” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K. Sources of Funds Deposits. Our lending and investing activities are primarily funded by deposits. We offer a variety of deposit accounts with a wide range of interest rates and terms including demand, savings, money market and time deposits with the goal of attracting a wide variety of clients. We solicit these accounts from individuals, small to medium sized businesses, trade unions and their related businesses, associations, organizations and government authorities. Our transaction accounts and time certificates are tailored to the principal market area at rates competitive with those offered in the area. We employ client acquisition strategies to generate new account and deposit growth, such as client referral incentives, search engine optimization, targeted direct mail and email campaigns, in addition to conventional marketing initiatives and advertising. Our goal is to cross-sell our deposit products to our loan clients. While we do not actively solicit wholesale deposits for funding purposes and do not partner with deposit brokers, we do participate in the Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service (“CDARS”) and the Insured Cash Sweep (“ICS”) money market product services via IntraFi Network (formerly known as Promontory Interfinancial Network) an as option for our clients to place funds. Most reciprocal deposits are treated as core, non-brokered deposits up to the lesser of $5 billion or 20% of liabilities for a well-capitalized bank, such as the Bank. We also participate in the ICS “One-Way Sell” program, pursuant to which we buy cost effective wholesale funding on customizable terms. We also offer convenience-related services, including banking by appointment (before or after normal business hours on weekdays and on weekends), online banking services, access to a national automated teller machine network, extended drive-through hours, remote deposit capture, and courier service so that clients’ deposit and other banking needs may be served without the client having to make a trip to the branch. Our full suite of online banking solutions including access to account balances, online transfers, online bill payment and electronic delivery of client statements, mobile banking solutions for iPhone and Android phones, including remote check deposit with mobile bill pay. We offer debit cards with no ATM surcharges or foreign ATM fees for checking clients, plus night depository, direct deposit, cashier’s 15 Table of Contents and travelers checks and letters of credit, as well as treasury management services, wire transfer services and automated clearing house (“ACH”) services. We have implemented deposit gathering strategies and tactics which have enabled us to attract and retain deposits utilizing technology to deliver high quality commercial depository (treasury management) services (e.g., remote deposit capture lock box, electronic bill payments wire transfers, direct deposits and automatic transfers) in addition to the traditional generation of deposit relationships performed in conjunction with our lending activities. We offer a wide array of commercial treasury management services designed to be competitive with banks of all sizes. Treasury management services include balance reporting (including current day and previous day activity), transfers between accounts, wire transfer initiation, ACH origination and stop payments. Cash management deposit products consist of lockbox, remote deposit capture, positive pay, reverse positive pay, account reconciliation services, zero balance accounts and sweep accounts including loan sweep. We provide an avenue for large depositors to maintain full insurance coverage by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) for all deposits up to $50.0 million. Under an agreement with IntraFi Network, we participate in the CDARS and the ICS money market product. These are deposit-matching programs which distribute excess balances on deposit with us across other participating banks. In return, those participating financial institutions place their excess client deposits with us in a reciprocal amount. These products are designed to enhance our ability to attract and retain clients and increase deposits by providing additional FDIC insurance for large deposits. We also participate in the ICS One-Way Sell program, which allows us to buy cost effective wholesale funding on customizable terms. At December 31, 2022, we had $70.3 million and $56.3 million in reciprocal CDARS and ICS deposits, respectively. At December 31, 2022, we had $78.7 million and $53.9 million in one-way off-balance sheet CDARS and ICS deposits, respectively. We previously offered escrow services on commercial transactions and facilitated tax-deferred commercial exchanges through the Bank’s division, Business Escrow Services (“BES”). This afforded us a low-cost core deposit base. These deposits fluctuated as the sellers of the real estate have up to nine months to invest in replacement real estate to defer the income tax on the property sold. The Company discontinued its escrow services in 2021. For additional information concerning our deposits, see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Comparison of Financial Condition at December 31, 2022 and 2021 — Deposits” and “Note 11 – Deposits” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K. Borrowings. While deposits are the primary source of funds for our lending and investment activities and for general business purposes, we also use borrowings to supplement our supply of lendable funds, to meet deposit withdrawal requirements and to more efficiently leverage our capital position. The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (the “FHLB”) serves as our primary borrowing source. The FHLB provides credit for member financial institutions such as the Bank. As a member, the Bank is required to own capital stock in the FHLB and is authorized to apply for advances on the security of that stock and certain of its mortgage loans and securities, provided that certain credit worthiness standards have been met. Limitations on the amount of advances are based on the financial condition of the member institution, the adequacy of collateral pledged to secure the credit, and FHLB stock ownership requirements. The Bank has an approved secured borrowing facility with the FHLB for up to 25% of total assets for a term not to exceed five years under a blanket lien of certain types of loans. At December 31, 2022, there were no FHLB advances outstanding, and based on pledged collateral, the Bank had $473.6 million of available credit capacity with the FHLB. In addition to the availability of liquidity from the FHLB, the Bank maintained a short-term borrowing line of credit with the Federal Reserve Bank (“FRB”) of San Francisco based on PPP loans pledged as collateral. This line was closed during 2022, with no FRB borrowings outstanding at December 31, 2022. ​ The Bank also has uncommitted Federal Funds lines with four corresponding banks. Cumulative available commitments totaled $65.0 million at December 31, 2022. There are no amounts outstanding under these facilities at December 31, 2022. ​ On August 6, 2020, the Company issued and sold $65.0 million aggregate principal amount of 5.25% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2030 (the “Notes”) at a public offering price equal to 100% of the aggregate 16 Table of Contents principal amount of the Notes. The offering of the Notes closed on August 10, 2020. The Notes initially bears a fixed interest rate of 5.25% per year. Commencing on September 15, 2025, the interest rate on the Notes resets quarterly to the three-month Secured Overnight Financing rate (“SOFR”) plus a spread of 521 basis points (5.21%), payable quarterly in arrears. Interest on the Notes is payable semi-annually on March 15 and September 15 of each year through September 15, 2025 and quarterly thereafter on March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15 of each year through the maturity date or early redemption date. The Company, at its option, may redeem the Notes, in whole or in part, on any interest payment date on or after September 15, 2025, without a premium. At December 31, 2022, we had outstanding subordinate debt, net of costs to issue, totaling $63.7 million. In connection with its previous acquisitions, the Company acquired junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures issued in connection with the sale of trust preferred securities by two statutory business trusts with stated maturity terms of 30 years. At December 31, 2022, we had outstanding junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures, net of mark-to-market adjustments, totaling $8.5 million. For additional information concerning our borrowings, see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Comparison of Financial Condition at December 31, 2022 and 2021 — Borrowings” and “Note 12 – Other Borrowings”, “Note 13. Junior Subordinated Deferrable Interest Debentures” and “Note 14 Subordinated Debt” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K. Investments In addition to loans, we make other investments that conform to our investment policy as set by our Board of Directors. The primary objectives of our investment policy are to provide a source of liquidity, to provide an appropriate return on funds invested, to manage interest rate risk, to meet pledging requirements and to meet regulatory capital requirements. Our current investment portfolio consists of obligations of U.S. government agencies or sponsored entities, including mortgage-backed securities, collateralized mortgage obligations, municipal securities, SBA securities and corporate bonds. As of December 31, 2022, our investment portfolio totaled $167.8 million, with an average yield of 3.4% and an estimated duration of approximately 6.7 years. Our investment policy is established by the Board of Directors. The investment policy is reviewed annually by the Bank’s Board of Directors and Asset/Liability Management Committee, who ensure compliance to the policy and also approve any change to the policy. All securities transactions are reported to the Board of Directors on a monthly basis. The overall objectives of the investment policy are to maintain a portfolio of high-quality investments to provide liquidity when loan demand is high, to assist in maintaining earnings when loan demand is low, and to maximize earnings while satisfactorily managing risk, including credit risk, reinvestment risk, liquidity risk and interest rate risk. The policy dictates the criteria for classifying securities as either available for sale or held to maturity. The policy permits investment in various types of liquid assets permissible under applicable regulations, which include U.S. Treasury obligations, U.S. Government agency obligations, some certificates of deposit of insured banks, mortgage backed and mortgage related securities, corporate notes and municipal bonds. Investment in non-investment grade bonds and stripped mortgage-backed securities is not permitted under the policy. For additional information concerning our investments, see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Comparison of Financial Condition at December 31, 2022 and 2021 — Securities” contained in this Form 10-K. Supervision and Regulation BayCom and United Business Bank are subject to significant regulation by federal and state laws and regulations, and the policies of applicable federal and state banking agencies. As a bank holding company registered with the Federal Reserve, we are subject to comprehensive regulation and supervision by the Federal Reserve under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, and the regulations of the Federal Reserve. As a California chartered bank, the Bank is subject to supervision, periodic examination, and regulation by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (“DFPI”), previously known as the California Department of Business Oversight, and by the Federal Reserve 17 Table of Contents as its primary federal regulator. The following discussion of particular statutes and regulations affecting BayCom and United Business Bank is only a brief summary and does not purport to be complete. This discussion is qualified in its entirety by reference to the actual laws and regulations. Legislation is introduced from time to time in the United States Congress or in the California State Legislature that may affect the operations of BayCom and United Business Bank. In addition, the regulations governing the Company and the Bank may be amended from time to time by the FDIC, the DFPI, the Federal Reserve and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”), an independent bureau of the Federal Reserve. The CFPB is responsible for the implementation of the federal financial consumer protection and fair lending laws and regulations and has authority to impose new requirements. Any change in applicable laws, regulations, or regulatory policies may have a material effect on our business, operations, and prospects. We cannot predict the nature or the extent of the effects on our business and earnings that any fiscal or monetary policies or new federal or state legislation may have in the future. We also cannot predict whether or when any such changes may occur. United Business Bank General. As a state-chartered, federally insured commercial bank, the Bank is subject to extensive regulation and must comply with various statutory and regulatory requirements, including prescribed minimum capital standards. The Bank is regularly examined by the Federal Reserve and the DFPI and must file periodic reports concerning its activities and financial condition with these banking regulators. The Bank’s relationship with depositors and borrowers also is regulated to a great extent by both federal and state law, especially in such matters as the ownership of deposit accounts and the form and content of mortgage and other loan documents. Federal and state banking laws and regulations govern all areas of the operation of the Bank, including reserves, loans, investments, deposits, capital, issuance of securities, payment of dividends and establishment of branches. Bank regulatory agencies also have the general authority to limit the dividends paid by insured banks and bank holding companies if such payments should be deemed to constitute an unsafe and unsound practice and in other circumstances. The Federal Reserve, as the primary federal regulator of the Company and the Bank, and the DFPI have the authority to impose penalties, initiate civil and administrative actions and take other steps intended to prevent banks from engaging in unsafe or unsound practices. State Regulation and Supervision. As a California-chartered commercial bank with branches in the States of California, Colorado, New Mexico and Washington, the Bank is subject not only to the applicable provisions of California law and regulations, but is also subject to applicable Colorado, New Mexico and Washington law and regulations. These state laws and regulations govern the Bank’s ability to take deposits and pay interest thereon, make loans on or invest in residential and other real estate, make consumer loans, invest in securities, offer various banking services to its clients and establish branch offices. Deposit Insurance. Through the Deposit Insurance Fund (“DIF”), the FDIC insures deposit accounts in the Bank up to $250,000 per separately insured deposit ownership right or category. As insurer, the FDIC imposes deposit insurance premiums and is authorized to conduct examinations of and to require reporting by FDIC-insured institutions. Under the FDIC’s rules, the assessment base for a bank is equal to its total average consolidated assets less average tangible equity capital. Currently, the FDIC’s base assessment rates are 3 to 30 basis points and are subject to certain adjustments. For institutions with less than $10 billion in assets, rates are determined based on supervisory ratings and certain financial ratios. No institution may pay a dividend if it is in default on its federal deposit insurance assessment. Extraordinary growth in insured deposits during the first and second quarters of 2020 caused the DIF reserve ratio to decline below the statutory minimum of 1.35 percent as of June 30, 2020. In September 2020, the FDIC Board of Directors adopted a Restoration Plan to restore the reserve ratio to at least 1.35 percent within eight years, absent extraordinary circumstances, as required by the Federal Deposit Insurance Act. The Restoration Plan maintained the assessment rate schedules in place at the time and required the FDIC to update its analysis and projections for the DIF balance and reserve ratio at least semiannually. In the semiannual update for the Restoration Plan in June 2022, the FDIC projected that the reserve ratio was at risk of not reaching the statutory minimum of 1.35 percent by September 30, 2028, 18 Table of Contents the statutory deadline to restore the reserve ratio. Based on this update, the FDIC Board approved an Amended Restoration Plan, and concurrently proposed an increase in initial base deposit insurance assessment rate schedules uniformly by 2 basis points, applicable to all insured depository institutions. In October 2022, the FDIC Board finalized the increase with an effective date of January 1, 2023, applicable to the first quarterly assessment period of 2023. The revised assessment rate schedules are intended to increase the likelihood that the reserve ratio of the DIF reaches the statutory minimum level of 1.35 percent by September 30, 2028. Any significant increases in insurance assessments may have an adverse effect on the operating expenses and results of operations of the Company. The Bank paid $680,000 in FDIC assessments for the year ended December 31, 2022. The FDIC also may prohibit any insured institution from engaging in any activity determined by regulation or order to pose a serious risk to the DIF. The FDIC may terminate the deposit insurance of any insured depository institution if it determines, after a hearing, that the institution has engaged or is engaging in unsafe or unsound practices, is in an unsafe or unsound condition to continue operations, or has violated any applicable law, regulation, order or any condition imposed by an agreement with the FDIC. It also may suspend deposit insurance temporarily during the hearing process for the permanent termination of insurance if the institution has no tangible capital. If insurance of accounts is terminated, the accounts at the institution at the time of the termination, less subsequent withdrawals, shall continue to be insured for a period of six months to two years, as determined by the FDIC. Management is not aware of any existing circumstances which would result in termination of the deposit insurance of the Bank. Standards for Safety and Soundness. The federal banking regulatory agencies have prescribed, by regulation, guidelines for all insured depository institutions relating to internal controls, information systems and internal audit systems, loan documentation, credit underwriting, interest rate risk exposure, asset growth, asset quality, earnings, and compensation, fees and benefits. The guidelines set forth the safety and soundness standards that the federal banking agencies use to identify and address problems at insured depository institutions. Each insured depository institution must implement a comprehensive written information security program that includes administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the institution’s size and complexity and the nature and scope of its activities. The information security program must be designed to ensure the security and confidentiality of client information, protect against any unanticipated threats or hazards to the security or integrity of such information, protect against unauthorized access to or use of such information that could result in substantial harm or inconvenience to any client, and ensure the proper disposal of client and consumer information. Each insured depository institution must also develop and implement a risk-based response program to address incidents of unauthorized access to client information in client information systems. If the FDIC determines that an institution fails to meet any of these guidelines, it may require an institution to submit to the FDIC an acceptable plan to achieve compliance. Capital Requirements. Federally insured financial institutions, such as the Bank, are required to maintain a minimum level of regulatory capital. Consolidated regulatory capital requirements identical to those applicable to subsidiary banks are generally apply to bank holding companies. However, the Federal Reserve Board has provided a “Small Bank Holding Company” exception to its consolidated capital requirements, and bank holding companies with less than $3.0 billion of consolidated assets are not subject to the consolidated holding company capital requirements unless otherwise directed by the Federal Reserve Board. The Federal Reserve expects a holding company’s subsidiary banks to be Well Capitalized under the prompt corrective action regulations, discussed below. Under the capital regulations, the minimum capital ratios are: (1) a common equity Tier 1, or CET1, capital ratio of 4.5% of risk-weighted assets; (2) a Tier 1 capital ratio of 6.0% of risk-weighted assets; (3) a total risk-based capital ratio of 8.0% of risk-weighted assets; and (4) a leverage ratio (the ratio of Tier 1 capital to average total consolidated assets) of 4.0%. CET1 generally consists of common stock, retained earnings, accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) unless an institution elects to exclude AOCI from regulatory capital, and certain minority interests (all of which are subject to applicable regulatory adjustments and deductions). Tier 1 capital generally consists of CET1 and noncumulative perpetual preferred stock. Tier 2 capital generally consists of other preferred stock and subordinated debt, which meet 19 Table of Contents certain conditions, plus an amount of the allowance for loan and lease losses up to 1.25% of assets. Total capital is the sum of Tier 1 and Tier 2 capital. Trust preferred securities issued by a company, with total consolidated assets of less than $15 billion before May 19, 2010 and treated as regulatory capital are grandfathered, but any such securities issued later are not eligible as regulatory capital. If an institution grows above $15 billion as a result of an acquisition, the trust preferred securities are excluded from Tier 1 capital and instead included in Tier 2 capital. Subordinated Notes, such as the ones the Company issued in 2020, are also included in Tier 2 Capital. In addition to the minimum CET1, Tier 1, leverage ratio and total capital ratios, the capital regulations require a capital conservation buffer consisting of additional CET1 capital greater than 2.5% of risk-weighted assets above the required minimum risk-based capital levels in order to avoid limitations on paying dividends, repurchasing shares, and paying discretionary bonuses. To be considered “well capitalized,” a depository institution must have a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of at least 8%, a total risk-based capital ratio of at least 10%, a CET1 capital ratio of at least 6.5% and a leverage ratio of at least 5%, and not be subject to an individualized order, directive or agreement under which its primary federal banking regulator requires it to maintain a specific capital level. As of December 31, 2022, the Bank met the requirements to be “well capitalized” and met the fully phased-in capital conservation buffer requirement. The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act (“EGRRCPA”), enacted in May 2018, required the federal banking agencies to establish for institutions with assets of less than $10 billion a “community bank leverage ratio” of between 8 to 10%. In September 2019, the federal banking agencies adopted a final rule, effective January 1, 2020, creating a community bank leverage ratio ("CBLR") for institutions with total consolidated assets of less than $10 billion, and that meet other qualifying criteria related to off-balance sheet exposures and trading assets and liabilities. The CBLR provides for a simple measure of capital adequacy for qualifying institutions. A bank that elects to use the Community Bank Leverage Ratio will generally be considered Well Capitalized and to have met the risk-based and leverage capital requirements of the capital regulations if it has a leverage ratio greater than 9.0%. Our management decided not to adopt the CBLR as it would reduce the Bank’s excess capital. The Financial Accounting Standards Board has adopted a new accounting standard for U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles referred to as Current Expected Credit Loss (“CECL”) that requires FDIC-insured institutions and their holding companies (banking organizations) to recognize credit losses expected over the life of certain financial assets. CECL covers a broader range of assets than the current method of recognizing credit losses and generally results in earlier recognition of credit losses. This accounting standards is applicable to us effective January 1, 2023. As of the implementation date, following sensitivity analyses and considering changes in economic conditions, credit quality of the loan portfolio and changes in interest rates, management estimates that our adoption of the CECL model will result in a $1 million to $3 million increase to our allowance for credit losses for loans. Once finalized, the impact as a result of the adoption of this guidance will be recorded as a cumulative-effect, net of tax, adjustment to retained earnings effective January 1, 2023. The magnitude of the change in the Company’s allowance for credit losses at the adoption date will depend upon the nature and characteristics of the portfolio at the adoption date, as well as macroeconomic conditions and forecasts at that time, other management judgements , and continued refinement and validation of the model and methodologies. The federal banking regulators, including the Federal Reserve and FDIC, have adopted a rule that gives a banking organization the option to phase in over a three-year period the day-one adverse effects of CECL on its regulatory capital. For additional information, see “Note 1 — Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – Recent Accounting Guidance Not Yet Effective” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements contained in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K. Prompt Corrective Action. Federal statutes establish a supervisory framework for FDIC-insured institutions based on five capital categories: well capitalized, adequately capitalized, undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized and critically undercapitalized. An institution’s category depends upon where its capital levels are in relation to relevant capital measures. The well capitalized category is described above. An institution that is not well capitalized is subject to certain restrictions on brokered deposits, including restrictions on the rates it can offer on its deposits generally. To be 20 Table of Contents considered adequately capitalized, an institution must have the minimum capital ratios described above. Any institution which is neither well capitalized nor adequately capitalized is considered undercapitalized. Undercapitalized institutions are subject to certain prompt corrective action requirements, regulatory controls and restrictions which become more extensive as an institution becomes more severely undercapitalized. Failure by the Bank to comply with applicable capital requirements would, if not remedied, result in progressively more severe restrictions on its activities and lead to enforcement actions, including, but not limited to, the issuance of a capital directive to ensure the maintenance of required capital levels and, ultimately, the appointment of the FDIC as receiver or conservator. Banking regulators will take prompt corrective action with respect to depository institutions that do not meet minimum capital requirements. Additionally, approval of any regulatory application filed for their review may be dependent on compliance with capital requirements. As of December 31, 2022, the Bank met the requirements to be “Well Capitalized.” and the capital conservation buffer requirement. For additional information, see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Liquidity and Capital Resources” and Note 19 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Schedules” contained in this report. Commercial Real Estate Lending Concentrations. The federal banking agencies have issued guidance on sound risk management practices for concentrations in commercial real estate lending. The particular focus is on exposure to commercial real estate loans that are dependent on the cash flow from the real estate held as collateral and that are likely to be sensitive to conditions in the commercial real estate market (as opposed to real estate collateral held as a secondary source of repayment or as an abundance of caution). The purpose of the guidance is not to limit a bank’s commercial real estate lending but to guide banks in developing risk management practices and capital levels commensurate with the level and nature of real estate concentrations. The guidance directs the federal bank regulatory agencies to focus their supervisory resources on institutions that may have significant commercial real estate loan concentration risk. A bank that has experienced rapid growth in commercial real estate lending, has notable exposure to a specific type of commercial real estate loan, or is approaching or exceeding the following supervisory criteria may be identified for further supervisory analysis with respect to commercial real estate concentration risk: ● Total reported loans for construction, land development and other land represent 100% or more of the bank’s total regulatory capital; or ● Total commercial real estate loans (as defined in the guidance) represent 300% or more of the bank’s total regulatory capital or the outstanding balance of the bank’s commercial real estate loan portfolio has increased 50% or more during the prior 36 months. The guidance provides that the strength of an institution’s lending and risk management practices with respect to such concentrations will be taken into account in supervisory guidance on evaluation of capital adequacy. As of December 31, 2022, the Bank’s aggregate recorded loan balances for construction, land development and land loans were 7.1% of total regulatory capital. In addition, at December 31, 2022, the Bank’s commercial real estate loans as calculated in accordance with regulatory guidance were 297.8% of total regulatory capital. The Bank believes that the guidelines are applicable to it, as it has a relatively high concentration in commercial real estate loans. The Bank and its Board of Directors have discussed the guidelines and believe that the Bank’s underwriting policies, management information systems, independent credit administration process, and monitoring of real estate loan concentrations are sufficient to address the guidelines. Activities and Investments of Insured State-Chartered Financial Institutions. California-chartered banks have powers generally comparable to those of national banks. Federal law generally limits the activities and FDIC-insured equity investments of state-chartered banks to those that are permissible for national banks. An insured state bank is not prohibited from, among other things, (1) acquiring or retaining a majority interest in a subsidiary, (2) investing as a limited partner in a partnership the sole purpose of which is direct or indirect investment in the acquisition, rehabilitation or new construction of a qualified housing project, provided that such limited partnership investments may not exceed 2% of the bank’s total assets, (3) acquiring up to 10% of the voting stock of a company that solely provides or re-insures directors’, trustees’ and officers’ liability insurance coverage or bankers’ blanket bond group insurance coverage for insured 21 Table of Contents depository institutions, and (4) acquiring or retaining the voting shares of a depository institution if certain requirements are met. In addition, the FDIC is authorized to permit a state bank to engage in state-authorized activities or investments not permissible for national banks (other than non-subsidiary equity investments) if it meets all applicable capital requirements and it is determined that such activities or investments do not pose a significant risk to the DIF. Environmental Issues Associated with Real Estate Lending. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) is a federal statute that generally imposes strict liability on all prior and present “owners and operators” of sites containing hazardous waste. However, Congress acted to protect secured creditors by providing that the term “owner and operator” excludes a person whose ownership is limited to protecting its security interest in the site. Since the enactment of the CERCLA, this “secured creditor exemption” has been the subject of judicial interpretations which have left open the possibility that lenders could be liable for cleanup costs on contaminated property that they hold as collateral for a loan. To the extent that legal uncertainty exists in this area, all creditors, including the Bank, that have made loans secured by properties with potentially hazardous waste contamination (such as petroleum contamination) could be subject to liability for cleanup costs, which costs often substantially exceed the value of the collateral property. Federal Reserve System. The Bank is a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. The Federal Reserve requires all depository institutions to maintain reserves at specified levels against their transaction accounts, primarily checking accounts. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Reserve reduced reserve requirement ratios to zero percent effective on March 26, 2020, to support lending to households and businesses. At December 31, 2022, the Bank was in compliance with the reserve requirements in place at that time. Affiliate Transactions. The Company and the Bank are separate and distinct legal entities. The Company is an affiliate of the Bank and any non-bank subsidiary of the Company is an affiliate of the Bank. Federal laws strictly limit the ability of banks to engage in certain transactions with their affiliates. Transactions deemed to be “covered transactions” under Section 23A of the Federal Reserve Act between a bank and an affiliate are limited to 10% of the bank’s capital and surplus and, with respect to all affiliates, to an aggregate of 20% of the bank’s capital and surplus. Further, covered transactions that are loans and extensions of credit generally are required to be secured by eligible collateral in specified amounts. Federal law also requires that covered transactions and certain other transactions listed in Section 23B of the Federal Reserve Act between a bank and its affiliates be on terms as favorable to the bank as transactions with non- affiliates. Community Reinvestment Act. The Bank is subject to the provisions of the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 (“CRA”), which requires the appropriate federal bank regulatory agency to assess a bank’s performance under the CRA in meeting the credit needs of the community serviced by the bank, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. The regulatory agency’s assessment of the bank’s record is made available to the public. Further, a bank’s CRA performance rating must be considered in connection with a bank’s application to, among other things, to establish a new branch office that will accept deposits, relocate an existing office or merge or consolidate with, or acquire the assets or assume the liabilities of, a federally regulated financial institution. An unsatisfactory rating may be the basis for denial of certain applications. The Bank received a “satisfactory” rating during its most recently completed CRA examination. Dividends. Dividends from the Bank constitute the major source of funds available for dividends which may be paid to the Company’s shareholders. The amount of dividends payable by the Bank to the Company depend upon the Bank’s earnings and capital position, and is limited by federal and state laws, regulations and policies. According to California law, neither a bank nor any majority-owned subsidiary of a bank may make a distribution to its shareholders in an amount which exceeds the lesser of (i) the bank’s retained earnings or (ii) the bank’s net income for its last three fiscal years, less the amount of any distributions made by the bank or by any majority-owned subsidiary of the bank during such period. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a bank may, with the prior approval of the DFPI, make a distribution to the shareholders of the bank in an amount not exceeding the greatest of: (i) the bank’s retained earnings; (ii) the net income of the bank for its last fiscal year; or (iii) the net income of the bank for its current fiscal year. Dividends payable by the Bank can be limited or prohibited if the Bank does not meet the capital conservation buffer requirement. Federal law further provides that no insured depository institution may make any capital distribution (which includes a cash dividend) if, after making the distribution, the institution would be “undercapitalized,” as defined in the prompt corrective action regulations. In addition, under federal law, a Federal Reserve member bank, such as the Bank, may not declare or pay a 22 Table of Contents dividend if the total of all dividends declared during the calendar year, including a proposed dividend, exceeds the sum of the Bank’s net income during the calendar year and the retained net income of the prior two calendar years, unless the dividend has been approved by the Federal Reserve. Moreover, the federal bank regulatory agencies also have the general authority to limit the dividends paid by insured banks if such payments should be deemed to constitute an unsafe and unsound practice and failure to meet the capital conservation buffer requirement will result in restrictions on dividends. Privacy Standards and Cybersecurity. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999 modernized the financial services industry by establishing a comprehensive framework to permit affiliations among commercial banks, insurance companies, securities firms and other financial service providers. Federal banking agencies, including the FDIC, have adopted guidelines for establishing information security standards and cybersecurity programs for implementing safeguards under the supervision of the board of directors. These guidelines, along with related regulatory materials, increasingly focus on risk management and processes related to information technology and the use of third parties in the provision of financial services. These regulations require the Bank to disclose its privacy policy, including informing consumers of its information sharing practices and informing consumers of their rights to opt out of certain practices. In addition, on November 18, 2021, the federal banking agencies announced the adoption of a final rule providing for new notification requirements for banking organizations and their service providers for significant cybersecurity incidents. Specifically, the new rule requires a banking organization to notify its primary federal regulator as soon as possible, and no later than 36 hours after, the banking organization determines that a “computer-security incident” rising to the level of a “notification incident” has occurred. Notification is required for incidents that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect the viability of a banking organization’s operations, its ability to deliver banking products and services, or the stability of the financial sector. Service providers are required under the rule to notify affected banking organization clients as soon as possible when the provider determines that it has experienced a computer-security incident that has materially affected or is reasonably likely to materially affect the banking organization’s clients for four or more hours. Compliance with the new rule was required by May 1, 2022. Further, state cybersecurity and data privacy laws and regulations may expose the Bank to risk and result in certain risk management costs. Notably, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (the "CCPA"), which became effective on January 1, 2020, gives California residents the right to request disclosure of information collected about them, and whether that information has been sold or shared with others, the right to request deletion of personal information (subject to certain exceptions), the right to opt out of the sale of personal information, and the right not to be discriminated against for exercising these rights. The CCPA also created a private right of action with statutory damages for data security breaches, thereby increasing potential liability associated with a data breach, which has triggered a number of class actions against other companies since January 1, 2020. Although the Bank may enjoy several fairly broad exemptions from the CCPA's privacy requirements, those exemptions do not extend to the private right of action for a data security breach. The CCPA, including any amendments thereto or regulations implemented thereunder, as well as other similar state data privacy laws and regulations, may require the establishment by the Bank of certain regulatory compliance and risk management controls. In August 2020, the California Office of Administrative Law approved the California Attorney General’s regulations to implement the CCPA. These regulations went to effect immediately. In November 2020, voters in the State of California approved the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”), a ballot measure that amends and supplements the CCPA by creating the California Privacy Protection Agency, a watchdog privacy agency to be appointed shortly after the CPRA’s enactment. The CPRA also modifies the CCPA by expanding both the scope of businesses covered by the law and certain rights relating to personal information and its use, collection, and disclosure by covered businesses. Compliance with the CCPA, the CPRA and other state statutes or regulations designed to protect consumer personal data could potentially require us to implement substantive technology infrastructure and process changes. Non-compliance with federal, or similar state privacy and cybersecurity laws and regulations could lead to substantial regulatory imposed fines and penalties, damages from private causes of action and/or reputational harm. 23 Table of Contents Anti-Money Laundering and Client Identification. The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (“USA Patriot Act”) and the Bank Secrecy Act require financial institutions to develop programs to prevent financial institutions from being used for money laundering and terrorist activities. If such activities are detected, financial institutions are obligated to file suspicious activity reports with the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”). These rules require financial institutions to establish procedures for identifying and verifying the identity of clients seeking to open new financial accounts, and, the beneficial owners of accounts. Bank regulators are directed to consider an institution’s effectiveness in combating money laundering when ruling on applications under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (the “BHCA”) and the Bank Merger Act. We believe that the Bank’s policies and procedures comply with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act and the Bank Secrecy Act. Other Consumer Protection Laws and Regulations. The Dodd-Frank Act established the CFPB and empowered it to exercise broad regulatory, supervisory and enforcement authority with respect to both new and existing consumer financial protection laws. Banks are subject to consumer protection regulations issued by the CFPB, but as a financial institution with assets of less than $10 billion, the Bank is generally subject to supervision and enforcement by the Federal Reserve and the DFPI with respect to our compliance with consumer financial protection laws and CFPB regulations. The Bank is subject to a broad array of federal and state consumer protection laws and regulations that govern almost every aspect of its business relationships with consumers. While the list set forth below is not exhaustive, these include the Truth-in-Lending Act, Truth in Savings Act, Electronic Fund Transfers Act, Expedited Funds Availability Act, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Fair Housing Act, Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, Right to Financial Privacy Act, Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act, Fair Credit Billing Act, Homeowners Protection Act, Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act, laws governing flood insurance, laws governing consumer protections in connection with the sale of insurance, federal and state laws prohibiting unfair and deceptive business practices, and various regulations that implement some or all of the foregoing. These laws and regulations mandate certain disclosure requirements and regulate the manner in which financial institutions must deal with clients when taking deposits, making loans, collecting loans, and providing other services. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations can subject the Bank to various penalties including, but not limited to, enforcement actions, injunctions, fines, civil liability, criminal penalties, punitive damages, and the loss of certain contractual rights. BayCom Corp General. The Company, as sole shareholder of the Bank, is a bank holding company registered with the Federal Reserve. Bank holding companies are subject to comprehensive regulation by the Federal Reserve under the under the BHCA, and the regulations of the Federal Reserve. We are required to file quarterly reports with the Federal Reserve and to provide additional information as the Federal Reserve may require. The Federal Reserve may examine us or any of our subsidiaries, and charge us for the cost of the examination. The Federal Reserve also has extensive enforcement authority over bank holding companies, including, among other things, the ability to assess civil money penalties, to issue cease and desist or removal orders and to require that a holding company divest subsidiaries (including its bank subsidiaries). In general, enforcement actions may be initiated for violations of law and regulations and unsafe or unsound practices. The Company also is required to file certain reports with, and otherwise comply with the rules and regulations of the SEC. The Bank Holding Company Act. Under the BHCA, we are supervised by the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve has a long-standing policy that a bank holding company is required to serve as a source of financial and managerial strength to its subsidiary banks and may not conduct its operations in an unsafe or unsound manner. In addition, the Dodd-Frank Act provides that a bank holding company must serve as a source of strength to its subsidiary banks by having the ability to provide financial assistance to its subsidiary banks during periods of financial distress. A bank holding company’s failure to meet its obligation to serve as a source of strength to its subsidiary banks will generally be considered by the Federal Reserve to be an unsafe and unsound banking practice or a violation of the Federal Reserve’s regulations, or both. The Company and any subsidiaries that it may control are considered “affiliates” of the Bank within the meaning of the Federal Reserve Act, and transactions between the Bank and affiliates are subject to numerous restrictions. With some exceptions, the Company and its subsidiaries are prohibited from tying the provision of various services, such as extensions of credit, to other services offered by the Company or by its affiliates. 24 Table of Contents Acquisitions. An acquisition of the Company or the Bank, an acquisition of control of either, or an acquisition by either of another bank holding company or depository institution or control of such a company or institution is generally subject to prior approval by applicable federal and state banking regulators, as are certain acquisitions by the Company or the Bank of other types of entities, as discussed below. “Control” is defined in various ways for this purpose, including but not limited to control of 10% of outstanding voting stock of an entity. Acquisitions by the Bank of branches are also subject to similar prior approval requirements. The BHCA prohibits a bank holding company, with certain exceptions, from acquiring ownership or control of more than 5% of the voting shares of any company that is not a bank or bank holding company, and from engaging in activities other than those of banking, managing or controlling banks, or providing services for its subsidiaries. Under the BHCA, the Federal Reserve may approve the ownership of shares by a bank holding company in any company, the activities of which the Federal Reserve has determined to be so closely related to the business of banking or managing or controlling banks as to be a proper incident thereto. These activities include: operating a savings institution, mortgage company, finance company, credit card company or factoring company; performing certain data processing operations; providing certain investment and financial advice; underwriting and acting as an insurance agent for certain types of credit- related insurance; leasing property on a full-payout, non-operating basis; selling money orders, travelers’ checks and U.S. Savings Bonds; real estate and personal property appraising; providing tax planning and preparation services; and, subject to certain limitations, providing securities brokerage services for clients. Regulatory Capital Requirements. As discussed above, pursuant to the “Small Bank Holding Company” exception, effective August 30, 2018, bank holding companies with less than $3 billion in consolidated assets were generally no longer subject to the Federal Reserve’s capital regulations, which are generally the same as the capital regulations applicable to the Bank. At the time of this change, BayCom was considered “Well Capitalized” (as defined for a bank holding company), and was not subject to an individualized order, directive or agreement under which the Federal Reserve requires it to maintain a specific capital level. Federal Securities Laws. The Company’s common stock is registered with the SEC under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. We are subject to information, proxy solicitation, insider trading restrictions and other requirements under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). The Dodd-Frank Act. The Dodd-Frank-Act imposed new restrictions and an expanded framework of regulatory oversight for depository institutions and their holding companies, and capital requirements that are discussed above under the section entitled “United Business Bank - Capital Requirements.” In addition, among other changes, the Dodd-Frank Act requires public companies to (i) provide their shareholders with a non-binding vote (a) at least once every three years on the compensation paid to executive officers and (b) at least once every six years on whether they should have a “say on pay” vote every one, two or three years; (ii) have a separate, non-binding shareholder vote regarding golden parachutes for named executive officers when a shareholder vote takes place on mergers, acquisitions, dispositions or other transactions that would trigger the parachute payments; (iii) provide disclosure in annual proxy materials concerning the relationship between the executive compensation paid and the financial performance of the issuer; and (iv) disclose the ratio of the Chief Executive Officer’s annual total compensation to the median annual total compensation of all other employees. The company as an “emerging growth company,” unlike other public companies that are not emerging growth companies under the JOBS Act, will not be required to comply with the foregoing disclosure requirements for as long as it maintains its emerging growth company status. We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of (i) the end of the fiscal year during which we have total annual gross revenues of $1.07 billion or more, (ii) the end of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the completion of our initial public offering (i.e., December 31, 2023), (iii) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt and (iv) the date on which we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer” under the Exchange Act. The regulations to implement the provisions of Section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Act, commonly referred to as the Volcker Rule, contain prohibitions and restrictions on the ability of financial institutions holding companies and their affiliates to engage in proprietary trading and to hold certain interests in, or to have certain relationships with, various types of investment funds, including hedge funds and private equity funds. The Company is continuously reviewing its 25 Table of Contents investment portfolio to determine if changes in its investment strategies are in compliance with the various provisions of the Volcker Rule regulations. Interstate Banking and Branching. The Federal Reserve must approve an application of a bank holding company to acquire control of, or acquire all or substantially all of the assets of, a bank located in a state other than the holding company’s home state, without regard to whether the transaction is prohibited by the laws of any state. The Federal Reserve may not approve the acquisition of a bank that has not been in existence for the minimum time period (not exceeding five years) specified by the statutory law of the host state. Nor may the Federal Reserve approve an application if the applicant (and its depository institution affiliates) controls or would control more than 10.0% of the insured deposits in the United States or 30% or more of the deposits in the target bank’s home state or in any state in which the target bank maintains a branch. Federal law does not affect the authority of states to limit the percentage of total insured deposits in the state which may be held or controlled by a bank holding company to the extent such limitation does not discriminate against out-of-state banks or bank holding companies. Individual states may also waive the 30% state-wide concentration limit contained in the federal law. The federal banking agencies are generally authorized to approve interstate merger transactions without regard to whether the transaction is prohibited by the law of any state. Interstate acquisitions of branches are permitted only if the law of the state in which the branch is located permits such acquisitions. Interstate mergers and branch acquisitions are subject to the nationwide and statewide insured deposit concentration amounts described above. Under the Dodd-Frank Act, the federal banking agencies may generally approve interstate de novo branching. Dividends. The Federal Reserve has issued a policy statement on the payment of cash dividends by bank holding companies, which expresses its view that although there are no specific regulations restricting dividend payments by bank holding companies other than state corporate laws, a bank holding company must maintain an adequate capital position and generally should not pay cash dividends unless the company’s net income for the past year is sufficient to fully fund the cash dividends and that the prospective rate of earnings appears consistent with the company’s capital needs, asset quality, and overall financial condition. The Federal Reserve policy statement also indicates that it would be inappropriate for a company experiencing serious financial problems to borrow funds to pay dividends. As described above under “Capital Requirements,” the capital conversion buffer requirement can also restrict the ability to pay dividends. Stock Repurchases . Except for certain “Well Capitalized” and highly rated bank holding companies, a bank holding company is required to give the Federal Reserve prior written notice of any purchase or redemption of its outstanding equity securities if the gross consideration for the purchase or redemption, when combined with the net consideration paid for all such purchases or redemptions during the preceding twelve months, is equal to 10% or more of its consolidated net worth. The Federal Reserve may disapprove such a purchase or redemption if it determines that the proposal would constitute an unsafe or unsound practice, or violate any law or regulation, Federal Reserve order, or any condition imposed by or written agreement with, the Federal Reserve. See “Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities – Stock Repurchases” contained in this Form 10-K. COVID-19. The Company maintains its commitment to supporting its community and clients during the COVID-19 pandemic and remains focused on keeping its employees safe and the Bank running effectively to serve its clients. As of December 31, 2022, all Bank branches were open with normal hours. The Bank will continue to monitor branch access and occupancy levels in relation to cases and close contact scenarios and follow governmental restrictions and public health authority guidelines. Competition The financial services industry is highly competitive as we compete for loans, deposits and client relationships in our market. We compete for loans, deposits, and financial services in all of our principal markets. We compete directly with other bank and nonbank institutions, including credit unions, located within our markets, internet-based banks, and “FinTech” companies that rely on technology to provide financial services, out of market banks, and bank holding companies that advertise in or otherwise serve our markets, along with money market and mutual funds, brokerage houses, mortgage companies, and insurance companies or other commercial entities that offer financial services products. 26 Table of Contents Competition involves efforts to retain current clients, make new loans and obtain new deposits, increase the scope and sophistication of services offered and offer competitive interest rates paid on deposits and charged on loans. In commercial banking, we face competition to underwrite loans to sound, stable businesses and real estate projects at competitive price levels that make sense for our business and risk profile. Our major competitors include larger national, regional and local financial institutions and other providers of financial services, including finance companies, mutual funds, insurance companies, that may have the ability to make loans on larger projects than we can or provide a larger mix of product offerings. We also compete with smaller local financial institutions that may have aggressive pricing and unique terms on various types of loans and, increasingly, FinTech companies that offer their products exclusively through web-based portals. In retail banking, we primarily compete for deposits with national and local banks and credit unions that have visible retail presence and personnel in our market areas. The primary factors driving competition for deposits are client service, interest rates, fees charged, branch location and hours of operation and the range of products offered. We compete for deposits by advertising, offering competitive interest rates and seeking to provide a higher level of personal service. Many of our competitors enjoy competitive advantages, including greater financial resources, a wider geographic presence, more accessible branch office locations, the ability to offer additional services, more favorable pricing alternatives, and lower origination and operating costs. Some of our competitors have been in business for a long time and have an established client base and name recognition. We believe that our competitive pricing, personalized service, and community involvement enable us to effectively compete in the communities in which we operate. Legal Proceedings We operate in a highly regulated environment. From time to time we are a party to various claims and litigation matters incidental to the conduct of our business. We are not presently party to any legal proceedings where we believe the resolution would have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, liquidity, results of operation, cash flows or capital levels. Nevertheless, given the nature, scope and complexity of the extensive legal and regulatory landscape applicable to our business (including laws and regulations governing consumer protection, fair lending, fair labor, privacy, information security and anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism laws), we, like all banking organizations, are subject to heightened legal and regulatory compliance and litigation risk. Employees and Human Capital As of December 31, 2022, we had approximately 374 full-time equivalent employees. At that date, approximately 72% of our workforce identified as female and 28% as male, and women held 68% of the Company’s management roles. The average tenure of employees was 5.0 years. The ethnicity of our workforce was 34% White, 31% Asian, 25% Hispanic/Latino, 5% Black, 3% Two or More Races, and 2% Other. The following chart depicts the percentage of self-identified females and minorities in our workforce at December 31, 2022, by job classification as defined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”): ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Job Classification ​ Female ​ Minority (1) ​ Distribution by EEOC Job Classification ​ Executive / Senior level officers ​ 53 % 47 % 4 % Mid-level officers and managers ​ 70 ​ 68 ​ 36 ​ Professionals ​ 52 ​ 66 ​ 16 ​ Administrative support ​ 83 ​ 66 ​ 44 ​ Total ​ 72 % 66 % 100 % _________ (1) Includes employees self-disclosed as Asian, Black, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, or Two or More Races. 27 Table of Contents At December 31, 2022, three of BayCom’s nine Board members identified as female and two directors, one male and one female, identified as underrepresented minorities (including one who identified as a member of two or more races). Under the Nasdaq rules, an “underrepresented minority” is an individual who self-identifies in one or more of the following groups: Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, Asian, Native American or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander or Two or More Races or Ethnicities. None of our employees are represented by any collective bargaining unit or are a party to a collective bargaining agreement, and management considers its relationship with employees to be good. We believe our ability to attract and retain employees is a key to the Bank’s success. Accordingly, as part of our compensation philosophy we offer and maintain market competitive total rewards programs for our employees in order to attract and retain superior talent. In addition to healthy base wages, additional programs include annual bonus opportunities, a Company matched 401(k) Plan, healthcare and insurance benefits, health savings and flexible spending accounts, paid time off, family leave, family care resources, flexible work schedules, and employee assistance programs. We encourage and support the growth and development of our employees. Continual learning and career development is advanced through ongoing performance and development conversations with employees, internally developed training programs, customized corporate training engagements and educational reimbursement programs. The success of our business is fundamentally connected to the well-being of our people. Accordingly, we are committed to the health, safety and wellness of our employees. We provide our employees and their families with access to a variety of flexible and convenient health and welfare programs, including benefits that support their physical and mental health by providing tools and resources to help them improve or maintain their health status; and that offer choice where possible so they can customize their benefits to meet their needs and the needs of their families. A core tenet of our talent system is to both develop talent from within and supplement with external hires. This approach has yielded loyalty and commitment in our employee base which in turn grows our business, our products, and our clients, while adding new employees and external ideas supports a continuous improvement mindset. Information about Executive Officers Officers are elected annually to serve for a one-year term. There are no arrangements or understandings between the officers and any other person pursuant to which he or she was or is to be selected as an officer. George J. Guarini: Mr. Guarini, age 69, is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of BayCom and United Business Bank (formerly known as Bay Commercial Bank). Prior to opening the Bank in 2004, Mr. Guarini was the Senior Vice President and Senior Lending Officer of Summit Bank, a community bank headquartered in Oakland, California. In addition to serving as the Senior Vice President and Senior Lending Officer of Summit Bank from 2000 to 2003, Mr. Guarini served as the Summit Bank’s acting president between August 2001 and August 2002. From 1994 to 1999, Mr. Guarini enjoyed a career with Imperial Capital based in Glendale, California, where he began as Senior Vice President and was charged with resolving significant loan portfolio weaknesses. In 1995, following a successful initial public offering by ITLA Capital Corporation, parent of Imperial Capital Bank, he was appointed as Bank’s Chief Lending Officer. In 1997, Mr. Guarini served as the founding Chief Executive Officer of ITLA Funding Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of ITLA Capital Corporation. Prior to joining Imperial Capital Bank, Mr. Guarini held the position of Senior Vice President for California Republic Bank from 1991 to 1994. Mr. Guarini earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Rutgers University. Mr. Guarini’s qualifications to serve as a member of our Board of Directors include more than 30 years of experience in the banking industry, holding key executive and senior level management positions with national and regional financial institutions. Janet L. King: Ms. King, age 60, is the Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of BayCom. Ms. King has served as the Chief Operating Officer of United Business Bank (formerly known as Bay Commercial Bank) since its inception in 2004. Ms. King is a member of the executive management team and has over 30 years of banking experience. Prior to joining the Bank, Ms. King was employed by Circle Bank in Novato, California from 1999 – 2004 where she served as the Chief Branch Administrative Officer and was a member of the executive management team. She was responsible for all aspects of operations, including Branch Development, Human Resources, Information Technology 28 Table of Contents and Compliance. Prior to this, Ms. King was the Vice President of Operations for Valencia Bank & Trust in Valencia, California from 1987 – 1998 where she was responsible for Branch Development, Centralized Operations, Information Technology and Deposit Compliance. Ms. King earned her B.S. degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. Keary L. Colwell: Ms. Colwell, age 63, is the Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary of BayCom. Ms. Colwell has served as the Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary of United Business Bank (formerly known as Bay Commercial Bank) since inception in 2004 and is presently also the Bank’s Chief Administrative Officer. Ms. Colwell is a member of the executive management team and is responsible for all aspects of accounting and finance functions including financial reporting, asset liability management, and budget and financial planning. She also oversees the Bank’s risk management process. She has over 29 years in banking and finance. Prior to joining the Bank, Ms. Colwell was employed by The San Francisco Company and Bank of San Francisco, where she served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from 1996 through the sale of the company in 2001. Ms. Colwell served as the Vice President/Senior Financial Management of First Nationwide Bank from 1988 – 1992. Prior to joining First Nationwide Bank, Ms. Colwell was the Vice President and Controller at Independence Savings and Loan Association. Colwell worked in public accounting after graduating from college. She obtained her Certified Public Accountant license in 1984. Ms. Colwell holds a B.S. degree from California State University, Chico. Mary Therese (Terry) Curley: Ms. Curley, age 65, joined the Bank as Executive Vice President, and Director of Labor Service Division in April 2017, in connection with our acquisition of First ULB Corp and its wholly owned subsidiary, United Business Bank, FSB. In 2022 she was also appointed as Chief Credit Officer of the Bank, at her prior bank, Ms. Curley served as EVP/ Chief Credit Officer (2012 – 2017), SVP/Credit Administrator (2009 – 2012), Credit Card Administrator (2008 – 2009), SVP/Regional Sales Manager (2005 – 2009), VP/Branch Manager (2000 – 2005) and Business Development Officer (1995 – 2000). In 1992, Ms. Curley received a B.A. in Political, Legal and Economic Analysis from Mills College, Oakland, in California. In 2005, she earned a graduate certificate from the Pacific Coast Banking School at University of Washington, Seattle. Rick Pak: Mr. Pak, age 52, has been in the banking industry for over 30 years and has served the Bank as its Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer since January 2019. He joined the Bank in September 2016 as Senior Vice President and SBA Manager and was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer in January 2019. As a member of the executive management team, he is responsible for overall organic loan growth in Commercial Real Estate, Commercial and Industrial lending, United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) and various government guaranteed programs including the SBA 7(a), SBA 504, Agricultural and Northern California FDC program. He has worked in many aspects of banking including retail management, consumer mortgage, commercial middle market, and government guaranteed programs. He has also worked at financial institutions of distinct sizes, including Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Citibank, Bank of the West, credit unions, and community banks that served the SBA community including Open Bank, Wilshire State Bank and Nara Bank. Mr. Pak holds a B.A. degree from Bethany University, Scotts Valley and earned a graduate certificate from the Pacific Coast Banking School at University of Washington, Seattle. Izabella Zhu Mitchell: Ms. Mitchell, age 44, joined the Bank as Chief Risk Officer and a member of the executive management team in September 2013. Ms. Mitchell is responsible for enabling effective and efficient risk governance with forward looking enterprise risk management approaches as the Bank pursues growth strategies while maintaining safety and soundness. She also oversees regulatory relations, internal audit, and community development. Prior to joining the Bank, Ms. Mitchell was a Senior Financial Institutions Examiner and a founding and inaugural member of the Examiner Council at the California Department of Business Oversight. She has served as Examiner-in-Charge of various large banks, troubled financial institutions, and trust departments. Prior to that, Ms. Mitchell was a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley. Ms. Mitchell earned a Master’s degree in Public Administration in International Development from the Kennedy School at Harvard University and a Bachelor’s degree in International Economics from Peking University. Ms. Mitchell is also a Certified Fiduciary Investment Risk Specialist, and certified in Risk and Information Systems Control by ISACA. 29 Table of Contents Corporate Information Our principal executive offices are located at 500 Ygnacio Valley Road, Suite 200, Walnut Creek, California 94596. Our telephone number is (925) 476-1800. We maintain a website with the address www.unitedbusinessbank.com. The information contained on our website is not included as a part of, or incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Other than an investor’s own internet access charges, we make available, free of charge, through our website our Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to these reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after we have electronically filed such material with, or furnished such material to, the SEC. The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at (http://www.sec.gov). ​