COMMUNITY WEST                                                    NEWS
BANCSHARES                                                      RELEASE
[GRAPHIC  OMITTED]


445 PINE AVENUE, GOLETA, CA 93117

FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE
CONTACT:   CHARLES  G.  BALTUSKONIS,  SVP/CFO
PHONE:     805-692-4409
E-MAIL:    CBALTUSKONIS@GOLETA.COM
URL:       HTTP://WWW.COMMUNITYWEST.COM
SYMBOL:    CWBC

COMMUNITY WEST BANCSHARES ANNOUNCES MANAGEMENT CHANGE

Goleta,  California,  March  4,  2003 - Community West Bancshares (Company), the
holding company for Goleta National Bank (Bank), today announced that Stephen W.
Haley,  President  and  Chief Operating Officer of the holding company, would be
leaving  the  Company,  effective  March  31,  2003.

Michael  A.  Alexander,  Chairman  of the Company's Board of Director's (Board),
noted:  "Over the past two years, Mr. Haley has led the effort to strengthen the
Company's  risk  management activities and enhance our focus on those businesses
where  we believe we can achieve sustainable risk-adjusted returns. Working with
the  Bank's  President,  Lynda  J.  Nahra, Mr. Haley has helped reduce operating
costs  throughout  the Company and exit businesses that were either unprofitable
or  where  returns  were  insufficient  for  the  perceived  risks  assumed.
Additionally,  Mr.  Haley  successfully  negotiated  full  indemnity  for  the
litigation  in  which the Bank was involved related to its former payday lending
activities.  These  efforts  were a major contributor to the Company's return to
profitability  in  the  last  two  quarters  of  2002."

Mr. Alexander further commented: "When Mr. Haley joined the Company in May 2001,
it  was  intended  that  his time would be spent expanding the holding company's
business  activities.  However,  at the current time, the Board believes we need
to  focus  our efforts and capital on the future growth and profitability of the
Bank.  As  a  result,  Mr. Haley wanted to pursue other opportunities to use his
skills,  and  we  wish  him  well."

The  Board  also  announced  that Mr. Alexander has been appointed to assume the
responsibilities of the President of the holding company.

                                COMPANY OVERVIEW

Community  West  Bancshares is a financial services company with headquarters in
Goleta,  California.  The  Company  is  the  holding company for Goleta National
Bank,  which  has  two  full service branches, one in Goleta and one in Ventura,
California.  Goleta  National  Bank  is  one of the nation's largest SBA lenders
with  loan  production offices located in California, Alabama, Florida, Georgia,
Nevada,  North  Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee and Washington.  The
principal  business  activities  of  the Company are Relationship Banking, Small
Business  Administration  (SBA)  Lending  and  Mortgage  Lending.



                             SAFE HARBOR DISCLOSURE

This  release  contains  forward-looking  statements  that  reflect management's
current views of future events and operations.  These forward-looking statements
are  based  on  information currently available to the Company as of the date of
this release.  It is important to note that these forward-looking statements are
not  guarantees  of  future  performance  and  involve  risks  and uncertainties
including,  but  not  limited  to,  the  ability of the Company to implement its
strategy  and  expand  its  lending  operations.  Furthermore,  the  Company has
certain  restrictions  placed on its operations by the Office of the Comptroller
of  the  Currency  (OCC)  until  the  OCC  deems that the Bank has substantially
complied  with  the  Consent  Order,  issued  by the OCC on October 28, 2002 and
signed  by  the  Bank,  and  releases  the  Bank  therefrom.