EXHIBIT 99.1


Sacramento, CA - September 19, 2002 -American River Holdings' Chairman of the
Board, Charles D. Fite, announced that Michael Ziegler will serve on the
American River Holdings (Nasdaq: AMRB) Board of Directors.

Michael Ziegler is President and CEO of PRIDE Industries, the largest employer
of people with disabilities in America. PRIDE provides value added outsourcing
solutions in the following service industries: mail services and fulfillment,
light manufacturing, facility support services, and government services.

Mr. Ziegler also serves on the Board of Directors and the Executive Board of the
Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, the Teichert, Inc. Board of
Directors, the Shari's Berries International Board of Directors, Comstock's
Editorial Board, he is a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum Mountain
Valley Chapter, a member of the Board of Trustees of Valley Vision/Regional
Action Partnership, he serves on the Board of Advisors of the Californians for
Compensation Reform, the Board of Advisors of the M.I.N.D. Institute, the
Community Advisory Board of the Junior League of Sacramento, the Regional
Advisory Board of Golden Gate University Sacramento, and the Cooperative
Personnel Services Business Advisory Council. In addition, Michael serves on the
McClellan Air Force Base Privatization & Reuse Advisory Committee, the U.C.
Davis Business School Dean's Advisory Council, the Roseville Chamber Business
Advisory Committee, and the Capital Public Radio President's Advisory Council.

Michael Ziegler has been honored with a number of awards and acknowledgements,
including, the Exemplary Leader Award from the American Leadership Forum, the
Humanitarian Award from the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater
Sacramento, the Placer County Economic Development Board Private Sector Award,
and the Not-for Profit Entrepreneur of the Year Award from Ernst & Young Inc.
Magazine. Ziegler was also chosen as one of "Sacramento's 10 Most Influential
Business people" by the Sacramento Bee's poll of 100 successful Sacramento
business people. The Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce named Ziegler
"Businessman of the Year".

Mr. Ziegler attended San Francisco State University and completed his MBA at the
University of San Francisco. He is a graduate of the Stanford Small Business
Executive Program and also received an Honorary Ph.D. from Golden Gate
University.

American River Holdings is a financial services company with three affiliates,
American River Bank, a community business bank with offices in Sacramento and
Placer County, North Coast Bank, a community business bank with offices in
Sonoma County and first source capital, headquartered in Sacramento, which
provides equipment lease financing on a brokerage basis for businesses
throughout the country.


Related websites: www.amrb.com, www.americanriverbank.net,
www.northcoastbank.com, www.firstsourcecapital.com





Page 4 of 4 Pages