Community West Bank reached an agreement to acquire Fresno-based United Security Bank in December 2025. Photo illustration by Cecilia Lopez

The merger between two of the largest Central Valley community banks is now complete. 

Community West Bancshares announced the successful completion of its merger with United Security Bancshares Wednesday morning, creating a community bank with around $5 billion in assets.

Under the terms of the merger, United Security Bancshares shareholders received 0.4520 shares of Community West Bancshares common stock for each share held. Based on Community West’s March 31 closing price of $23.30, the merger consideration values United Security shares at around $10.53 each, which totals around $185.5 million. 

The merger will retain the banking offices for both Community West Bank and United Security Bank. 

Community West Bancshares President and CEO James J. Kim will lead the companies. The board of directors will include 12 Community West directors and two from United Security, with Jay Gill serving as vice chairman. Dennis Woods, the former CEO of United Security Bancshares, will join as chairman emeritus and focus on client retention. 

“This merger, and the continued success of our Company, are driven by our exceptional team of banking professionals,” Kim said. “It strengthens our ability to invest in our Central California communities, expand lending capacity, and deliver enhanced solutions to our clients, while remaining true to our community banking roots and positioning us for continued growth and long-term value.” 

The merger marks Community West Bancshares’ seventh acquisition, following previous acquisitions including Folsom Lake Bank in 2017, Sierra Vista Bank in 2016 and Visalia Community Bank in 2013. 

According to the latest FDIC market report, the combined company held the largest community bank market share in the four-county region at 9.27%, surpassing Bank of the Sierra’s 6.71%.

“We look forward to building a franchise with greater scale and an expanded suite of products and service offerings which will allow us to deliver exceptional service to our combined clients and generate significant value to our shareholders,” Gill said.