Eoff Joins D.A. Davidson & Co. Capital Markets.

Business Editors

GREAT FALLS, Mont.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 1, 2002

Fred Eoff has joined D.A. Davidson & Co. in the firm's Public Finance division as Managing Director and Regional Manager in Seattle.

"Fred represents our commitment to growing our public finance practice

in the Northwest and Rocky Mountain regions through a broad base of knowledge and commitment to the client," said Kreg Jones, Managing Director, Fixed Income Capital Markets. "Fred's knowledge of public finance and the fixed income markets, coupled with his integrity, makes him a perfect addition to our already-strong presence in the marketplace, which we intend to continue to grow."

Eoff has more than 20 years in public finance serving a broad range of public finance clients, including multi-family housing, local governments, schools and many special purpose issuers. Eoff joins D.A. Davidson & Co. from US Bancorp Piper Jaffray, where he was a Managing Director in Public Finance. Previously, he managed the public finance division of Boettcher & Co. in Seattle, Phoenix, Salt Lake City and Albuquerque. He holds a bachelor's degree and MBA in business and finance from the University of Washington.

Eoff will be responsible for building a broad-based public finance group using his strong relationships and expertise in multi-family housing and local government financing. "Davidson has demonstrated their commitments to serve the needs of the region's issuers through a progressive expansion of its local presence in the Northwest and Rocky Mountain markets. This commitment, combined with their reputation for quality service and focused placement capabilities, makes this opportunity very exciting," Eoff said.

"The hiring of Fred marks a key move in our initiative to add public finance capabilities in key cities throughout our region and to grow several banking disciplines in areas such as health care, housing and higher education," said Bill Johnstone, President of D.A. Davidson & Co. "We are committed to this business and the region in which we operate. We believe this is a key differentiating factor between ourselves and others in the markets at the present time."

Founded in 1935, D.A. Davidson & Co. is the largest full-service investment firm based in the greater Northwest and northern Rocky Mountains. D.A. Davidson & Co. provides brokerage, research, asset management, trust services and investment banking services to retail, institutional and corporate clients. The firm is the leading Northwest-based underwriter of public offerings for companies in the greater Northwest region. D.A. Davidson & Co. is independently owned, and operates offices in Washington, Montana, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and Colorado.

D.A. Davidson & Co. is part of Davidson Companies, a Great Falls-based financial services holding company. Also part of Davidson Companies is Davidson Trust Co., a wealth management and trust operation; Davidson Investment Advisors, a professional money management firm; and Davidson Travel, a full-service travel agency.

For information, contact Kreg Jones, Managing Director, Fixed Income Capital Markets, at 206/389-8000, or visit www.dadavidson.com.