STILLWATER, Okla., April 27, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bank SNB and its parent company Southwest Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:OKSB) announced the election of Kayse M. Shrum, D.O. to the Board of Directors of both entities, effective April 20, 2016.

Dr. Shrum is a native Oklahoman who earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. She joined the medical school faculty at OSU Center for Health Sciences (OSU-CHS) in 2002 and was named provost of the OSU-CHS and Dean of OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2011. In 2013, she was promoted to her current position as President of OSU-CHS becoming the youngest and first female president and dean of a medical school in the state of Oklahoma, as well as the first medical school alumna to become dean of the college. During her leadership tenure, she has focused on growing the primary care rural physician pipeline by increasing the number of medical students from rural Oklahoma, by implementing a rural-focused curriculum, and by expanding rural-based residency training sites.

Dr. Shrum also holds the George Kaiser Family Foundation Chair in Medical Excellence and Service and the Saint Francis Health System Endowed Chair of Pediatrics and Professor of Pediatrics. She is active in a variety of professional and charitable organizations. She serves as chair-elect of the American Osteopathic Board of Pediatrics and as a member of the American Osteopathic Association Bureau on Graduate Medical Education. Dr. Shrum is the Vice President of the Oklahoma Osteopathic Association. She is a board member of the Children's Hospital Foundation at Saint Francis, Mercy Kids Ministry, Health Partners of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University Medical Authority and Trust, OSU Center for Health Systems Innovation, and PLICO Medical Malpractice Advisory Board.

Dr. Shrum has been recognized at the local and state level for her many contributions to improving health outcomes in Tulsa and Oklahoma. She was named a finalist for the Journal Record's 2015 Woman of Year award and was inducted into Connors State College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013. She received the Oklahoma Osteopathic Association's Outstanding & Distinguished Service Award in 2014 and the Tulsa Mayor's Commission on the Status of Women's Pinnacle Award for Health in 2012.

Dr. Shrum resides in Oklahoma with her husband and five children. Her experience, community focus and healthcare expertise will prove to be valuable assets for moving Bank SNB and Southwest Bancorp forward.

About Bank SNB and Southwest Bancorp, Inc.
Bank SNB is a subsidiary of Southwest Bancorp, Inc. Through Bank SNB, Southwest offers commercial and consumer lending, deposit and investment services, specialized cash management, and other financial services from offices in Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas, and on the Internet, through Bank SNB DirectBanker®. Southwest was organized in 1981 as the holding company for Bank SNB, which was chartered in 1894.

Southwest's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol OKSB.

CONTACT:	
For additional information:	
Mark Funke
President & CEO
Joe T. Shockley
EVP & CFO
405.742.1800