FCTY 1ST Century Bancshares,

1st Century Bancshares, Inc. (the "Company") (NASDAQ: FCTY), the holding company of 1st Century Bank, N.A. (the "Bank"), announced today that William Warren Brien, M.D. has been elected to its Board of Directors.

Dr. Brien received his medical degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, and completed his residency in orthopaedic surgery at the Los Angeles County/USC School of Medicine. A lifelong Beverly Hills resident, Dr. Brien is the Executive Vice Chairman of the Department of Surgery, director of the Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedic Center and past Chief of Staff at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He joined the Cedars-Sinai medical team in 1991. Dr. Brien currently serves on the California Orthopaedic Association Board of Directors, is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and most recently completed his term as Commissioner of the California Health Policy and Data Advisory Commission.

"Dr. Brien is a welcome addition to our current Board of Directors roster," said Chairman of the Board, Alan I. Rothenberg. "He encompasses the character of our Management and current Board members as he is deeply rooted and actively involved in the very community we work and live in."

He was elected to the Beverly Hills City Council in 2009 and is currently serving as Mayor. Prior to being elected to the council, he served on the Recreation and Parks Commission and the Beverly Hills Board of Education.

He was president of the Beverly Hills Board of Education from 1999 to 2003. In 1998, he was appointed to the Recreation and Parks Commission, later serving as the vice chairperson. He also has served as president of the Beverly Hills Little League and the Beverly Hills Optimist Club. He was an assistant commissioner for AYSO Region 76, a member of the Southern California chapter of the Arthritis Foundation's board of directors, and is active in the United Jewish Fund.

He and his wife have four children who attended Beverly Hills schools.

About 1st Century Bancshares, Inc.

1st Century Bancshares, Inc. is a publicly owned company traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol "FCTY." The Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, 1st Century Bank, N.A., is headquartered in the Century City area of Los Angeles, with a full service business bank in Century City, CA and a relationship office in Santa Monica, CA. The Bank's primary focus is serving the specific banking needs of entrepreneurs, professionals and small businesses with the personal service of a traditional community bank, while offering the technologies of a big money center bank. The Company maintains a website at www.1cbank.com. By including the foregoing website address link, the Company does not intend to and shall not be deemed to incorporate by reference any material contained therein.

Contact Information: Alan I. Rothenberg Chairman/Chief Executive Officer Phone: (310) 270-9501 Jason P. DiNapoli President/Chief Operating Officer Phone: (310) 270-9505