Communities First Financial Corporation announced the appointment of Heather Schwarm to the Board of Directors of Communities First Financial Corporation, expanding the Company's Board to 10 directors from 9. Schwarm is an executive-level business professional with 27+ years of financial and risk management experience, obtained in world-class companies. She has a proven track record of developing financial and business strategies to maximize financial performance, optimize operations, effect change management and drive innovation. Heather Schwarm is the CEO of her own company, providing financial and strategic consulting to financial services businesses.

From May 2012 through October 2016, she held the position of the Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of American Savings Bank. Formerly, she was the Senior Vice President and Treasurer from 2010 – 2012 and Senior Vice President, Director of Financial Planning and Analysis, also with American Savings Bank. Heather Schwarm has held increasingly progressively senior positions including, Vice President of Investor Relations with KWK Management, from 2005 through 2008.

Schwarm earned her Master of Business Administration, Corporate Finance and Strategic Management (Dean's List) from the University of Southern California in 2002. She received her Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, Entrepreneur Program, from the University of Southern California in 1993. Her volunteer work included serving on the Boards of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Hawaii; she was Chairman of the Board for 2 years.

Schwarm was a Board Member and Treasurer of the Girls Scouts in Hawaii from 2014-2016.