U.S. Department of Transportation Selects Solera National Bank to Participate in...

U.S. Department of Transportation Selects Solera National Bank to Participate
in Short-Term Lending Program

LAKEWOOD, Colo., May 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Solera National Bank, a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Solera National Bancorp, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board:
SLRK), and the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced
today that Solera National Bank has been selected as a participating lender in
the USDOT's Short Term Lending Program (STLP).

The STLP is a loan guarantee program to enhance lending opportunities for
disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs) and other certified small
disadvantaged (SDBs) in order to increase the number of companies engaged in
transportation-related contracts. Likewise, the program is designed to
strengthen the competitive and productive capabilities of the DBEs and SDBs
currently doing business with the Department of Transportation, its grantees,
recipients, their contractors and subcontractors. For more information on the
Short Term Lending Program, please visit the STLP page on USDOT website -
www.osdbu.dot.gov.

Doug Crichfield, President & CEO of Solera National Bank stated, "We are proud
to have been selected as a participating lender and we look forward to serving
a market segment that is unique and impactful on Colorado's economy." Alberto
Peralta, Senior Vice President of Solera National Bank added, "We are the only
participating lender in Colorado pursuing all transportation related
contractors and subcontractors." Solera National Bank is providing the STLP in
Colorado in conjunction with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT)
and the Denver Regional Transportation.

Debra Gallegos, Director of CDOT's Center for Equal Opportunity, commented,
"CDOT's Center for Equal Opportunity is looking forward to working with Solera
National Bank in assisting the small businesses that work with us in our DBE
program. Because of Solera's commitment to the small business market in
Colorado, their inclusion in the USDOT STLP makes perfect sense."

For more information about the STLP program, contact Mr. Peralta at
303-937-6432 or aperalta@solerabank.com.

About Solera National Bancorp, Inc.

Solera National Bancorp, Inc. was incorporated in 2006 to organize and serve
as the holding company for Solera National Bank, which opened for business on
September 10, 2007. Solera National Bank is a traditional, community,
commercial bank with a core-competency in understanding and servicing Denver's
culturally diverse and dynamic Hispanic market. For more information, visit
http://www.solerabank.com.

Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
All information in this news release consists of forward-looking statements
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
The statements contained in this release, which are not historical facts and
that relate to future plans or projected results of Solera National Bancorp,
Inc. ("Company") and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Solera National Bank
("Bank"), are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of
the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected,
anticipated or implied. These risks and uncertainties can include the risks
associated with the ability to grow the Bank and the services it provides, the
ability to successfully integrate new business lines and expand into new
markets, competition in the marketplace, general economic conditions and many
other risks described in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission
filings. The most significant of these uncertainties are described in our 2008
Annual Report on Form 10-K all of which any reader of this release is
encouraged to study (including all amendments to those reports) and exhibits
to those reports, and include (but are not limited to) the following: the
Company has a very limited operating history upon which to base an estimate of
its future financial performance; the Company expects to incur losses during
its initial years of operations; the Bank's failure to implement its business
strategies may adversely affect the Company's financial performance; the
departures of key personnel or directors may impair the Bank's operations; and
general economic and market conditions. We undertake no obligation to update
or revise any forward-looking statement. Readers of this release are cautioned
not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Solera National Bank

Mr. Peralta of Solera National Bank, +1-303-937-6432, aperalta@solerabank.com