8-K

================================================================================


                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549



                                    FORM 8-K



                                 CURRENT REPORT

     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934


                Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):
                                  March 3, 2003






                          COLUMBIA BANKING SYSTEM, INC.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



                                   WASHINGTON
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)


        0-20288                                            91-1422237
- ------------------------                        -------------------------------
(Commission File Number)                        IRS Employer Identification No.



                                  1301 A Street
                                Tacoma, WA 98402
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               (Address of principal executive offices) (zip code)



       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (253) 305-1900


================================================================================



ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS


         On March 3, 2003, we issued a press release announcing that Frederick
M. Goldberg had been appointed a director of Columbia Bank and its parent
company, Columbia Banking System, Inc. A copy of the press release is attached
as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.







ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, PRO FORMA FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND EXHIBITS

         (a)  Financial statements. - not applicable

         (b)  Pro forma financial information. - not applicable

         (c)  Exhibits.

               99.1    Press Release dated March 3, 2003 announcing appointment
                       of Frederick M. Goldberg as a director of Columbia Bank
                       and Columbia Banking System, Inc.















                                        1



                                   SIGNATURES


         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


         Dated:  March 6, 2003                    COLUMBIA BANKING SYSTEM, INC.



                                                  By: /s/ Melanie J. Dressel
                                                      -------------------------
                                                      Melanie J. Dressel
                                                      President and
                                                      Chief Executive Officer























                                        2

EX-99.1

                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1
                                                                    ------------

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MARCH 3, 2003


Contacts:    William T. Weyerhaeuser, Chairman
             (253) 272-8336

             JoAnne Coy, Vice President & Marketing Director, Columbia Bank
             (253) 305-1965



               FREDERICK M. GOLDBERG NAMED COLUMBIA BANK DIRECTOR

TACOMA, WASHINGTON -- Frederick M. Goldberg has been appointed a director of
Columbia Bank and its parent holding company, Columbia Banking System, Inc.
(Nasdaq: COLB).

         A resident of Olympia, Washington since 1964, Mr. Goldberg is a
shareholder of SaltChuk Resources, Inc., a diversified maritime holding company
based in Seattle, Washington, and is currently a member of its Executive
Committee and Chairman of the Audit Committee. He is a managing partner of
Goldberg Investments, a personal investment firm. Mr. Goldberg is Chairman of
the Board of both Panorama City, a retirement community in Lacey, Washington and
of Gibbons Lane Vineyard and Winery in Tenino, Washington. He is also a board
member of Pacific Financial Incorporated.

         "We are delighted to welcome Fred Goldberg to our team of board
members," said William T. Weyerhaeuser, Chairman of the Board for Columbia. "We
are fortunate to have someone with Fred's long-time banking and business
experience, combined with his remarkable community service activities."

         Fred Goldberg and his mother Eva were named Philanthropists-of-the-Year
for Southwest Washington in 2002. He is currently the chairman of the Olympia
Civil Service Commission, a board member for St. Peters Hospital Foundation and
the Olympia Roundtable. He was previously president of the Washington State
Historical Association, a founding director of the Governors Festival of the
Arts, the Washington Center for the Performing Arts and the Thurston County
Community Foundation. He has also served as founding president of POSSCA,
Patrons of South Sound Cultural Activities.

         Mr. Goldberg has served as founding director and vice president of
Washington Independent Bancshares, as director of Key Bank of Washington and Key
Corporation, as director and executive committee member for Puget Sound National
Bank, and was a founding director of Bank of Olympia.

         Columbia Bank is a Washington state-chartered full-service commercial
bank with 36 banking offices in Pierce, King, Cowlitz, Kitsap and Thurston
counties. It is wholly owned by Columbia Banking System, Inc. (Nasdaq: COLB), a
publicly traded registered bank holding company.




                                       ###