Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors;
Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers

(c) Shelly L. Krasselt, age 32, was appointed Principal Accounting Officer of AmericanWest Bancorporation (the "Company") effective January 26, 2009. Ms. Krasselt is an employee of, and has served as Vice President and Controller of AmericanWest Bank (the "Bank"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, since December 2003, providing finance and accounting services to the Company pursuant to an Affiliate Management Services Agreement between the Bank and the Company. Ms. Krasselt will continue in those positions with this new appointment. Ms. Krasselt will serve as Principal Accounting Officer of the Company at the pleasure of the Company's Board of Directors.

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