17. PREFERRED STOCK

SBLF:

On August 11, 2011, pursuant to the Small Business Lending Fund (SBLF), the Company issued and sold to the US Treasury 21,000 shares of its Senior Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series E (Series E Preferred Stock) for the aggregate proceeds of $21 million. The SBLF was a voluntary program sponsored by the US Treasury that encouraged small business lending by providing capital to qualified community banks at favorable rates. The Company used the proceeds from the Series E Preferred Stock issued to the US Treasury to repurchase all 21,000 shares of its outstanding preferred shares previously issued to the US Treasury under the Capital Purchase Program.

On January 27, 2016, we redeemed the Series E Preferred Stock, at a redemption price of 100% of the liquidation amount plus accrued but unpaid dividends, after receiving approval of our federal banking regulator and the US Treasury. For more information regarding this redemption see Note 26 Subsequent Event.