Exhibit 99.1

Civista Bancshares, Inc. Announces Strong Earnings for 2015

Sandusky, Ohio, January 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/– Civista Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:CIVB) (“Civista”) reported net income attributable to common shares of $2.8 million, or $0.29 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2015, compared with $1.9 million, or $0.21 per diluted share, for the prior year period. For the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2015, Civista reported net income available to common shareholders of $11.2 million or $1.17 per diluted share, compared to $7.7 million, or $0.85 per diluted share, in the same period of 2014.

“We have increased our 2015 diluted earnings per share by 38%. We completed the acquisition of TCNB Financial Corp (“TCNB”) in the first quarter of the year. We have decreased our nonperforming assets 30%, increased our net interest income, slightly improved noninterest income, and reduced noninterest expenses as a percent of average assets” said James O. Miller, Chairman, President and CEO of Civista.

Results of Operations:

Net interest income for the fourth quarter of 2015 increased $1.4 million, or 13.1% and $5.5 million, or 13.2%, for the twelve months ended December 31 compared to the same periods of 2014. Tax equivalent net interest margin was 4.09% for the fourth quarter and 3.96% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2015. The increase in net interest income for the quarter and twelve months ended December 31, 2015 was due both to an increase in average loans outstanding as well as a decrease in cost of funds. Interest and fees on loans was also positively affected by the payoff of two of loans that had been on nonaccrual status for significant period of time, which contributed $268 thousand to the fourth quarter and $549 thousand for the year. Mr. Miller continued, “We have maintained a core net interest margin at approximately 4.00% while keeping our asset duration under two years.”

The provision for loan losses was $0 in the fourth quarter of 2015 and 2014, and $1.2 million and $1.5 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The decrease in provision for loan losses for the twelve months of 2015 is due to improved asset quality.

During the quarter, noninterest income totaled $3.1 million, an increase of $288 thousand, or 10.1%, compared to the prior year’s fourth quarter. Year-to-date noninterest income increased $404 thousand, or 2.9%, when compared to year-to-date 2014.

Service charge income increased in both the three and twelve-month periods, primarily due to an increase in business service charges, as well as service charge fees instituted in our Dayton market since the acquisition of TCNB. Gain on sale of loans increased $29 thousand and $447 thousand in the three and twelve-month periods, respectively due to additional volume of loans sold as well as an increase in the premium on loans sold. Trust fees decreased $70 thousand and $307 thousand for the three and twelve-month periods, respectively, due to a decrease in trust assets. Tax refund processing fees were down $324 thousand, or 13.9% when compared to the twelve months of 2014, due to a change in the fee structure for 2015.

Noninterest expense totaled $10.7 million and $10.5 million for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Year-to-date noninterest expense increased $1.4 million, or 3.4%, when compared to the twelve months of 2014.

Salaries, wages and benefits expense increased $266 thousand for the fourth quarter and $1.3 million for the twelve-month period ending December 31, 2015. The increase in salaries, wages and benefits expense was due to normal merit increases, the addition of TCNB employees, as well as a change to our 401k match expense. On January 1, 2015, the 401k plan was modified to a safe harbor plan which led to an increase in the company match. Contracted data processing and professional fees increased for the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2015 due to expenses related to the acquisition of TCNB. Overall acquisition related expenses included in the twelve months ended December 31, 2015 were approximately $374 thousand.

Mr. Miller continued, “We have discussed for some time that we have built a chassis that will accommodate growth. In 2015, a year in which we added three offices from an acquisition and a loan production office, our efficiency ratio decreased to 67.0% compared to 71.7% for 2014. Removing the acquisition related expenses for the year, our noninterest expenses only increased 2.5%.”

Balance Sheet

Total assets increased $101.4 million, or 8.4%, from December 31, 2014 to December 31, 2015. This was due primarily to the acquisition of TCNB, which closed on March 6, 2015. Total assets of TCNB prior to the merger were $97.4 million, including $76.8 million in loans.

Total Loans increased $86.6 million or 9.6% from December 31, 2014 to December 31, 2015. The increase in total loans is primarily due to the acquisition of TCNB which added $76.8 million in loans.

Total deposits increased $83.1 million, or 8.6%, from December 31, 2014 to December 31, 2015. The increase in deposits was primarily due to the acquisition of TCNB, which included $86.9 million in deposits, partially offset by a decrease in time deposits.

Total shareholder’s equity increased $10.1 million, or 8.8%, from December 31, 2014 to December 31, 2015 primarily due to increased retained earnings of $9.6 million.

Asset Quality

Nonperforming assets at December 31, 2015 were $13.3 million, a $5.7 million decrease from December 31, 2014. Net charge-offs were $1.1 million for 2015 compared to $3.4 million for 2014.

Mr. Miller continued, “Our Special Assets group continues to work toward reducing our non-performing assets. Non-performing assets have decreased 30% since December 2014 and 49% since December 2013.”

Civista Bancshares, Inc. is a $1.3 billion financial holding company headquartered in Sandusky, Ohio. The Company’s banking subsidiary, Civista Bank, operates 28 locations in North Central, West Central and Southwestern Ohio.

Civista Bancshares, Inc. may be accessed at www.civb.com. The Company’s common shares are traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “CIVB”. The Company’s depositary shares, each representing a 1/40^th ownership interest in a Series B Preferred Share, are traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “CIVBP”.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements regarding the financial performance, business prospects, growth and operating strategies of Civista. For these statements, Civista claims the protections of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements in this press release should be considered in conjunction with the other information available about Civista, including the information in the filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements provide current expectations or forecasts of future events and are not guarantees of future performance. The forward-looking statements are based on management’s expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. We have tried, wherever possible, to identify such statements by using words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “will” and similar expressions in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially include risk factors relating to the banking industry and the other factors detailed from time to time in Civista’ reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those described in “Item 1A Risk Factors” of Part I of Civista’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014. Undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements, which speak

only as of the date hereof. Civista does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to publicly release the result of any revisions that may be made to update any forward-looking statement to reflect the events or circumstances after the date on which the forward-looking statement is made, or reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except to the extent required by law.

For additional information, contact:

James O. Miller

Chairman, President and CEO

Civista Bancshares, Inc.

888-645-4121

Civista Bancshares, Inc.

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