EXHIBIT 99
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Robert E. Evans
- --------------------- President and Chief Executive Officer
February 21, 2001 (740) 373-3155
Peoples Bancorp Appoints Chief Integration Officer
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Peoples also to present at Midwest 2001 Super-Community Bank Conference
Marietta, Ohio - Peoples Bancorp Inc. (Nasdaq: PEBO) announced today
the recent appointment of Mark F. Bradley as Chief Integration Officer, a newly
developed executive vice president position.
"We are breaking new ground with this position," commented Robert E.
Evans, Peoples' President and CEO. "Mark will be our strategy leader and will
commit his energy to integrating the many facets of our business and aligning
our resources. He will work with our leadership team to establish the long-term
direction of our company, ensuring that we stay focused on customer service and
creating stakeholder value."
The Chief Integration Officer will be primarily responsible for
strategic planning and accelerating change within the Company. He will also
coordinate investor relations activities, integrate sales processes and future
acquisitions, and oversee Peoples' corporate risk management programs.
"Our ability to anticipate and quickly implement change in the dynamic
financial services environment is key to our future success," Evans continued.
"We have set some big goals for Peoples Bancorp. Mark will play a key role in
communicating and leading the integration of our strategies, businesses, sales,
systems, people, processes, etc."
Bradley will serve as Chief Integration Officer and Controller until a
new Controller is identified. Bradley has served as Controller for Peoples since
January 1997 and has been with the Company since 1991. He is a graduate of Ohio
University and received his MBA from Ohio University in 1999. Bradley also
completed the Ohio Banker's School and is Treasurer for the Washington County
Community Improvement Corporation, a non-profit organization dedicated to
enhancing commerce in Washington County, Ohio.
In other news, Peoples announced the Company will be a presenter at the
Midwest 2001 Super-Community Bank Conference in Chicago, IL, on February 28 and
March 1, 2001. Twelve of the leading small and mid-cap banks in the Midwest are
sponsoring the annual conference for the benefit of institutional investors and
brokerage firms. Peoples is scheduled to present February 28 at 6:15 pm Eastern
time. A live webcast of Peoples' presentation and the entire event will be
available through Investor Broadcast Network's Vcall.com and
InvestorConference.com websites, located at www.vcall.com and
www.investorconference.com. A link will also be provided on
www.peoplesbancorp.com. Listeners should go to the website of their choice at
least fifteen minutes before these events to download and install any necessary
audio software. For those unable to attend the live broadcast, a replay will be
available for 90 days unless otherwise requested by a participating company.
There is no charge to access any event.
Peoples Bancorp Inc., a diversified financial services company with
$1.1 billion in assets, offers a complete line of banking, investment, and
insurance solutions through Peoples Bank's 40 offices and 27 ATM's in Ohio, West
Virginia, and Kentucky. Peoples Bancorp's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ
exchange under the symbol PEBO. Learn more about Peoples Bancorp or enroll in
Peoples OnLine Connection, Peoples Bank's internet banking product, at
www.peoplesbancorp.com.
END OF RELEASE