PRESS RELEASE
Pulaski Financial Appoints Three New Directors, New Audit Committee Chairperson
Thursday March 16, 7:00 am ET
ST. LOUIS, MO--(MARKET WIRE)--Mar 16, 2006 -- Pulaski Financial Corp.
(NasdaqNM:PULB - News) announced today that Stanley J. Bradshaw, Michael R.
Hogan and Steven C. Roberts, have joined its board. With the election of these
individuals, the vacancy created by the recent retirement from the board of
Robert A. Ebel has been filled and the Pulaski board has been increased to nine.
"Mike Hogan will also assume the additional responsibilities of Chairman of our
audit committee. His addition returns that committee's composition to the
requisite three independent directors required by Nasdaq listing requirements,"
said William A. Donius, chairman and CEO. "As previously announced, Pulaski had
fallen out of compliance with Nasdaq rules when Robert Ebel retired from the
board after 26 years due to health concerns," Donius noted.
Steven Roberts is co-founder of St. Louis-based Roberts-Roberts & Associates, a
minority-owned business consulting and construction management firm. Michael
Hogan is chief administrative officer and chief financial officer of
Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, headquartered in St. Louis. Stanley Bradshaw, is
founder and principal of Bradshaw Capital Management, LLC, an investment and
advisory firm.
"Steve, Stan and Mike are extremely accomplished businessmen who also give a
tremendous amount back to the St. Louis community through their civic and
charitable activities," said Donius. "Their counsel will be of great value in
taking this company to new levels of growth and financial performance while
maintaining the focus, values and dedication to customer service that have made
us one of the leading community banks in greater St.
Louis."
Roberts, who co-founded Roberts-Roberts & Associates in 1974, has long been a
force in bringing jobs and economic opportunity to the African-American
community. A lifelong resident of St. Louis, Roberts attended Clark University
and received his law degree from Washington University. He served as a St. Louis
alderman, developing legislation for many of the city's major redevelopment
projects, including Union Station, the St. Louis Centre and the Cervantes
Convention Center. His firm is active in broadcasting, real estate development
and wireless communications. His company has revitalized numerous properties
that had significant positive impact on the community, including the old Sears
department store and the historic Roberts Mayfair Hotel, each in downtown St.
Louis. He is involved with corporate and not-for-profit boards including
MERS/Goodwill Industries, St. Louis Black Leadership Roundtable, The Repertory
Theatre of St. Louis and the St. Louis Zoo Foundation. "Steve is one of the most
successful and involved businessmen in St. Louis. It will be an honor to have
him serve on our board," Donius stated.
Hogan is chief administrative officer and CFO of St. Louis-based Sigma-Aldrich
Corporation, a major chemical producer. Before joining Sigma-Aldrich, Hogan was
corporate vice present and controller of Monsanto. "Mike's years of experience
in a Fortune 1000 company make him an ideal addition to Pulaski's board. In
addition, he is highly qualified to take on the role of audit committee chair,"
noted Donius. "Outside of work, his active involvement in our community has been
exemplary. He truly represents what Pulaski Financial stands for --
entrepreneurial talent and a commitment to our community." In addition to his
business interests, Hogan is president of the board of Small World Adoption
Foundation and has served on the boards of the United Way of Greater St. Louis,
Washington University, the Sigma-Aldrich Foundation, the Juvenile Diabetes
Research Foundation and Muscular Dystrophy Association of St. Louis.
Stanley Bradshaw is the founder and Principal of Bradshaw Capital Management,
LLC, an investment and advisory firm with a focus on financial services
companies. Prior to forming his own company, he was on Mercantile
Bancorporation's executive committee, and served as president and CEO of
Roosevelt Financial Corporation and Roosevelt bank for many years before its
acquisition by Mercantile.
"Stan has served as an advisory director since 2000 and has provided valuable
insights over this important period in the company's development," Donius
stated. "He has agreed to take his commitment to the next level. We look forward
to his continued involvement," said Donius. "Stan's extensive knowledge of the
banking industry will help us maintain the momentum we have developed over the
past seven years and remain one of the top-performing community banks." Bradshaw
is also active in civic and charitable activities, including serving on the
boards of Webster University, the Kilo Diabetic Research Foundation and the
United Way of Moore County, NC. He is an Honorary Life Director of the Indiana
State University Foundation.
"As a company, our goal is to continue growing as part of our quest to become
the community bank of choice to the greater St. Louis area. We need to have
wider and more varied perspectives in pursuing our strategy. To permit this, the
board decided to increase the number of directors to nine. The fact that three
such accomplished individuals have agreed to join our board is a statement of
the strength and potential of Pulaski Financial," Donius concluded.
Pulaski Financial Corp., operating in its 84th year through its subsidiary,
Pulaski Bank, serves customers throughout the St. Louis metropolitan and Kansas
City areas. The bank offers a full line of quality retail-banking products
through seven full-service banks in St. Louis and a loan production center in
Kansas City. The company's website can be accessed at www.pulaskibankstl.com.
----------------------
Statements in this news release that are not historical facts are
forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements, which contain the words
"expects," "intends" and words of similar import, are subject to numerous risks
and uncertainties disclosed from time to time in documents the company files
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which could cause actual results to
differ materially from the results currently anticipated. Undue reliance should
not be placed on such forward-looking statements.
CONTACT:
For Additional Information Contact:
William A. Donius
Chairman & CEO
Pulaski Financial Corp.
(314) 878-2210 Ext. 3610
Michael Arneth
The Investor Relations Company
(847) 296-4200