Fidelity Bankshares Names William H. Sned, Jr. to Board of Directors


West Palm Beach,  FL, December 21, 2005 -- Fidelity  Bankshares,  Inc.  (Nasdaq:
FFFL),  the holding company for Fidelity  Federal Bank & Trust,  announced today
that it has elected William H. Sned,  Jr.,  president of the firm Sned & Tucker,
P.A.,  to its board of  directors.  Fidelity has  increased  the number of board
members from six to seven.

Mr.  Sned has  practiced  administrative,  real  estate,  corporate,  zoning and
governmental law in Palm Beach County since 1971 and has represented  lenders in
real  estate   closings  as  well  as  commercial   and   residential   mortgage
foreclosures.  He has  served  as the  chairman  for the  St.  Mary's  and  Good
Samaritan Hospital boards and the Board of Commissioners for the West Palm Beach
Housing Authority. He has also served on the West Palm Beach Planning Board, the
Community  Development  Board of West Palm Beach, the Norton Museum and numerous
other professional and charitable organizations.  Mr. Sned also owns and manages
shopping  centers and commercial  property.  He earned a bachelor's  degree from
Wake Forest University and a Juris Doctor Degree from Florida State University.

Vince Elhilow, CEO of Fidelity Federal,  said, "Bill has represented lenders and
litigants as an expert  witness in matters of lien priority,  interpretation  of
the marketable record title act and has represented  plaintiffs and litigants in
zoning disputes. He is well tied into the community,  and we are pleased to have
his legal expertise on our board."

At Sept. 30, 2005,  Fidelity  Bankshares,  Inc., through its subsidiary Fidelity
Federal Bank & Trust,  had assets of $3.94 billion and deposits of $3.32 billion
and operates in Florida  through 48 offices in Palm Beach,  Martin and St. Lucie
counties.

An   investment    profile   on   Fidelity    Bankshares   may   be   found   on
http://www.hawkassociates.com/fffl/profile.htm.

For  more  information,  contact  Chairman  and CEO  Vince A.  Elhilow  or Chief
Financial Officer Richard D. Aldred at (561) 803-9900, or Frank Hawkins or Julie
Marshall,    Hawk    Associates,    Inc.,    at    (305)    451-1888,    e-mail:
info@hawkassociates.com.  Information  about  Fidelity  Bankshares,  Inc. can be
found on http://www.fidelityfederal.com. Fidelity Bankshares press releases, SEC
filings,  current price quotes,  stock charts and other valuable information for
investors may be found on http://www.hawkassociates.com.

Forward-Looking Statements: When used in this report, the words or phrases "will
likely   result,"  "are  expected  to,"  "will   continue,"  "is   anticipated,"
"estimate,"   "project"  or  similar   expressions   are  intended  to  identify
"forward-looking  statements"  within  the  meaning  of the  Private  Securities
Litigation  Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are subject to certain risks and
uncertainties,  including, among other things, changes in economic conditions in
the  company's  market  area,  changes  in  policies  by  regulatory   agencies,
fluctuations  in interest rates,  demand for loans in the company's  market area
and  competition  that could  cause  actual  results to differ  materially  from
historical  earnings and those presently  anticipated or projected.  The company
wishes  to  caution   readers   not  to  place   undue   reliance  on  any  such
forward-looking  statements,  which speak only as of the date made.  The company
wishes  to advise  readers  that the  factors  listed  above  could  affect  the
company's financial performance and could cause the company's actual results for
future periods to differ  materially  from any opinions or statements  expressed
with respect to future periods in any current statements.

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