CONTACT:        Kenneth Wagner, SVP Investor Relations
                Provident Financial Services, Inc.
                (201) 915-5344

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  April 27, 2006

                       PROVIDENT FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
                      ANNOUNCES 2006 ANNUAL MEETING RESULTS


Jersey City, New Jersey

     Provident Financial Services,  Inc. (NYSE: PFS) ("Provident") held its 2006
Annual Meeting of Stockholders on Wednesday, April 26, 2006, at 10:00 a.m. local
time, at the Hilton Newark Airport, 1170 Spring Street, Elizabeth, New Jersey.

     At the Annual  Meeting,  Geoffrey M.  Connor,  Christopher  Martin,  Edward
O'Donnell,  Thomas E.  Sheenan and  Jeffries  Shein were elected to the Board of
Directors,  each for a three-year term.  Provident's  stockholders also ratified
the  appointment  of KPMG LLP as Provident's  independent  auditors for the year
ending December 31, 2006.

     Provident also announced that J. Martin Comey, whose term expired as of the
Annual  Meeting,  and David  Leff,  whose  term  expires in 2007,  retired  from
Provident's Board of Directors in accordance with Provident's  retirement policy
for directors.  As a result of these retirements,  the size of Provident's Board
of Directors was reduced from 15 to 13 members. Both Mr. Comey and Mr. Leff have
been appointed as Directors Emeritus of The Provident Bank.

     Provident  is  the  bank  holding   company  for  The  Provident   Bank,  a
community-oriented  bank that offers a full range of retail and commercial  loan
products.  The Bank  currently  operates  76 full  service  branches  throughout
northern and central New Jersey.