News Release


Contact:       Kaitlyn Sweeney, RM International
               (973) 890-9022, sweeney@rm-international.com
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June 3, 2010

                Muzio Joins Provident as Chief Accounting Officer

JERSEY CITY, N.J. - The Provident Bank has hired Frank S. Muzio, CPA, as first
vice president and chief accounting officer. With broad experience in finance,
accounting, strategic planning and corporate governance, he is an invaluable
addition to the Provident team.

     Muzio  has more  than 25 years  of  experience  in  banking  and  financial
services. Before joining Provident, he was with Sovereign Bancorp as senior vice
president - controller  of the NY Metro  Division.  Prior to that, he was senior
vice  president - corporate  controller  at  Independence  Community  Bank Corp.
Earlier in his career,  he served as senior vice president - corporate  planning
and analysis with Dime Bancorp.

     Muzio earned his bachelor's  degree in accounting  from Pace University and
his masters in  accounting  and taxation  from Long Island  University.  He is a
Certified Public Accountant, affiliated with the American Institute of Certified
Public Accountants.

     Muzio is also a former member and treasurer of the Staten Island Historical
Society's Board of Directors.

About The Provident Bank
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     With $4.9 billion in deposits,  The  Provident  Bank  (www.providentnj.com)
serves its customers via a network of more than 80 branches  throughout northern
and central New Jersey.  The  Provident  Bank is the wholly owned  subsidiary of
Provident Financial  Services,  Inc.  (NYSE:PFS),  which reported assets of $6.8
billion as of March 31, 2010.

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