EXHIBIT 99.1

                            (CIVITAS BANKGROUP LOGO)
                      810 Crescent Centre Drive, Suite 320
                               Franklin, TN 37067
                      office 615.263.9500 fax 615.383.8830


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                           Contact:   Mike Alday
January 24, 2005                                           Alday Communications
                                                           615.791.1535

CIVITAS BANKGROUP PLANS SALE
OF BANK OF MASON

FRANKLIN, Tenn. - Civitas BankGroup (OTC:CVBG) has announced plans to sell The
Bank of Mason in Mason, Tenn., announced Richard E. Herrington, president of
Civitas.

Mason Bancorp, Inc. has entered into an agreement with Civitas to purchase The
Bank of Mason, a Civitas subsidiary. Mason Bancorp is a newly formed bank
holding company founded by several West Tennessee businessmen, including Jock
Weaver, Frank Weaver and John Wilder III, grandson of John Wilder, who is
Chairman of the Board of Civitas BankGroup. The transaction is subject to
pending regulatory approval and is expected to close during the first quarter of
2005.

"This is another step in our corporate strategic plan to focus our resources to
the markets that offer the most growth and profit potential to our
shareholders," said Herrington. "The sale of the The Bank of Mason will allow us
to redeploy capital to our Middle Tennessee subsidiary, Cumberland Bank."

Civitas BankGroup, formerly known as Cumberland Bancorp, is a multi-bank holding
company operating 19 retail offices. It is the parent company of Cumberland Bank
in Middle Tennessee and BankTennessee in West Tennessee.

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THE STATEMENTS CONTAINED IN THIS RELEASE WHICH ARE NOT HISTORICAL FACTS ARE
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS MADE PURSUANT TO THE SAFE HARBOR PROVISIONS OF THE
PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
DESCRIBING OUR FUTURE PLANS, PROJECTIONS, STRATEGIES AND EXPECTATIONS, ARE BASED
ON ASSUMPTIONS AND INVOLVE A NUMBER OF RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES, MANY OF WHICH
ARE BEYOND OUR CONTROL. ACTUAL RESULTS COULD DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE
PROJECTED DUE TO CHANGES IN INTEREST RATES, COMPETITION IN THE INDUSTRY, CHANGES
IN LOCAL AND NATIONAL ECONOMIC CONDITIONS AND VARIOUS OTHER FACTORS. ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION CONCERNING SUCH FACTORS, WHICH COULD AFFECT US, IS CONTAINED IN OUR
FILINGS WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION.