Exhibit 99.1

Contact:       D. Anthony Peay - (804) 632-2112
                  Senior Vice President/ Chief Financial Officer
Distribute to: Virginia State/Local Newslines, NY Times, AP, Reuters, S&P,
               Moody, Dow Jones, Investor Relations Service
April 16, 2003    11:00 a.m.                Traded: NASDAQ    Symbol: UBSH

          UNION BANKSHARES ELECTS FORMER VIRGINIA SECRETARY OF FINANCE
                              RON TILLETT TO BOARD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Bowling Green, Virginia) --- Union Bankshares is pleased
to announce the election of Ronald L. Tillett to its Board of Directors. Mr.
Tillett is the Managing Director, Public Finance with Morgan Keegan & Company,
Inc. in Richmond, Virginia. Prior to joining Morgan Keegan, Mr. Tillett served
as Secretary of Finance for the Commonwealth of Virginia from 1996 to 2001 and
from 1993 served as State Treasurer for the Commonwealth. He served as Deputy
State Treasurer from 1987-93.

Mr. Tillett also served as a Senior Legislative Analyst for the Joint
Legislative Audit and Review Commission (1978-83) and the House Appropriations
Committee (1983-87) of the Virginia General Assembly. In addition to these
positions, Mr. Tillett has served on a significant number of boards and
government authorities, including the Board of Visitors for The College of
William and Mary and the Virginia Blood Service Board of Directors, chairing
that Board's Finance and Audit Committee. Mr. Tillett is a 1979 graduate of
Virginia Commonwealth University.

"We are pleased to have Ron Tillett join our Board of Directors," said Ron
Hicks, Chairman of the Board of Union Bankshares. "Ron's financial background
and experience will make him a strong addition to the Union Bankshares team,
including our audit committee."

Mr. Tillett shared, "It is a tremendous honor and privilege to be elected to the
Board of Directors of one of the strongest performing financial services holding
companies' in Virginia. I look forward to working with management to continuing
growing Union Bankshares Corporation's assets while continuing to provide
full-service community banking services to our customers."

Union Bankshares is one of the largest community banking organizations based in
Virginia, providing full service banking to the Central, Rappahannock,
Williamsburg and Northern Neck regions of Virginia through its bank
subsidiaries, Union Bank & Trust (19 locations in the counties of Caroline,
Hanover, King George, King William, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Westmoreland and the
City of Fredericksburg), Northern Neck State Bank (9 locations in the counties
of Richmond, Westmoreland, Essex, Northumberland and Lancaster), Rappahannock
National Bank in Washington, Virginia and Bank of Williamsburg in Williamsburg
and Newport News. Union Bank and Trust also operates a loan production office in
Manassas, Virginia and has announced plans to open a Loan Production Office in
the Richmond market in the second quarter. In addition, Union Investment
Services, Inc. provides full brokerage services and Mortgage Capital Investors
provides a full line of mortgage products.

This press release may contain "forward-looking statements," within the meaning
of federal securities laws, that involve significant risks and uncertainties.
Statements herein are based on certain assumptions and analyses by the Company
and are factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Actual results
could differ materially from those contained in or implied by such statements
for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to: changes in interest
rates; changes in accounting principles, policies, or guidelines; significant
changes in economic conditions; significant changes in regulatory requirements;
and significant changes in securities markets. Consequently, all forward-looking
statements made herein are qualified by these cautionary statements and the
cautionary language in the Company's most recent Form 10-K report and other
documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Union Bankshares
Corporation does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect
circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statements
are made