EXHIBIT 10.1

                          THE OHIO VALLEY BANK COMPANY
                     EXECUTIVE GROUP LIFE SPLIT DOLLAR PLAN


     THIS  AGREEMENT is made and entered into this 29th day of April,  2003,  by
and  between  THE OHIO  VALLEY  BANK  COMPANY,  an Ohio  corporation  located in
Gallipolis,  Ohio (the "Company"), and JEFFREY E. SMITH (the "Executive").  This
Agreement shall append the Split Dollar  Endorsements  entered into on even date
herewith or as subsequently amended, by and between the aforementioned parties.


                                   BACKGROUND

     On November 1, 1996,  the Company and the  Executive  entered into The Ohio
Valley Bank Company  Executive  Group Life Split  Dollar Plan,  and on March 24,
2000, the Company and the Executive entered into the First Amendment to The Ohio
Valley Bank Company  Executive Group Life Split Dollar Plan. The Company and the
Executive now wish to amend and restate said Agreement  document for the purpose
of (1) adding an additional policy to the Agreement,  and (2) updating the terms
and conditions contained in the Agreement.  This new Agreement shall rescind and
replace the existing Agreement.


                                  INTRODUCTION
     To  encourage  the  Executive  to remain an  employee of the  Company,  the
Company is willing to divide the death proceeds of two life  insurance  policies
on the Executive's  life. The Company will pay life insurance  premiums from its
general assets.


                                    AGREEMENT

     The Company and the Executive agree as follows:

                                    Article 1
                               General Definitions

The following terms shall have the meanings specified:

1.1  "Insured" means the Executive.


1.2  "Insurer" means each life insurance  carrier that has a Split Dollar Policy
     Endorsement attached to this Agreement.



1.3  "Normal Retirement Age" means the Executive's 65th birthday.

1.4  "Policy" means the specific life insurance policy issued by the Insurer.

1.5  "Termination of Employment"  means the Executive  ceasing to be employed by
     the Company for any reason whatsoever,  other than by reason of an approved
     leave of absence.

                                    Article 2
                           Policy Ownership/Interests

2.1  Company Ownership.  The Company is the sole owner of the Policies and shall
     have the right to exercise all incidents of ownership. The Company shall be
     the  direct   beneficiary  of  the  remaining   death  proceeds  after  the
     Executive's interest has been paid under Section 2.2.

2.2  Executive's Interest. The death proceeds of each Policy shall be payable to
     the beneficiary designated by the Executive to the extent of the lesser of:
     (i)  two  times  the  Executive's  highest  Total  Annual  Compensation  as
     determined during either the current calendar year in which the Executive's
     death occurs or any calendar year prior to the  Executive's  death; or (ii)
     the face amount of each life insurance  Policy on the life of the Executive
     specified  in the Split  Dollar  Endorsements  attached to this  Agreement.
     "Total  Annual  Compensation"  is  defined  as the  aggregate  of:  (1) the
     Executive's  base salary for the current  calendar  year; (2) any Christmas
     gift,  Executive bonus and director fees and bonus (if applicable) from the
     previous calendar year; and (3) any amounts described in (1) and (2) herein
     that have been deferred under a qualified or  non-qualified  deferral plan.
     The  Executive  shall  also have the right to elect and  change  settlement
     options that may be permitted.

2.3  Option to  Purchase.  The  Company  shall not sell,  surrender  or transfer
     ownership of the Policies  while this  Agreement is in effect without first
     giving the Executive or the  Executive's  transferee the option to purchase
     the Policies for a period of 60 days from written notice of such intention.
     The purchase price shall be an amount equal to the cash surrender  value of
     the Policies.  This provision  shall not impair the right of the Company to
     terminate this Agreement.

                                    Article 3
                                    Premiums

3.1  Premium Payment. The Company shall pay any premiums due on the Policies.

3.2  Economic  Benefit.   The  Company  shall  determine  the  economic  benefit
     attributable  to the Executive based on the amount of the current term rate
     for the  Executive's  age multiplied by the aggregate death benefit payable
     to the  Executive's  beneficiary.  The  "current  term rate" is the minimum
     amount required to be imputed under Revenue  Rulings 64-328 and 66-110,  or
     any subsequent applicable authority.

3.3  Imputed  Income.  The  Company  shall  impute the  economic  benefit to the
     Executive on an annual basis.



                                    Article 4
                                   Assignment

     The  Executive  may assign  without  consideration  all of the  Executive's
interests in the Policies and in this Agreement to any person,  entity or trust.
In the event the  Executive  transfers  all of the  Executive's  interest in the
Policies,  then  all of the  Executive's  interest  in the  Policies  and in the
Agreement  shall  be  vested  in  the  Executive's  transferee,   who  shall  be
substituted  as a  party  hereunder  and the  Executive  shall  have no  further
interest in the Policies or in this Agreement.

                                    Article 5
                                     Insurer
     The Insurer  shall be bound only by the terms of each Policy.  Any payments
the Insurer makes or actions it takes in accordance  with the Policy shall fully
discharge it from all claims,  suits and demands of all entities or persons. The
Insurer  shall not be bound by or be deemed to have notice of the  provisions of
this Agreement.

                                    Article 6
                                Claims Procedure

6.1  Claims Procedure.  Any person or entity who has not received benefits under
     this  Agreement  that he or she  believes  should be paid (the  "claimant")
     shall make a claim for such benefits as follows:

6.1.1 Initiation - Written Claim.  The claimant  initiates a claim by submitting
     to the Company a written claim for the benefits.

6.1.2 Timing of Company  Response.  The Company  shall  respond to such claimant
     within 90 days after  receiving the claim.  If the Company  determines that
     special circumstances require additional time for processing the claim, the
     Company  can  extend  the  response  period  by an  additional  90  days by
     notifying the claimant in writing,  prior to the end of the initial  90-day
     period, that an additional period is required. The notice of extension must
     set  forth the  special  circumstances  and the date by which  the  Company
     expects to render its decision.

6.1.3 Notice of Decision.  If the Company  denies part or all of the claim,  the
     Company  shall notify the  claimant in writing of such denial.  The Company
     shall write the notification in a manner calculated to be understood by the
     claimant.  The  notification  shall set forth:
(a)  The specific reasons for the denial,
(b)  A reference to the specific provisions of the Agreement on which the denial
     is based,
(c)  A description of any additional  information or material  necessary for the
     claimant to perfect the claim and an explanation of why it is needed,



(d)  An explanation  of the  Agreement's  review  procedures and the time limits
     applicable to such procedures, and
(e)  A statement  of the  claimant's  right to bring a civil  action under ERISA
     Section 502(a) following an adverse benefit determination on review.

6.2  Review  Procedure.  If the  Company  denies  part or all of the claim,  the
     claimant  shall  have the  opportunity  for a full and fair  review  by the
     Company of the denial, as follows:

6.2.1 Initiation - Written Request. To initiate the review, the claimant, within
     60 days after receiving the Company's notice of denial,  must file with the
     Company a written request for review.

6.2.2 Additional  Submissions - Information Access. The claimant shall then have
     the opportunity to submit written  comments,  documents,  records and other
     information  relating  to the claim.  The  Company  shall also  provide the
     claimant, upon request and free of charge, reasonable access to, and copies
     of, all documents,  records and other  information  relevant (as defined in
     applicable ERISA regulations) to the claimant's claim for benefits.

6.2.3 Considerations  on Review.  In considering  the review,  the Company shall
     take into  account all  materials  and  information  the  claimant  submits
     relating  to the claim,  without  regard to whether  such  information  was
     submitted or considered in the initial benefit determination.

6.2.4 Timing of Company  Response.  The Company shall respond in writing to such
     claimant  within 60 days after  receiving  the request  for review.  If the
     Company determines that special  circumstances  require additional time for
     processing  the claim,  the  Company can extend the  response  period by an
     additional 60 days by notifying  the claimant in writing,  prior to the end
     of the initial 60-day period,  that an additional  period is required.  The
     notice of extension must set forth the special  circumstances  and the date
     by which the Company expects to render its decision.

6.2.5 Notice of  Decision.  The Company  shall notify the claimant in writing of
     its  decision on review.  The Company  shall  write the  notification  in a
     manner calculated to be understood by the claimant.  The notification shall
     set forth:

(a)  The specific reasons for the denial,
(b)  A reference to the specific provisions of the Agreement on which the denial
     is based,
(c)  A statement that the claimant is entitled to receive, upon request and free
     of charge, reasonable access to, and copies of, all documents,  records and
     other information  relevant (as defined in applicable ERISA regulations) to
     the claimant's claim for benefits, and
(d)  A statement  of the  claimant's  right to bring a civil  action under ERISA
     Section 502(a).



                                    Article 7
                           Amendments and Termination

     The Company or the Executive may  terminate  this  Agreement at any time by
giving written notice to the other party.

                                    Article 8
                                  Miscellaneous

8.1  Binding Effect. This Agreement shall bind the Executive and the Company and
     their beneficiaries,  survivors, executors, administrators and transferees,
     and any Policy beneficiary.

8.2  No Guarantee of Employment.  This Agreement is not an employment  policy or
     contract. It does not give the Executive the right to remain an employee of
     the Company,  nor does it interfere  with the Company's  right to discharge
     the Executive. It also does not require the Executive to remain an employee
     nor interfere  with the  Executive's  right to terminate  employment at any
     time.

8.3  Applicable Law. The Agreement and all rights hereunder shall be governed by
     and  construed  according  to the laws of the State of Ohio,  except to the
     extent preempted by the laws of the United States of America.

8.4  Reorganization.  The Company  shall not merge or  consolidate  into or with
     another company, or reorganize,  or sell substantially all of its assets to
     another  company,  firm or person  unless  such  succeeding  or  continuing
     company,  firm or person agrees to assume and discharge the  obligations of
     the Company.

8.5  Notice.  Any notice,  consent or demand  required or  permitted to be given
     under the provisions of this Split Dollar Agreement by one party to another
     shall be in  writing,  shall be signed by the  party  giving or making  the
     same,  and may be given either by  delivering  the same to such other party
     personally,  or by  mailing  the same,  by United  States  certified  mail,
     postage prepaid, to such party,  addressed to his or her last known address
     as shown on the records of the Company.  The date of such mailing  shall be
     deemed the date of such mailed notice, consent or demand.

8.6  Entire Agreement.  This Agreement  constitutes the entire agreement between
     the Company and the Executive as to the subject  matter  hereof.  No rights
     are granted to the Executive by virtue of this  Agreement  other than those
     specifically set forth herein.

8.7  Administration.  The  Company  shall have  powers  which are  necessary  to
     administer this Agreement, including but not limited to:

(a)  Interpreting the provisions of this Agreement;
(b)  Establishing and revising the method of accounting for this Agreement;



(c)  Maintaining a record of benefit payments; and
(d)  Establishing  rules and  prescribing  any forms  necessary  or desirable to
     administer this Agreement.

8.8  Named  Fiduciary.  The  Company  shall  be the  named  fiduciary  and  plan
     administrator  under the  Agreement.  The named  fiduciary  may delegate to
     others certain aspects of the management and operation  responsibilities of
     the plan  including  the  employment  of  advisors  and the  delegation  of
     ministerial duties to qualified individuals.



     IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the parties have executed this  Agreement the day and
year first above written. EXECUTIVE: COMPANY:


                                                THE OHIO VALLEY BANK COMPANY

/s/ Jeffrey E. Smith                            By:  /s/ James L. Dailey
- --------------------                            -----------------------------
Jeffrey E. Smith
                                                Title:  Chairman of the Board
                                                -----------------------------