CVAL Chester Valley Bancorp (MM)

Chester Valley Bancorp Appoints Dr. James J. Clarke to Board of Directors DOWNINGTOWN, Pa., May 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Chester Valley Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:CVAL) announces the appointment of Dr. James J. Clarke, Principal for Clarke Consulting, to its Board of Directors. "We are pleased to welcome Dr. Clarke to our Board of Directors," announced Jim McErlane, Chair of the Chester Valley Bancorp Board. "Dr. Clarke's previous involvement within the industry and with a variety of banks provides him with a unique perspective to financial institution operations. He will be a valuable asset to our Board." Dr. Clarke is the Principal for Clarke Consulting, a bank consulting company specializing in asset/liability management, strategic planning and board/management education located in Villanova, PA. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from LaSalle College and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Notre Dame. A retired faculty member of the Finance Department at Villanova University, he also served as a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Delaware. Dr. Clarke resides in Villanova, PA with his wife and three children. "Dr. Clarke's experience in the financial industry is an excellent complement to our current Board's expertise," noted Donna Coughey, Chester Valley Bancorp President and CEO. "He brings with him valuable insights and a strong reputation. As a long-time resident of the area and as a local business owner, Dr. Clarke also brings a strong connection to the community. It will be a pleasure to work with him." "Chester Valley Bancorp is the kind of organization that competes extremely well in the financial market," stated Dr. Clarke. "The Bank's commitment to quality and to service in its community is what differentiates Chester Valley Bancorp from its competition. It is an honor to be chosen to serve on the Board." First Financial Bank, the largest holding of Chester Valley Bancorp, recently opened its eleventh Chester County branch office in Coatesville. A twelfth office located in West Chester, is expected to open during the summer of 2004. Chester Valley Bancorp Inc. is the parent company of both First Financial Bank and Philadelphia Corporation for Investment Services. First Financial's executive offices are located in Downingtown, Pennsylvania with branches in Exton, Frazer, Thorndale, Westtown, Airport Village, Brandywine Square, Devon, Kennett Square, Eagle and its newest location in Coatesville. Philadelphia Corporation has offices in Wayne and Philadelphia. First Financial Bank and Philadelphia Corporation can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.ffbonline.com/ and http://www.pcisonline.com/, respectively. Chester Valley Bancorp stock is traded on the NASDAQ market under the symbol "CVAL." DATASOURCE: Chester Valley Bancorp Inc. CONTACT: Beth W. Reburn, First Financial Bank, +1-610-269-9700, Ext. 3084 Web site: http://www.pcisonline.com/ Web site: http://www.ffbonline.com/

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