OCEAN BANK ANNOUNCES PROMOTIONS

MIAMI, FL –April 28, 2005 -- Ocean Bank announces new promotions. Promoted to Senior Vice President are Frank Gonzalez-Abreu, Operations Manager; Rene Fernandez, Branch Administration Operations Manager; and Ernesto Tapanes, Main Branch Manager. Omar Ojeda was also promoted to Vice President Small Business Lending. Department.

Frank Gonzalez-Abreu joined Ocean Bank in 1991 as part of the Bank Operations Division. Promoted to Senior Vice President and Operations Manager, Abreu is in charge of the Deposit and Time Applications, Bookkeeping, Item Processing, Retail Electronic Home Banking and Systems and Procedures Departments. Before joining Ocean Bank, he worked at Federal Reserve Bank, Flagship Banks, Barnett Banks and Professional Federal Savings Bank. Abreu received an Associate in Business degree in Business Administration/Journalism from Miami Dade College.

As Senior Vice President and Branch Administration Operations Manager, Rene Fernandez assists the Ocean Bank Branch Administrator with the day-to-day management of branch operations, specifically focusing on new/existing accounts and safe deposit operations. He also oversees the opening of new bank branches, deals with internal examinations, updates bank policies and procedures relevant to branch operations. Prior to joining Ocean Bank in 1986, Fernandez worked at Barnett Bank and Crocker Bank. He attended Miami Dade College.

Ernesto Tapanes is Senior Vice President and Main Branch Manager of Ocean Bank where he manages a staff of 70 employees as well as the growth of loans for the Main Branch. He also manages his own deposit and loan portfolios. Tapanes received a Bachelors Degree in Finance and International Business from Florida International University.

As a Vice President in Ocean Bank’s Small Business Loan Department, Omar Ojeda is responsible for developing new business and underwriting all Small Business Administration (SBA) 7a and 504 loans for Ocean Bank. He also assists other lenders with SBA programs for their customers. Ojeda joined Ocean Bank in 1996 and received a Bachelors Degree in International Business and Management from Florida International University.

Note to the Editor: Ocean Bank is the largest independent commercial bank headquartered in Florida, with more than $4.6 billion in assets and $4 billion in deposits. Chartered in 1982, Ocean Bank operates a network of 22 branches throughout Miami-Dade and Broward counties.