Jacobi Appointed Chief Financial Officer of New Hampshire Thrift Bancshares, Inc. and Lake Sunapee Bank, fsb

NEWPORT, NH--(Marketwire - Jul 6, 2011) - On June 9, 2011, the Board of Directors of New Hampshire Thrift Bancshares, Inc. (NHTB) (NASDAQ: NHTB), the holding company for Lake Sunapee Bank, fsb (Bank), appointed Laura Jacobi as Chief Financial Officer of both entities. Ms. Jacobi succeeds Stephen R. Theroux, who has held the title of Chief Financial Officer since 1987. Mr. Theroux will continue to serve as Vice-Chairman, President and Chief Operating Officer of both entities.

Ms. Jacobi, who holds an undergraduate degree in accounting and finance, and a Master's degree in Business Administration, has served as Controller for last 12 years. More recently, she has assumed the corporate titles and responsibilities of Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer, and Corporate Secretary, all roles which she will continue to fulfill for both entities in addition to her current position.

"We are very pleased that Laura Jacobi has taken on the role of Chief Financial Officer," said Stephen W. Ensign, Chairman and CEO of both NHTB and Lake Sunapee Bank. "She has worked diligently over the years, successfully and continuously demonstrating her capabilities since joining our organization in 1997. We are confident that her personal commitment and professionalism, as well as her history of community involvement, will continue to serve NHTB and the Bank well in her new position."

In addition to her professional experience, Ms. Jacobi, a resident of Sunapee, New Hampshire, is also an active leader in the business and civic communities. For the past 12 years, she has served on the Board of Directors of the Newport Chamber of Commerce, the past two years as President. She has also been a long-time active volunteer with several charitable organizations including the American Cancer Society, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Ms. Jacobi is also the founding Director of the NH Chapter of Flashes of Hope, a non-profit organization serving children with life threatening illnesses and their families.

New Hampshire Thrift Bancshares, Inc. is the parent company of Lake Sunapee Bank, fsb, a federally-chartered stock savings bank providing a wide range of banking and financial services through twenty-eight offices strategically located within the greater Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee-Kearsarge and Monadnock regions of west-central New Hampshire and central Vermont. New Hampshire Thrift Bancshares, Inc. has total assets of approximately $1.0 billion.