Provident Bank Hires Consumer Market Leader

MONTEBELLO, NY--(Marketwire - Mar 5, 2012) - Provident Bank, a subsidiary of Provident New York Bancorp (NYSE: PBNY), announced today the appointment of Colleen Sousa as Consumer Market Leader for the Northern and Central Markets. This appointment continues the implementation of the Bank's strategy to build out a strong leadership team.

Ms. Sousa, who has over 24 years of experience in banking, is responsible for the overall management and profitability of the Provident Bank Financial Centers in both Markets, directly overseeing the activities of the thirteen Financial Centers in the Central Market and the seventeen Financial Centers in the Northern Market.

"With her many years of leadership experience in banking, Colleen is a valuable addition to the Provident Bank team. She brings to the Bank an impressive record of success in the retail delivery arena," said Jim Peoples, Central Region Market President for Provident Bank.

"We are pleased that Coleen is taking on the management of the Financial Centers. Her wealth of experience will help us develop new opportunities for growth and help take Provident Bank to the next level," said Rick Jones, Northern Region Market President for Provident Bank.

Ms. Sousa was most recently the District Retail Leader for Key Bank in the Hudson Valley. Prior to joining Key Bank, Colleen was District Manager for Northern New Jersey at Chase. She was responsible for the sales management and successful launch of thirteen newly built branches during her tenure that spanned central and northern New Jersey. Before joining Chase, Colleen was Vice President, Retail Market Manager for Commerce Bank. Ms. Sousa began her banking career at First Union Bank in 1987. She is an active member of the Rockland Business Association.

Headquartered in Montebello, N.Y., Provident Bank, with $3.1 billion in assets, specializes in the delivery of service and solutions to business owners, their families, and consumers in communities within the greater New York City marketplace through teams of dedicated and experienced relationship managers. Our franchise includes 36 Financial Centers. Provident Bank offers a complete line of commercial, business, and consumer banking products and services. For more information, visit the Provident Bank Web site at www.providentbanking.com.

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