Donna M. Coughey Receives Small Business Leader of the Year Award

Donna M. Coughey Receives Small Business Leader of the Year Award



DOWNINGTOWN, Pa., Nov. 8  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Chester County Chamber
of Business & Industry has selected Donna M. Coughey, President and CEO of
Chester Valley Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:CVAL) and First Financial Bank, as their
Small Business Leader of the Year for 2004.  The award honors a small business
leader who excels in areas such as leadership, community involvement and
volunteerism, and who has solid examples of corporate success.

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041108/PHM040 )

"Donna does an outstanding job in leading our organization," remarked Jim
McErlane, Chairman of the Board of Chester Valley Bancorp Inc. "She has brought
Chester Valley Bancorp to historic levels of profitability while maintaining
its tradition of community involvement." Since accepting her role with Chester
Valley Bancorp Inc. and wholly owned subsidiary First Financial Bank in
November 2000, she has led both companies into a time of solid growth, record
levels of profitability and operational efficiency. She has also completed the
Bank's transition from a Savings Bank to a Commercial Bank structure.

Ms. Coughey is personally involved with and serves on the boards of the United
Way of Chester County; the Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry; the
YMCA for the Brandywine Valley; Brandywine Hospital; Chester County Economic
Development Council; and the Chester County Community Foundation. She also
serves on the Board of Trustees of Wilmington College. "As business leaders, we
have an opportunity and responsibility to help our communities outside the
structure of our own companies," noted Coughey.

The Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry will present this year's
award at its 2004 Salute to the Spirit of Free Enterprise: Small Business
Dinner on Wednesday, November 10th, 2004 at The Desmond Hotel in Malvern.

Under Ms. Coughey's leadership, First Financial Bank will open its 13th branch
office in Avondale with the acquisition of the former PNC Bank branch at that
location, and plans to open its 14th branch in Oxford mid-2005.

First Financial Bank and Philadelphia Corporation for Investment Services are
subsidiaries of Chester Valley Bancorp Inc., which provides financial services
for the greater Philadelphia market.  The Bank has twelve offices located
throughout Chester County.  Philadelphia Corporation maintains offices in
Philadelphia and Wayne.

First Financial Bank, headquartered in Downingtown, PA, has twelve branch
offices throughout Chester County and serves the business and retail community
with full-service banking solutions.  First Financial Bank can be found on the
World Wide Web at http://www.ffbonline.com/. Philadelphia Corporation for
Investment Services can be found on the World Wide Web at
http://www.pcisonline.com/. Chester Valley Bancorp Inc. is the parent company
of First Financial Bank and Philadelphia Corporation for Investment Services
and is traded on the NASDAQ market under the symbol CVAL. 

http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041108/PHM040

http://photoarchive.ap.org/

DATASOURCE: First Financial Bank



CONTACT:  Beth W. Reburn, First Financial Bank,

[phone], Ext. 3084



Web site:  http://www.ffbonline.com/

http://www.pcisonline.com/ 

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