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CONTACT: Lauren Muzzy FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Communications September 23, 2009 Manager 770-751-4779 BANK OF NORTH GEORGIA BRINGS HOME NATIONAL FINANCIAL MARKETING AWARD

ALPHARETTA, GA – Bank of North Georgia has received one of the nation’s most prestigious honors for financial marketing by winning an American Bankers Association’s 2009 Financial Marketing Award. Bank of North Georgia was awarded second place in the financial education category among banks of similar size (over $5 billion in assets) for their Economic Forecast Breakfast.

Bank of North Georgia has been hosting an economic forecast breakfast since 1993 to provide a forum for its business clients to hear the economic trends and forecast for the region and the nation. Dr. Albert W. Niemi, Jr., Dean of the Edwin L. Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University, has traditionally provided perspective on national and international demographic and economic trends and their effects on the economy in the Southeast. More than 500 invited guests attended the three breakfast sessions in 2008. Representatives from the local media attended each session to capture the commentary for their readers.

The American Bankers Association received over 400 entries this year. A panel of financial service marketers and advertising professionals across the country judged each entry based on execution of the communications strategy, message and positioning, as well as the campaign’s overall results.

Entries were divided into 6 categories including annual report, brand, customer acquisition and retention, financial education, humor, and impact. Each category was judged according to the banks’ asset levels. Entrants included banks, savings and loans, insurance companies, brokerage firms, investment firms, and credit card companies.

“This is a wonderful honor,” said Sherri Morgan, Director of Marketing & Communications. ABA Public Relations “Bank of North Georgia is thrilled to be recognized for our in-house creativity and ingenuity 1120 Connecticut Ave. Washington, DC 20036 that went into this important initiative that ultimately benefits our customers.” (202) 663-5000 The ABA Financial Marketing Awards were established in 1972 to recognize bank marketing professionals and their agencies for creative excellence.

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Editor’s Note: The American Bankers Association brings together banks of all sizes and charters into one association. ABA works to enhance the competitiveness of the nation's banking industry and strengthen America’s economy and communities. Its members – the majority of which are banks with less than $125 million in assets – represent over 95 percent of the industry’s $13.3 trillion in assets and employ over 2 million men and women.

Bank of North Georgia, Member FDIC and headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, provides business and retail products to small business and other customers, as well as private banking and mortgage services. It was chartered in 1994 and became part of Columbus, Georgia-based Synovus Financial Corporation in 1998. Bank of North Georgia has assets of $5.3 billion and is the largest in asset size of the 30 banks in the Synovus family of companies. They have 44 full service offices conveniently located in Alpharetta (2), Atlanta (2), Bremen, Bowden, Buford, Canton, Carrollton (4), Conyers (3), Covington (2), Cumming, Douglasville (3), Dunwoody, Fayetteville, Hiram, Jasper, Johns Creek, Kennesaw, Marietta (3), McDonough, Norcross, Peachtree City, Riverdale, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Stockbridge, Suwanee, Tallapoosa, Temple, Tucker, Tyrone, Villa Rica and Woodstock. Visit Bank of North Georgia on the web at www.bankofnorthgeorgia.com.