AMERICAN BANKER FEATURES COMMENTARY ON TRAINING DURING BANK MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS BY DR. LINDA EAGLE (NEW YORK, NY) - January 26, 2005

Also featured in the article with Dr. Eagle were, Ray Davis', CEO — Umpqua Bank, Gwynne Whitley, Director Corporate Customer Service — Wachovia Corp., and Greg LaFosse, Vice President and Corporate Training Director — Trustmark National Bank. All have recently gone through the merger and acquisition process and understand the value of standout customer service that can only come from effective and motivational training. In the article, Dr. Eagle underscores the point that "customers will be very heightened to anything less than stellar service…almost waiting for you to make a mistake. Branch personnel have to realize they're more powerful than ever – therefore their training is more important."

Dr. Eagle is frequently invited to speak on a range of topics including distance learning, adult education, ethics training, technological advances in training and education, and business solutions. Linda's educational background in psychology and communications and her experience in organizational consulting give her unique insight into the practical application of training and communication programs that provide measurable benefits. She has provided consulting and training services to hundreds of organizations in a variety of industries. Published in many national publications including USA Today, as well as, American Banker, Linda has also appeared on several local and national radio and television news programs.

The Edcomm Group is a 17-year-old multimedia education and communication consulting firm specializing in the development of creative business solutions that improve productivity, customer service and market share - providing bottom-line results. The Edcomm Group (www.edcomm.com) is headquartered in New York City with an Advanced Design Center located in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.

For more information, please contact:

Linda Eagle
President, The Edcomm Group
1-888-4EDCOMM
linda.eagle@edcomm.com