GCBS Greene County Bancshares (MM)

Greene County Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:GCBS) today announced that James E. Adams will join the Company as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Designate. Adams will replace William F. Richmond as Chief Financial Officer upon Richmond's retirement at the end of 2005. Commenting on the announcement, Stan Puckett, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, said, "After a broad and extensive executive search, we were fortunate to find someone of Jim's caliber and qualifications. He brings to our company the wisdom and insight that comes from a 30-year career in banking and a life's work dealing with financial issues. We are pleased to have him join our management team and we look forward to his contribution and counsel as we work to expand our business and capitalize on new opportunities for growth." Beginning in banking in 1973, Adams has been involved in all key aspects of financial management, from strategic planning and regulatory reporting to financial systems and data processing. A Certified Public Accountant, he also has extensive experience in operations and with the capital markets. Most recently, Adams served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Rurban Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: RBNF), a multi-bank holding company based in Defiance, Ohio. In that position, Adams managed the finance and accounting, merger and acquisition, investment portfolio, and investor relations activities of the corporation. He has held similar positions throughout his career at Integra Bank Corporation, MainStreet Financial Corporation, Dominion Bankshares Corporation, Shawmut National Corporation, and Third National Corporation. In addition, Adams has served in senior finance positions with Southeast Bank, Harris Bancorp, and Comerica. Greeneville, Tennessee-based Greene County Bancshares, Inc., with total assets of approximately $1.6 billion, is the holding company for Greene County Bank and is the second largest bank holding company headquartered in the state of Tennessee. Greene County Bank, founded in 1890, now has 46 branches throughout East and Middle Tennessee, one branch in Bristol, Virginia, one branch in western North Carolina, and a trust services office in Lebanon, Tennessee. Greene County Bank does business in Washington County, Tennessee as Washington County Bank; in Blount County and Knox County, Tennessee as American Fidelity Bank; in Montgomery County, Tennessee as Clarksville Community Bank; in Sumner County, Tennessee as First Independent Bank; in Rutherford County, Tennessee as Rutherford Bank and Trust; in Sullivan County, Tennessee as Sullivan County Bank and First Bristol Bank; in Hamblen County, Tennessee as Hamblen County Bank; in McMinn County, Tennessee as Bank of Athens and Bank of Niota; in Hawkins County, Tennessee as Hawkins County Bank and Bank of Bulls Gap; in Lawrence County, Tennessee as Bank of Lawrence County; in Cocke County, Tennessee as Cocke County Bank; in Loudon County, Tennessee as Community Bank of Loudon County; in Monroe County, Tennessee as Community Trust Bank; in the City of Bristol, Virginia as First Bristol Bank; in Davidson County and Williamson County, Tennessee as Middle Tennessee Bank & Trust; and in Wilson County, Tennessee as President's Trust. In addition, Greene County Bank also conducts separate businesses through three wholly owned subsidiaries: Superior Financial Services, Inc., a consumer finance company; GCB Acceptance Corporation, a consumer finance company specializing in subprime automobile lending; and Fairway Title Co., a title insurance company. This news release may contain forward-looking statements regarding Greene County Bancshares, Inc., as defined in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty and actual results could differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements. A discussion of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements is included in the Greene County Bancshares, Inc. filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.