First National Community Bancorp, Inc. Adds Two Independent Directors to the Company's Board

DUNMORE, Pa., Oct. 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- First National Community Bancorp, Inc., (OTCQB: FNCB), the parent company of Dunmore-based First National Community Bank, today announced the election of two Northeastern Pennsylvania businessmen to the Corporation's Board of Directors. Mr. William G. Bracey was elected to the Company and Bank Boards on May 12, 2014, and Mr. Keith W. Eckel was elected to the Company and Bank Boards on September 24, 2014.    

"Bill Bracey and Keith Eckel are strong additions to the Boards of our Company and Bank, as both bring decades of experience running significant and successful business enterprises within our service area," said Dominick L. DeNaples, Chairman of the Board. "Bill Bracey brings to the Boards more than 40 years of entrepreneurial and corporate management experience, a strong network of community relationships and partnerships and significant knowledge of the retail business climate in the region. Keith Eckel is highly knowledgeable in all aspects of agribusiness and has served as Chairman of the Board for a Fortune 100 insurance provider. We believe that both of these gentlemen are highly qualified additions to the Board, further strengthen its oversight capabilities and will contribute important perspective as the Company and Bank continue to grow."   

William G. Bracey

Mr. Bracey owns and operates two ShopRite supermarkets, one in Daleville, Pennsylvania and one in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, as well as several other retail businesses including Ace Hardware, NAPA Auto Parts, and Hallmark Gold Crown Stores.  He is a current board member and past Chairman of the Pennsylvania Food Merchants, a past board member and Chairman of Affiliated Foods, and a past board member and Co-Chairman of Associated Wholesale. He is also a current board member of Johnson College, and past board member of Scranton Preparatory School.  He attended Keystone College. Mr. Bracey serves as a member of the Company's Audit, Compensation, Corporate Governance and Risk Management Committees as well as the Bank's Compliance Committee. 

Keith W. Eckel

Mr. Eckel is a Partner in Fred W. Eckel Sons and serves as President of Eckel Farms Inc. He is a past Chairman and member of the Board of Allied Group Inc., a subsidiary of Nationwide Mutual, and is a past Board Chairman of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. Mr. Eckel previously served on the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development, which advises the U.S. Agency for International Development on agricultural priorities and issues.  He is the former President of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.

Mr. Eckel was also a member of the Board of Directors of Gartmore Global Asset Management Trust, and he is a trustee of Pennsylvania State University. He attended Keystone Junior College, Dickinson College and Penn State University. Mr. Eckel will serve as a member of the Company's Audit, Corporate Governance and Risk Management Committees as well as the Bank's Compliance and Director Loan Committees.

About First National Community Bank:

First National Community Bancorp, Inc. is the bank holding company of First National Community Bank, which provides personal, small business and commercial banking services to individuals and businesses throughout Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wayne Counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania.  The institution was established as a National Banking Association in 1910 as The First National Bank of Dunmore, and has been operating under its current name since 1988. For more information about FNCB, visit www.fncb.com.

INVESTOR CONTACT:

James M. Bone, Jr., CPA
Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
First National Community Bank
(570) 348-6419
[email protected] 

The Company may from time to time make written or oral "forward-looking statements," including statements contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), in its reports to shareholders, and in other communications by the Company, which are made in good faith by the Company pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

These forward-looking statements include statements with respect to the Company's beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, anticipations, estimates and intentions, that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, and are subject to change based on various factors (some of which are beyond the Company's control).  The words "may," "could," "should," "would," "believe," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.  The following factors, among others, could cause the Company's financial performance to differ materially from the plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements: the strength of the United States economy in general and the strength of the local economies in the Company's markets; the effects of, and changes in trade, monetary and fiscal policies and laws, including interest rate policies of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; inflation, interest rate, market and monetary fluctuations; the timely development of and acceptance of new products and services; the ability of the Company to compete with other institutions for business; the composition and concentrations of the Company's lending risk and the adequacy of the Company's reserves to manage those risks; the valuation of the Company's investment securities; the ability of the Company to pay dividends or repurchase common shares; the ability of the Company to retain key personnel; the impact of any pending or threatened litigation against the Company; the marketability of shares of the Company and fluctuations in the value of the Company's share price;  the impact of the Company's ability to comply with its regulatory agreements and orders; the effectiveness of the Company's system of internal controls; the ability of the Company to attract additional capital investment; the impact of changes in financial services' laws and regulations (including laws concerning capital adequacy, taxes, banking, securities and insurance); the impact of technological changes and security risks upon the Company's information technology systems; changes in consumer spending and saving habits; the nature, extent, and timing of governmental actions and reforms, and the success of the Company at managing the risks involved in the foregoing and other risks and uncertainties, including those detailed in the Company's filings with the SEC.

The Company cautions that the foregoing list of important factors is not all inclusive.  Readers are also cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which reflect management's analysis only as of the date of this report, even if subsequently made available by the Company on its website or otherwise.  The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this report.

Readers should carefully review the risk factors described in the Annual Report and other documents that the Company periodically files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013.

SOURCE First National Community Bancorp, Inc.