First Citizens Names Mike Wolfe as Executive Vice President and Orangeburg/Sumter Division Executive

COLUMBIA, SC – March 9, 2009 – First Citizens named Mike Wolfe as executive vice president and Orangeburg/Sumter division executive in the fourth quarter of 2008. Wolfe’s duties include leading the entire banking team in the Orangeburg/Sumter market which comprises nine offices in Orangeburg, Sumter, Summerton, and North.  Specific responsibilities will include business development and lending activities. Wolfe is based out of the Columbia Road office in Orangeburg.

Prior to joining First Citizens, Wolfe was the president of Community Resource Bank and the president and CEO of Orangeburg National Bank. With more than 28 years in banking, Wolfe brings a wealth of experience to First Citizens. “Mike’s demonstrated leadership and tremendous knowledge of the Orangeburg and Sumter markets make him a natural selection for this role,” said First Citizens’ President and Chief Operating Officer Peter Bristow.

Wolfe is a graduate of Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science degree in financial management. He currently serves as the chairman of the Regional Medical Center Foundation and is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Orangeburg. Wolfe served as the past president of Independent Banks of South Carolina.

First Citizens Bancorporation, Inc., is the parent company of First Citizens Bank and Trust Company, Inc., The Exchange Bank of South Carolina, Inc., and Merchants and Farmers Bank of Comer, Ga. First Citizens Bank offers services in commercial and retail banking through its 182 offices in South Carolina and Georgia. As of Dec. 31, 2008, First Citizens Bancorporation, Inc. had total consolidated assets of $7.02 billion. For more information, visit the First Citizens web site at www.firstcitizensonline.com.