Community National Bank Announces Staff Appointments; Second Branch to Open Early 2006 in Garden City

GREAT NECK, N.Y.--Stuart H. Lubow, Community National Bank President and Chief Executive Officer, has announced the following appointments for the independent commercial bank's new office scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2006. The new branch will be located at 1055 Franklin Avenue in Garden City, NY.

Patricia A. Owens, Assistant Vice President/Branch Manager

Before joining Community National Bank, Mrs. Owens served as a Vice President and Branch manager for HSBC Bank, USA; as an Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager for the Bank of New York; and as an Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager for Dime Savings Bank of New York.

A resident of Nesconset, NY, Ms. Owens is a graduate of St. John's University, is a licensed New York State Life Insurance agent, and is a member of numerous local Chambers of Commerce. In addition to managing the new CNB office's daily operation, she will be responsible for business development, community relations, and assuring superior customer service for the bank's personal and commercial clients.

Donna P. Minervini, Assistant Vice President/Assistant Branch Manager

Prior to accepting her new position at Community National Bank, Mrs. Minervini served as an Assistant Manager for the Bank of New York; as a Client Specialist for The Dreyfus Corporation; and as an Assistant Manager for First National Bank of Long Island. A graduate of Christopher Columbus High School in the Bronx, she is also a licensed New York State Life Insurance agent, and a member of numerous local Chambers of Commerce. Mrs. Minervini is a resident of Levittown, NY. She will also be responsible for managing the new CNB office's daily operation, for business development, community relations, and assuring superior levels of customer service.

Created to fill the void in community banking caused by larger regional bank networks in Long Island, Community National Bank offers cutting edge services tailored to meet the financial needs of small and medium size businesses, professionals, and individual consumers.

Community National Bank offers a full range of modern financial services, backed by state-of-the-art technology. In addition to residential mortgages, home equity lines of credit, commercial mortgages and business loans and lines of credit, the bank provides a complete selection of traditional personal and commercial banking products such as no-fee individual and business checking accounts, IRA accounts, and statement and passbook savings. As a Small Business Administration (SBA) authorized lender, CNB is also able to offer special loan and financial management programs designed to help small and medium size businesses succeed.

Other features include extended lobby hours weekdays, plus both Saturday and Sunday hours, 24-hour ATM service, free internet banking, and much more.

For additional information on the construction of the new Garden City branch, stop by Community National Bank at 200 Middle Neck Road in Great Neck; call Donna Frasco, Vice President/Branch Administrator at 516-498-9111; or visit the bank's website at cnbny.com. Community National Bank is a member of the FDIC and is an Equal Housing/Equal Opportunity Lender.

What are people saying about mortgages today:

Rates on 30-year mortgages edged down last week to a seven-month low. Mortgage-giant Freddie Mac reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages fell to 6.3 percent, down slightly from 6.31 percent two weeks ago. It put rates at the lowest level since they were at 6.24 percent the first week of March.

Bank of Hawaii, Central Pacific Bank, Territorial Savings Bank and Wells Fargo Home Mortgages all cut their 30-year mortgage rates to 5.75 percent this week.

Most people think of a mortgage as a means to an end. After all, you buy a house, not a home loan. But a mortgage is much more than the path to homeownership. It is a financial instrument that must be managed, just like any other financial investment.