Reese Retires From Park National Corporation and Bank Boards

NEWARK, Ohio, April 20, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Park National Corporation
(Park) (NYSE Amex:PRK) today accepted the retirement of J. Gilbert (Gib) Reese
from its board of directors and The Park National Bank board of directors. Reese
served with distinction on the bank board for 44 years, and was a founding
member of the corporate board when it formed in early 1987. He is an attorney
retired from local firm Reese, Pyle, Drake & Meyer, P.L.L.

"Mr. Reese's keen judgment and experience have had significant influence on our
strategy and leadership," said Park Chairman C. Daniel DeLawder. "He clearly
understands banking and represented Park's shareholders' best interests for
decades. He is a highly respected community leader who provided vision,
encouragement and critical direction for virtually every activity in which he
was involved. We are deeply grateful for his dedicated service to Park."

According to DeLawder, Mr. Reese worked closely with Park leadership during his
service, providing clarity and a sense of urgency. During his tenure, he served
as a member of the executive committee for both the bank and the corporate
boards. He also served on the compensation and nomination committees of the
corporate board, and chaired the compensation committee for the last several
years.

The board of The Park National Bank also named Mr. Reese as director emeritus of
the bank, effective today. This status will permit Mr. Reese the opportunity to
continue to attend bank board meetings as he wishes in the future.

Park's directors also today elected Sarah Reese Wallace to the corporate board.
Wallace joined The Park National Bank board of directors last year and will
serve on the Park National Corporation board effective immediately. Wallace is
Gib and Lou Reese's daughter and she represents the third generation of the
Reese family to be involved in the leadership at The Park National Bank and Park
National Corporation.

Wallace is chairman and director of Newark-based First Federal Savings and Loan
Association, where she served as president from 1982 to 1999. She holds a
master's degree in business administration from Indiana University and a
bachelor's degree from DePauw University. Her philanthropic activities include
serving as chairman of the board of trustees for Central Ohio Technical College;
president of the governing board for A Call to College; trustee of the Newark
Campus Development Fund (benefiting The Ohio State University Newark Campus and
Central Ohio Technical College); trustee and president of the Thomas J. Evans
Foundation, trustee of the Licking County Foundation, trustee of the First
Federal Foundation; and member of the board of trustees for DePauw University, a
role in which she has chaired several committees. She is also a member of the
Newark Rotary Club.

Headquartered in Newark, Ohio, Park National Corporation holds $7.1 billion in
assets (as of March 31, 2009). Park consists of 14 community bank divisions and
two specialty finance companies. Park's Ohio-based banking operations are
conducted through Park subsidiary The Park National Bank and its divisions which
include Fairfield National Bank, Richland Bank, Century National Bank,
First-Knox National Bank, Farmers and Savings Bank, United Bank, Second National
Bank, Security National Bank, Unity National Bank, Citizens National Bank and
The Park National Bank of Southwest Ohio & Northern Kentucky. Park's other
banking subsidiary is Vision Bank (headquartered in Panama City, Florida), and
its Vision Bank Division (of Gulf Shores, Alabama). Park also includes Scope
Leasing, Inc. (d.b.a. Scope Aircraft Finance) and Guardian Finance Company.

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CONTACT: Park National Bank
Media Contact:
Bethany Lewis, Communication Specialist
740.349.3754