POWER OF ATTORNEY





Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and

appoints each of Joseph W. La Barge and Lisa A. Hanssen signing

singly, the undersigneds true and lawful attorney in fact to



     (1)  execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigneds capacity as an officer and/or director of PMA Capital Corporation (the

Company), Forms 3, 4 and 5 in accordance with Section 16(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules thereunder and any other

forms or reports the undersigned may be required to file in connection

with the undersigneds ownership, acquisition, or disposition of

securities of the Company,



    (2)  do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the

undersigned, which may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute

any such Form 3, 4, or 5, or other form or report, and timely file such

form or report with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission

and any stock exchange or similar authority, and



    (3)   take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with

the foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of

benefit to, in the best interest of, or legally required by, the

undersigned, it being understood that the documents executed by such

attorney in fact on behalf of the undersigned pursuant to this Power

of Attorney shall be in such form and shall contain such terms and

conditions as such attorney in fact may approve in such attorney

in facts discretion.



    The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney in fact full

power and authority to do and perform any and every act and thing

whatsoever requisite, necessary or proper to be done in the exercise

of any of the rights and powers herein granted, as fully to all intents

and purposes as the undersigned might or could do if personally present,

with full power of substitution or revocation, hereby ratifying and

confirming all that such attorney in fact, or such attorney-in-facts

substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be done by

virtue of this power of attorney and the rights and powers herein

granted.  The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing attorneys in

fact, in serving in such capacity at the request of the undersigned,

are not assuming, nor is the Company assuming, any of the undersigneds responsibilities to comply with Section 16 of the Securities Exchange

Act of 1934.



     This Power of Attorney supercedes and revokes any and all prior

powers of attorney grant by the undersigned with respect to the

subject matter contained herein.



     This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect

until the undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4 and

5 with respect to the undersigneds holdings of and transactions in

securities issued by the Company, unless earlier revoked by the

undersigned in a signed writing delivered to the foregoing attorneys

in fact.



     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of

Attorney to be executed as of this 9th day of February, 2005.





                           /s/ Joseph H. Foster

                             Joseph H. Foster