PEOPLES BANCORP INC. - P.O. BOX 738 - MARIETTA, OHIO - 45750
                                                          www.peoplesbancorp.com

                                  NEWS RELEASE


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                   Contact:  Mark F. Bradley
---------------------                             President and CEO
July 14, 2005                                     (740) 373-3155

                  PEOPLES BANCORP INC. CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
                                TO RETIRE IN 2006
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         Senior Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer
                             Appointed as Successor

     MARIETTA,  Ohio - Peoples Bancorp Inc.  (NASDAQ:  PEBO) today announced the
plan of John W. "Jack" Conlon,  Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Peoples
Bancorp  Inc.  ("Peoples  Bancorp")  and its banking  subsidiary  Peoples  Bank,
National Association ("Peoples Bank"), to retire from both companies on July 31,
2006.
     "Jack has made a tremendous  contribution  to the success and growth of our
company," said Mark F. Bradley, President and CEO of Peoples Bancorp. "In his 23
years at Peoples Bancorp, he has served with passion and an unbending commitment
to enhancing  shareholder value. We certainly wish Jack an enjoyable and healthy
retirement. He has earned it."
     Conlon,  60,  joined  Peoples  Bank as an officer in 1982 and has served in
various  finance  capacities  during his  career.  In 1991,  he was named  Chief
Financial  Officer  and  became  Treasurer  in  1999.  Mr.  Conlon  has  primary
responsibility  for merger and  acquisition  activities in addition to his other
finance, treasury, and asset/liability management responsibilities.  Mr. Conlon,
an executive  officer,  is a member of Peoples  Bancorp's  executive  management
team, which helps set policy and direction for the company.
     "I have  enjoyed  my  time  with  Peoples  and I am  proud  of what we have
accomplished,"  said Conlon.  "The time is right to announce my retirement plans
and focus on the continued development of my successor."
     Peoples  Bancorp has appointed  Donald J. Landers,  Senior Vice  President,
Controller  and Chief  Accounting  Officer,  to the position of Chief  Financial
Officer and Treasurer  effective with the retirement of Mr. Conlon. Mr. Landers,
46, has served as Controller and Chief  Accounting  Officer for Peoples  Bancorp
since 2003 and has 15 years experience in the financial services  industry.  Mr.
Landers is a graduate of Marietta  College with a degree in accounting  and is a
Certified Public Accountant.
     "We will miss Jack's financial leadership and contribution to our executive
team," continued Bradley. "With Jack's involvement,  we expect to spend the next
several  months  preparing  Don for the Chief  Financial  Officer and  Treasurer
positions. I am confident Don will be successful in his new role."
     Peoples Bancorp Inc., a diversified financial products and services company
with $1.8  billion in  assets,  makes  available  a  complete  line of  banking,
investment,  insurance,  and trust solutions through 50 locations and 33 ATMs in
Ohio,  West Virginia and Kentucky.  Peoples  Bancorp's  financial  service units
include Peoples Bank,  Peoples  Financial  Advisors (a division of Peoples Bank)
and Peoples Insurance Agency, Inc. Peoples Bancorp's common shares are traded on
the NASDAQ  national  market under the symbol "PEBO",  and Peoples  Bancorp is a
member of the Russell  3000 index of US publicly  traded  companies.  Learn more
about Peoples Bancorp at www.peoplesbancorp.com.

                                 END OF RELEASE