8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 25, 2012 (May 24, 2012)

PEOPLES BANCORP INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Ohio	0-16772	31-0987416
(State or other jurisdiction	(Commission File	(I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation)	Number)	Identification Number)

138 Putnam Street, PO Box 738
Marietta, Ohio	45750-0738
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (740) 373-3155

Not applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

o	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
o	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
o	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act
	(17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
o	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act
	(17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 5.02    Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers

On May 24, 2012, following the unanimous recommendation of the Governance and Nominating Committee, the Board of Directors of Peoples Bancorp Inc. (“Peoples”) increased the number of directors from eleven to twelve in accordance with Section 2.02(C) of Peoples' Code of Regulations, and elected Tara Abraham to fill the vacancy created by the increase. Ms. Abraham was elected as a director in the class whose terms expire at the 2014 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Peoples. The Peoples Board of Directors also appointed Ms. Abraham to serve on the Risk and Audit Committees of the Peoples Board effective May 24, 2012.

At the May 24, 2012 meeting of the Board of Directors of Peoples Bank, National Association, the

national bank subsidiary of Peoples (“Peoples Bank”), Ms. Abraham was elected as a member of the Peoples Bank Board.

In her capacity as a nonemployee director of Peoples and Peoples Bank, Ms. Abraham will receive

compensation on the same basis as the other non-employee directors receive for their service on the Peoples and

Peoples Bank Boards. In addition, in her capacity as a member of the Risk and Audit Committees of Peoples, Ms. Abraham will receive compensation on the same basis as the other members of those committees receive for their service on the respective committees.

Ms. Abraham is Chairman and Co-CEO of Accel, Inc. in New Albany, Ohio.

Peoples has determined that neither Ms. Abraham nor any of her immediate family members has had (or proposes to have) a direct or indirect transaction in which Peoples or any of Peoples' subsidiaries was (or is proposed to be) a participant, that would be required to be disclosed under Item 404(a) of SEC Regulation S-K.

A copy of the press release announcing Ms. Abraham's election to the Peoples Board of Directors is included as Exhibit 99 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.01    Financial Statements and Exhibits

a) - c)

Not applicable

d)Exhibits

See Index to Exhibits on Page 3.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

			PEOPLES BANCORP INC.
Date:	May 25, 2012	By:/s/	M. RYAN KIRKHAM
			M. Ryan Kirkham
			Corporate Counsel and Corporate Secretary

INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibit Number	Description
99	News Release issued by Peoples Bancorp Inc. on May 25, 2012

EX-99

P.O. BOX 738 - MARIETTA, OHIO - 45750	NEWS RELEASE
www.peoplesbancorp.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	Contact:	Chuck Sulerzyski
May 25, 2012		President and Chief Executive Officer
		(740) 373-3155

PEOPLES BANCORP INC. ELECTS NEW BOARD MEMBER

Marietta, Ohio - Peoples Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ: PEBO) announced today that Tara Abraham has joined its board of directors. Ms. Abraham also joins the board of directors of the company's main subsidiary, Peoples Bank, National Association. Abraham is Chairman and Co-CEO of Accel Inc., a contract packaging company in New Albany, Ohio

“We are thrilled to have Tara join our board of directors.” said Richard Ferguson, chairman of the board of Peoples. “The perspective and experience she brings as a successful business owner and executive will be a tremendous asset to our board.”

Chuck Sulerzyski, President and Chief Executive Officer for Peoples, said that he too sees great benefit for Peoples in Abraham's election. “Tara Abraham is both an accomplished entrepreneur and a dedicated supporter and advocate of women-owned businesses. She is a great addition to our board.”

Abraham founded Accel Inc. 16 years ago from a 1,200 square foot studio. The company now operates from a 517,000 square foot facility in New Albany, Ohio and employs more than 400 individuals. Abraham serves on numerous philanthropic boards, including the United Way of Central Ohio board. She is currently serving as the 2008-2012 chair for the Ohio State University College of Education/Human Ecology Advisory Board, and is chair of the Capital Campaign for Ohio Health's Kobacker Hospice Board. She is also a founding member of The American Red Cross Tiffany Circle and the American Heart Association's Circle of Red and is a Co-chair of the 2013-2014 Go Red campaign. She formerly served on the board of the American Red Cross of Greater Columbus and as a board member for St. Stephen's Community House.

Abraham serves on the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (“WBENC”) Board of Directors and as Chair of the WBENC Women's Enterprise Leadership Forum. She was appointed in 2011 to the National Women's Business Council (“NWBC”) to serve a three-year term representing WBENC. The NWBC is a nonpartisan federal advisory council created to serve as an independent source of advice and policy recommendations to the President, Congress, and the U.S. Small Business Administration on economic issues of importance to women business owners.

In 2011 Abraham won the Ohio Diversity Counsel “Ohio's Most Powerful and Influential Women” Award.

Peoples Bancorp Inc. is a diversified financial products and services company with $1.8 billion in assets and more than 44 locations in Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky. Peoples makes available a complete line of banking, investment, insurance and trust solutions through its financial service units - Peoples Bank, National Association; Peoples Financial Advisors (a division of Peoples Bank); and Peoples Insurance Agency, LLC. Peoples' common shares are traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market® under the symbol “PEBO”, and Peoples is a member of the Russell 3000 index of US publicly-traded companies. Learn more about Peoples at www.peoplesbancorp.com.

END OF RELEASE