Exhibit 99.1

Certification

Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, the undersigned officer of First Midwest Bancorp, Inc. (the "Company"), hereby certifies that:

1. the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002 (the "Report") fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d), as applicable, of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and
2. the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

/s/ JOHN M. O'MEARA

Name: John M. O'Meara
Title: Chief Executive Officer

Dated: March 7, 2003

The foregoing certification is being furnished solely pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 and is not being filed as part of the Report or as a separate disclosure document.