Hancock Bank taps local professionals as new board members

     PENSACOLA, FL (December 30, 2007 ) - Four of the city's most distinguished business and civic leaders have joined Hancock Bank of Florida's Pensacola area board of directors.

Commercial real estate developer Joseph E. "Ed" Carson, certified public accountant Bill Massey, personal injury and civil litigation attorney Gerald McKenzie, and master architect John P. Tice, Jr., FAIA, will help guide Hancock in facilitating commerce and opportunities for citizens and businesses throughout the metropolitan area. Johnnie Wright, Hancock's senior commercial officer for the Pensacola region, said the new board members have demonstrated exceptional business success and community commitment across the region and will be invaluable resources as the 108-year-old financial services company expands along the Florida Panhandle.

"Ed Carson, Bill Massey, Gerald McKenzie, and John Tice bring tremendous knowledge and expertise to our Hancock Bank of Florida leadership. Their insights and direction will prove integral to Hancock's strategic banking initiatives and community partnerships throughout greater Pensacola. We appreciate their commitment to Northwest Florida and the fundamental ideals that have distinguished Hancock for more than a century," said Wright.

Hancock Bank currently operates 162 Gulf South banking and financial services offices and 132 ATMs across a four-state I-10 corridor market, including full-service financial centers in downtown Pensacola, Tallahassee, Gulf Shores, Mobile, and Daphne, AL. Hancock recently ranked third among America's top-performing financial services institutions, according to Bank Director magazine, and consistently rates as one of the nation's strongest, safest financial institutions.

About the Directors

Joseph E. "Ed" Carson

Joseph E. "Ed" Carson is president and partner of Carson Lovell, Inc., commercial real estate development group in Pensacola. The University of Florida graduate is a veteran Florida state-certified general contractor and a leader in numerous state and local economic development and service organizations. Appointed by Governor Bush to the Florida Building Commission, he has served as POC chairman for six years. He is past chairman, Board Member of the Year, and current board member for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Pensacola, Inc. Carson is also a member of Rotary, a former Sertoma Club president, and a recipient of both the local and district Sertoman of the Year awards. The Pensacola Downtown Advisory Board member served two years as president of the 12th Avenue Business Association and on the City of Pensacola Waterfront Development Advisory Committee. He is a past chair and member of the YMCA Board of Directors and received the YMCA of the USA Distinguished Leadership Award. He completed both Leadership Santa Rosa and Leadership Pensacola.

Bill Massey

A CPA in Florida and Mississippi and a Certified Financial Services Auditor, Bill Massey is a shareholder of Saltmarsh, Cleaveland, & Gund and a 20-year veteran of public accounting. Before joining Saltmarsh, he worked with an international accounting firm. His professional focus includes audit, accounting, tax, and consulting services for financial institutions, commercial entities, employee benefit plans, and non-profit organizations throughout the Southeast. The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) graduate's specialized financial institution experience comprises loan and credit quality reviews, mergers and acquisitions, due diligence, internal control reviews and assessments, and new bank formations. Massey is an affiliate of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants, The Institute of Internal Auditors, and the Florida Bankers Association. A Leadership Pensacola alumnus, he is treasurer and past president of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Pensacola, Inc. and serves on the Sacred Heart Health System audit committee. Massey is also past president of the USM Alumni Association.

Gerald McKenzie

Now operating his own law firm in Pensacola, Gerald McKenzie is a former partner with McKenzie & Allen. He began his legal career in private practice in Naples, FL. McKenzie became an assistant state attorney in the State Prosecutor's Office in Pensacola and eventually joined Emmanuel, Sheppard, & Condon as an associate in the litigation unit. He acts or has acted as legal advisor to numerous area organizations, including the Gulf Coast African American Chamber of Commerce, Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, Community Action Program Committee, and various local political action groups. A member of the Florida Bar Association, Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Association, and National Bar Association, he is qualified to practice in Federal Court in the Northern and Middle Districts of Florida. McKenzie is a member and past chairman and vice chairman of Pensacola Junior College's board of trustees and has been active in the Association of Community College Trustees. He has also served on boards for Boys and Girls Club of Escambia County, 100 Black Men of Pensacola, Inc., and West Pensacola Youth Association. The Pensacola resident earned an economic degree from Swarthmore College, an M.B.A. in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and a juris doctor degree from the Widener University School of Law.

John P. Tice Jr., FAIA

John P. Tice, Jr., FAIA, is president and chief executive officer of Bullock Tice Associates, Inc. in Pensacola. He earned bachelor of architecture and master of architecture degrees from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University. Tice also holds National Council of Architectural Registration board certification and is a registered architect in Florida and Tennessee. Having held numerous leadership positions within the American Institute of Architects (AIA), he is past Florida and Caribbean regional director for AIA's national board of directors. Tice is a past president and currently serves on the board of the Florida Association of AIA and is also past president of the Florida Northwest Chapter of AIA. A graduate of Leadership Florida's Class XVIII, an Outstanding Alumnus Award winner of Leadership Pensacola, and an inaugural graduate and past trustee of the West Florida Leadership Academy, he currently serves on the Florida Chamber of Commerce Foundation board which funds research and development vital to Florida's future. He is also the past chairman of the Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce and has chaired myriad chamber committees during the past 27 years. Tice has served on the Pensacola Escambia Development Commission board, City of Pensacola Planning Board, West Florida Regional Planning Council, Private Industry Council, Escambia Regional Work Force Development Board, United Way of Escambia County executive committee, and Volunteer Pensacola board. He is past tri-chair of Pensacola's Promise, director for NAIOP of West Florida, and founding board member of U.S. Green Building Council Northern Gulf Coast Chapter. A past district governor, club president, and longtime member of Rotary, Tice received the Pensacola Rotary Club Grover Robinson Service Award and the prestigious Paul Harris Fellowship. He also earned the Sam Walton Business Leader Award, AIA Florida awards for community and professional service, and the Liberty Sertoma Service to Mankind Award.

About Hancock Bank

Founded in 1899 on principles of honor and integrity, strength and stability, commitment to service, teamwork, and personal responsibility, Hancock Bank offers comprehensive financial solutions through an extensive network of convenient full-service locations, ATMs, telephone banking, and Internet banking.

Hancock Holding Company (NASDAQ: HBHC) - parent company of Hancock Bank of Florida, Hancock Bank of Alabama, Hancock Bank Mississippi, and Hancock Bank of Louisiana - has assets of approximately $6.0 billion. Hancock Bank subsidiaries include Hancock Investment Services, Inc., Hancock Insurance Agency and its division of Ross King Walker and J. Everett Eaves, and Harrison Finance Company.

More corporate information and online banking and bill pay services are available at www.hancockbank.com.

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For More Information

R. Paul Maxwell, VP & Corporate Communications Manager
228.563.7953 or paul_maxwell@hancockbank.com