Washington Trust Announces Mortgage Lending Consultant

April 16, 2008 (Westerly, RI) . . . Cathleen A. Studley, of Jamestown, has been named vice president, mortgage lending officer of The Washington Trust Company's North Kingstown Office located at 7625 Post Road, North Kingstown, RI. She joined the Bank in 1996, as an assistant vice president and assistant branch manager of the North Kingstown branch. In 2002, she was promoted to assistant vice president, branch manager and in 2003 was promoted to vice president, branch manager. Studley has more than 20 years of banking experience, and will originate residential mortgages and home equity loans throughout Rhode Island, southeastern Connecticut and southeastern Massachusetts.

Studley is a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association, and also serves as vice chairperson on the North Kingstown Chamber of Commerce Executive Board of Directors; as treasurer on the LINKS Executive Board of Directors; and is the chairperson of the North Kingstown Chamber Charitable Foundation.

The Washington Trust Company is a subsidiary of Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc., a $2.5 billion corporation headquartered in Westerly, Rhode Island. Founded in 1800, Washington Trust is the largest independent bank and the oldest community bank in the nation, headquartered in Rhode Island. A state-chartered bank, Washington Trust offers a full range of financial services, including business banking, personal banking, and wealth management and trust services, through its offices located in Rhode Island, southeastern Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Corporation's common stock trades on The NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol WASH. Web site address: www.washtrust.com.