AFP and Wachovia Seek Entries for 2005 Pinnacle Award to Recognize Outstanding Achievements or Innovations in Treasury and Finance

Grand Prize Winner Receives $10,000 Donation for Charity of Choice

BETHESDA, MD – April 28, 2005 – The Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) is now accepting entries for the 2005 AFP Pinnacle Award Program. Sponsored by Wachovia Corporation, this program recognizes outstanding achievements or innovations in treasury and finance.

The awards presented each year since 1996 are intended to honor the best solutions from the world of treasury finance. For the first time, the Pinnacle Award has been expanded to include four timely categories. The entry categories are: 1) Innovation; 2) Treasury as a Strategic Partner; 3) Compliance Solutions; and 4) Risk Management. The categories reflect the expanding roles treasury and finance professionals play within their organizations.

An evaluation committee, consisting of a cross-selection of financial industry experts, will judge all entries. Submissions will be screened to mask any material necessary to ensure a blind and impartial evaluation by the judges. Past recipients have included University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Harley-Davidson Financial Services, Inc., Manheim Auctions, Inc. and Conseco, Inc.

Trophies will be presented to winners in each of the four categories at The AFP 26th Annual Conference in San Antonio, October 9-12, 2005. AFP will provide complimentary conference registration, transportation and lodging to the four winners, and select from those a grand prize winner to receive a $10,000 donation in its name to a charity of its choice.

With AFP’s assistance, winners may develop their entries into articles for the association’s magazine, AFP Exchange, and present their winning solution as a concurrent session at AFP’s San Antonio conference.

The submission deadline is June 17, 2005, and there is no fee to participate. Treasury and finance departments of companies, organizations or government entities – regardless of size, industry or location – may complete an application at a " http://www.AFPonline.org/pinnacle

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The Association for Financial Professionals in Bethesda, Maryland, supports more than 14,000 individual members from a wide range of industries throughout all stages of their careers in various aspects of treasury and financial management. AFP is the preferred resource for financial professionals for continuing education, financial tools and publications, career development, certifications, research, representation to legislators and regulators, and the development of industry standards. For more information, visit http://www.AFPonline.org

Wachovia Corporation, the nation’s fourth largest bank holding company, is a leading provider of financial services to retail, brokerage and corporate customers throughout the East Coast and the nation, and a global services provider through more than 32 international offices. Wachovia is also the nation’s third-largest provider of treasury services, offering a comprehensive suite of integrated payables and receivables solutions, including electronic check conversion, accounts receivable conversion, ACH services, image technology, a nationwide lockbox network and international treasury solutions. In 2003 & 2004, Global Finance ranked Wachovia Connection, our information and access service, as "Best Corporate Online Cash Management Service of North America". For more information, contact Craig Ponsonby at 704-715-8818 or craig.ponsonby@wachovia.com, or visit us at wachovia.com.