Paul G. Ahern Appointed President and Chief ExecutiveOfficer Of BTI Financial Group.

Business Editors

BAR HARBOR, Maine--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 22, 2000

Sheldon F. Goldthwait, Jr., President of Bar Harbor Bankshares, has announced the appointment of Paul G. Ahern to President and Chief Executive Officer of BTI Financial Group, the newly-formed financial services

Mr. Ahern will be responsible for overall management of the BTI Financial Group, which offers brokerage, trust, and investment services through its three subsidiaries, Dirigo Investments, Inc., Bar Harbor Trust Services, and Block Capital Management.

Mr. Ahern joined Bar Harbor Banking and Trust Company in 1993 as Trust and Investment Officer. His 14 years of experience in the brokerage, investment advisory, and trust industries also includes service with F. L. Putnam-Winslow, an investment advisory firm in Bangor, and with Merrill Lynch. Mr. Ahern has a degree in Economics from the University of Massachusetts and an MBA from the University of Maine with an emphasis in Finance. The focus of Mr. Ahern's professional experience and training is on investment analysis and management services.

Bar Harbor Bankshares is a public company with shares traded on the AMEX under the symbol BHB. Bar Harbor Banking and Trust Company, an independent community bank with ten full-service branches, and BTI Financial Group are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Bar Harbor Bankshares.