Contact:
Gordon G. Andrew             Jeffrey Stundel
Highlander Consulting        Ryan Beck & Co., Inc.
(609) 987-0200                 (973) 549-4064
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
 
JACQUELYN BLUE JOINS RYAN BECK AS DIRECTOR OF BALANCE SHEET STRATEGIES
 
FLORHAM PARK, NJ – March 6, 2006 – Ryan Beck & Co., Inc., the largest full service broker-dealer headquartered in New Jersey, announced the hiring of Jacquelyn K. Blue as Director of Balance Sheet Strategies in the firm’s Financial Institutions Strategies Group.  In this capacity, Ms. Blue will serve as a resource for Ryan Beck’s banking industry clients, providing guidance on balance sheet strategies, hedging, and interest rate risk management and capital management.

Most recently, Ms. Blue served as Director of Bank Strategies for regional brokerage firm, Janney Montgomery Scott in Philadelphia, PA.  Previously, she spent 16 years at Sovereign Bank, where she was Treasurer and Chief Investment Officer.  During her tenure, Ms. Blue assisted in the growth of Sovereign’s assets to more than $40 billion from $500 million, and was instrumental in the completion of more than 20 acquisitions of financial services companies by Sovereign, including its acquisition of over 300 branches resulting from the Fleet/Bank Boston merger, which is considered the banking industry’s largest branch divestiture to date.
 
Jay Suskind, Executive Vice President and Co-Head of Capital Markets, said of Ms. Blue and her role, “Jackie’s experience and expertise are ideally suited to helping us grow our established franchise.  She will serve as a crucial link between Ryan Beck, its financial institutions clients and the firm’s fixed income institutional sales professionals.”
 
Ms. Blue added, “Ryan Beck has an exceptional reputation in the banking sector and a long history of service to the industry.  I look forward to helping to create and facilitate a ‘total relationship’ between Ryan Beck and its clients – and fostering deeper relationships in order to help our clients’ future growth.”
 
Ryan Beck’s Financial Institutions Strategies Group assists financial institutions in managing their net interest margin through “Total Balance Sheet Management.” To accomplish this, the Group services all specialized fixed income needs of banks, on either the asset or liability side of the balance sheet.
   
About Ryan Beck & Co., Inc.
Founded in 1946, Ryan Beck & Co., Inc. provides financial advice and innovative solutions to individuals, institutions and corporate clients through the activities of approximately 1,100 employees in 43 offices located in 15 states.  For individual investors, the firm’s Private Client Group provides a full range of financial services, including investment consulting, retirement plans, insurance and investment advisory services. Institutional clients benefit from the market making, underwriting and distribution activities of the firm’s experienced Capital Markets Group, which encompasses equity and fixed income trading and institutional sales as well as research.  Through its Investment Banking Group, Ryan Beck raises capital and provides financial advisory services to financial institutions, middle market companies and municipalities.

Ryan Beck & Co. is a wholly owned subsidiary of BankAtlantic Bancorp (NYSE: BBX), a diversified financial services holding company.