Adam C. Barkstrom joins Sterne Agee Birmingham, Ala, (June 18, 2007) Adam C. Barkstrom has joined Sterne Agee in its Richmond, Virginia, office as Senior Vice President and Senior Research Analyst, Sterne, Agee & Leach, Inc. Mr. Barkstrom comes to Sterne Agee from Legg Mason/Stifel Nicolaus & Company, Inc., a global asset management firm in Baltimore, Maryland, where he was Managing Director, Research—Financial Institutions Group. Prior to working for Legg Mason/Stifel Nicolaus & Company, Inc., Mr. Barkstrom was Vice President, Corporate Finance—Financial Institutions Group at Scott & Stringfellow, Inc. From 1990-1997, Mr. Barkstrom was at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia, where he started his career as Capital Markets Specialist/Bank Examiner and later served as Co-director of the Capital Markets Group. Mr. Barkstrom is a Chartered Financial Analyst and is Series 7 and Series 63 registered. He is a graduate of the College of Charleston. Founded in 1901, Sterne Agee is one of the oldest and largest privately-owned brokerage firms in the country. A member of NYSE/NASD/SIPC, Sterne Agee has headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama and offices in 20 states. For more information contact: Leah McKinney Senior Vice President 205.949.3564 lmckinney@sterneagee.com