Southeastern Bank Financial Corporation Hires Marsh Communications For Public and Investor Relations

ATLANTA, August 15, 2005 - Southeastern Bank Financial Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: SBFC), the holding company for Georgia Bank & Trust Company of Augusta, has hired Marsh Communications LLC to develop and execute public and investor communications for the bank.

"Owing to our rapid growth during the past several years, we reached the point where we needed professional communications counsel to help us tell our story and better position our company to launch a new expansion strategy," said R. Daniel Blanton, president and chief executive officer of Southeastern Bank Financial Corporation.

"MarshComm's focus on banking communications was a perfect fit for our needs. Their experience and knowledge of community banking allowed them to immediately help us make a major announcement regarding the strategic direction of our company."

Recently, Southeastern Bank Financial Corporation embarked on a new growth strategy to expand beyond its current geographic market, including plans to open a full-service, federally chartered thrift in Aiken County, S.C., and a new branch location of Georgia Bank & Trust in Athens, Ga.

"In addition to communicating the rationale behind Southeastern Bank Financial Corporation's new growth strategy, we also are introducing the bank to new customers and reassuring long-time customers and shareholders that it is committed to remaining an independent, locally owned and operated bank," said John Marsh , president of Marsh Communications. "We're accomplishing this by showing how the bank's phenomenal success as a banking and community leader in its Augusta market is a blueprint for how the company plans to grow in its new markets."

MarshComm is developing and executing an overall PR and investor relations program to raise Southeastern Bank Financial Corporation's profile, including major press conference announcements, media relations, quarterly earnings releases, mid-year and annual reports to shareholders, strategic communications consulting and executive communications development

About Southeastern Bank Financial Corporation

Southeastern Bank Financial Corporation is the $786 million-asset bank holding company of Georgia Bank & Trust Company of Augusta , the largest locally owned and operated community bank in the Augusta metro market, with eight full-service offices. The company also has mortgage operations in Augusta and Savannah . The bank focuses primarily on real estate, commercial and consumer loans to individuals, small to medium-sized businesses and professionals, and also provides wealth management & trust services. The company's common stock is publicly traded on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol GBFP. For more information, please visit the company's Web site, www.georgiabankandtrust.com.

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