Chase Marks 10-Year Anniversary with Year-Long Celebration as Proud Corporate Citizen of Springfield, Missouri

Business Wire, Jan 16, 2008

Chase Hosts Jan. 16, Ceremony to Kick-Off Anniversary with Local Executives and Business Leaders; Will Thank Employees and Make Year-Long Community Service Commitment

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Chase, the consumer division of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM), commences today a celebration of their 10-year anniversary and long-time commitment to the city of Springfield, Missouri. Springfield is home to Chase's largest customer-service call center in the U.S. which also positions Chase as the third-largest private employer in the city. Chase will kick-off a year-long anniversary celebration with a cake-cutting ceremony, Wednesday, Jan. 16, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in the Chase building at 303 E. Republic Rd.

During the celebration, Chase will share an impressive list of accomplishments over the past 10 years, announce the Chase call center "2007 Employee of the Year" and announces its commitment to 10,000 hours of community involvement. Guests include Chase employees and executives as well as Springfield Chamber of Commerce members:

* Jim Anderson, President;

* Kristen Westerman, Manager, Workforce and Business Development;

* Greg Williams, CEcD, Senior Vice President, Economic Development; and

* Ryan Mooney, CEcD, Manager, Business Development

About Chase Springfield

As one of the key employers in the city, Chase values its employees and celebrates their important position in a top financial services company. Servicing consumers in all 50 states, the 1,600 employees of Springfield's call center respond to 1.3 million calls per month and support the Card Services and Retail lines of Chase's business, including one of Chase Card Services' largest credit-card partners, United Airlines.

"Chase is a proud community member of Springfield and is thrilled to celebrate the successes of the past 10 years while looking forward to many more," said Michael C. Replogle, Site Lead at Chase's call center. "Our employees value their role in one of the top global banking firms while also cherishing the city and people of Springfield and contribute much of their personal time to community events and activities to show their support."

Chase as Corporate Citizen

Chase and its employees are invested and committed to the betterment of the Springfield community and have made significant contributions since opening in 1998. Chase is pleased to announce that 2008 philanthropic goals include:

* Commitment to donating 10,000 hours of community service in 2008

* Continuing and increasing a partnership with McGregor Elementary School where Chase employees can mentor a child as a lunch buddy

Contributions during 2007 include:

* Donation of $75,000 in team grants and $60,000 in community grants to Springfield charities and organizations

* Participation in night-long runs to raise money for cancer during the local "Relay for Life" events, where Chase was the largest corporate contributor donating over $25,000 and more than 200 hours to the cause

* Donation of $20,000 in 2006 and 2007 to Habitat for Humanity as well as volunteer hours to build homes, assisting with the mission to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness in Greene County, Missouri

* A $10,000 donation to assist in the refurbishment of the historic Gillioz Theatre

* Donation of an $7,000 grant to the Discovery Center, an interactive hands-on museum aimed to inspire a life-long love of learning and an appreciation for the world

* Chase Leadership Academy partners annually with 30 seniors from a local high school to teach life and career skills as well as financial literacy. Upon completion of the curriculum students qualify for a $500 scholarship with the top performer receiving a $1000 scholarship.

"As a member of the Chamber of Commerce, I've had the honor and privilege of being involved with Chase for many years, from when Chase began to build their facility here to their contribution to our community," said Jim Anderson, President, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. "I am delighted to join Chase in celebrating their 10-year anniversary in Springfield."

About JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $1.5 trillion and operations in more than 50 countries. The company has more than 154 million credit cards issued. Under the Chase and JPMorgan brands, the firm serves millions of consumers and businesses in the United States and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients. Information about the firm is available at www.jpmorganchase.com