SPARTANBURG, S.C., Aug. 5 /EMWNews/ -- Advance America,

Cash Advance Centers, Inc. (NYSE: AEA) announced today that William M.

"Billy" Webster IV has been elected by the Company's Board of Directors as

its Chairman. Mr. Webster succeeds George Dean Johnson, Jr., who has

resigned from the board due to personal reasons and not because of any

disagreement with the Company.



    Mr. Webster, Advance America's co-founder, has served as the Company's

Vice Chairman since August 2005. Previously, he served as the Company's

Chief Executive Officer from July 1997 until August 2005 and was the

Chairman of the board from January 2000 until July 2004.



    Commenting on his election, Mr. Webster stated: "I am honored to

succeed my friend and co-founder George Johnson as Chairman of Advance

America's Board of Directors. Since 1997, George and I have worked together

to execute the Company's strategy of growth and operational excellence. I

look forward to working closely with our current management team to

strengthen our Company's position in the competitive marketplace and create

value for our shareholders. I continue to believe that consumer need for a

payday advance product, offered in a responsible fashion, exists and is

compelling."



    Advance America's President and Chief Executive Officer, Ken Compton,

added: "We are fortunate to have someone with Billy's business and

political experience, knowledge of our industry, and history with our

Company serving again as our Chairman. While Advance America has benefited

greatly from the visionary and strong leadership of George Dean Johnson, we

respect his decision to resign. He and Billy Webster founded a fantastic

company, and together they built a business which has created thousands of

jobs and provided a valuable service to millions of Americans."



    Commenting on his resignation, Mr. Johnson said: "I appreciate the hard

work of all those who have played a role in Advance America's success since

its inception. I have enjoyed my eleven plus years of service on Advance

America's board and have carefully considered my decision to resign.

Advance America is a wonderful company, and as a shareholder I feel

extremely fortunate that the Company is in good hands under the leadership

of our talented management team and wonderful group of directors led by Ken

Compton and Billy Webster."

    About Advance America:



    Founded in 1997, Advance America, Cash Advance Centers, Inc. is the

country's leading provider of payday cash advance services with 2,856

centers and 82 limited licensees in 35 states, the United Kingdom, and

Canada. The Company offers convenient, less-costly credit options to

consumers whose needs are not met by traditional financial institutions.

The Company is a founding member of the Community Financial Services

Association of America (CFSA), whose mission is to promote laws that

provide substantive consumer protections and to encourage responsible

industry practices.



    Forward-Looking Statements and Information:



    Certain statements contained in this release may constitute "forward-

looking statements" within the meaning of federal securities laws. All

statements in this release other than those relating to our historical

information or current condition are forward-looking statements. For

example, any statements regarding our future financial performance, our

business strategy, and expected developments in our industry are

forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the current views and

expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable,

those views and expectations and the related statements are inherently

subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are not

under our control and may not even be predictable. Therefore, actual

results could differ materially from our expectations as of today and any

future results, performance, or achievements expressed directly or

impliedly by the forward-looking statements. For a more detailed discussion

of some of the factors that may cause our actual results to differ from our

current expectations, please refer to the "Risk Factors" section of our

Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007 and

our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2008,

copies of which are available from the Securities and Exchange Commission,

upon request from us, or by going to our website:

http://www.advanceamericacash.com .