Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors;
Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

On June 15, 2009, First Niagara Financial Group, Inc. (the "Company"), the holding company for First Niagara Bank, issued a press release announcing that Gray M. Crosby had been named Chief Administrative Officer and a member of the Company's senior leadership team.

Mr. Crosby is currently the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer for the Buffalo Public School District, and was most recently a venture capital partner and Chief Financial Officer with Seed Capital Partners and a founding shareholder of ClientLogic Corporation, where he was Chief Financial Officer.

A copy of the press release is filed as exhibit 99.1 to this report.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits

(a) Not applicable.

(b) Not applicable.

(c) Not applicable.

(d) Exhibits.

Exhibit No. Description
99.1 Press Release

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