8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): March 27, 2008

CENTER BANCORP, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

New Jersey	2-81353	52-1273725
(State Or Other	(Commission	(IRS Employer
Jurisdiction Of	File Number)	Identification No.)
Incorporation)

2455 Morris Avenue, Union, New Jersey	07083
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

 

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (800) 862-3683

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

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

As previously disclosed, on February 28, 2008, the Registrant's Board appointed two new members of the Registrant's Board, Elliot I. Kramer and Howard Kent. At a meeting on March 27, 2008, the Registrant's Board appointed Mr. Kramer to its Audit, Executive and Nominating Committees and appointed Mr. Kent to its Executive and Nominating Committees.

On March 27, 2008, the Registrant's Board appointed A. Richard Abrahamian to the positions of Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation, effective immediately. Mr. Abrahamian will also continue to serve as a Senior Vice President and as the Chief Financial Officer of Union Center National Bank, the Registrant's bank subsidiary. Mr. Abrahamian succeeds the former Chief Financial Officer of the Registrant, Anthony C. Weagley, who has assumed the positions of President and Chief Executive Officer of the Registrant and its bank subsidiary.

Mr. Abrahamian, age 48, joined the Registrant in February 2008, serving since that time as a Vice President and the Treasurer of the Registrant and as a Senior Vice President and as the Chief Financial Officer of Union Center National Bank. He served as the Chief Financial Officer and as a Senior Vice President of Synergy Financial Group, Inc. (a bank holding company) from 2005 until February 2008. Prior to his employment at Synergy Financial Group, he was a Senior Vice President of PNC Bank from 2004 to 2005 and a Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of UnitedTrust Bank and Vice President and Controller of its parent company, United National Bancorp, from 1992 until their acquisition by PNC in 2004.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

Exhibit 99.1 Press release, dated March 27, 2008, announcing the appointment of A. Richard Abrahamian.

-2-

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

CENTER BANCORP, INC.
By:	/s/ Anthony C. Weagley
	Name:Anthony C. Weagley
	Title:President & CEO

Dated: April 1, 2008

-3-

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit 99.1 Press release, dated March 27, 2008, announcing the appointment of A. Richard Abrahamian.

-4-

EX-99.1

CENTER BANCORP, INC. ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF A. RICHARD ABRAHAMIAN AS CFO

UNION, NJ -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 3/27/2008 - Center Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: CNBC) (the “Corporation”), parent company to Union Center National Bank of Union, New Jersey, announced today that the Corporation’s Board of Directors approved the appointment of A. Richard Abrahamian as Vice President and Treasurer of the Corporation and Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Union Center National Bank (the “Bank”), the Corporation’s wholly-owned subsidiary.

Mr. Abrahamian joined the Bank in February, 2008 as Senior Vice President of Finance. He was formally Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Synergy Financial Group, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Synergy Bank.

Mr. Abrahamian earned a BS in Accounting and MBA in Finance from Fairleigh Dickinson University and is a graduate of the University of Delaware’s Stonier Graduate School of Banking.

About Center Bancorp

Center Bancorp, Inc. is a Financial Services Holding Company and operates Union Center National Bank, its main subsidiary. Chartered in 1923, Union Center National Bank is one of the oldest National banks headquartered in the state of New Jersey and currently the largest commercial bank headquartered in Union County. Its primary market niche is its commercial banking business. The Bank focuses its lending activities on commercial lending to small and medium sized businesses, real estate developers and high net worth individuals.

The Bank, through its subsidiary, Center Financial Group LLC, provides financial services including brokerage services, insurance and annuities, mutual funds and financial planning. In the fourth quarter of 2007, Center formed a title insurance partnership, Center Title LLC, with Progressive Title Company in Parsippany to provide title services in connection with the closing of real estate transactions.

The Bank currently operates 13 branches in Union and Morris counties. Banking centers are located in Union Township (6 locations), Berkeley Heights, Boonton/Mountain Lakes, Madison, Millburn/Vauxhall, Morristown (1 location), Springfield, and Summit, New Jersey. The Bank also operates remote ATM locations in the Union, Chatham and Madison, New Jersey Transit train stations, Union Hospital and the Boys and Girls Club of Union.

For further information regarding Center Bancorp, Inc., call 1-(800)-862-3683. For information regarding Union Center National Bank, visit our web site at http://www.centerbancorp.com.

Investor Inquiries:

Anthony C. Weagley

President & Chief Executive Officer

(908) 206-2886

Joseph Gangemi

Investor Relations

(908) 206-2886