Exhibit 99.1

News Release

Release Date:   Monday, April 2, 2007

Release Time:   Immediate

Contact:        Eric E. Stickels, Executive Vice President & CFO

Phone:          (315) 366-3702

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     Oneida Financial Corp. Tops $500 million in Assets with Acquisition of
                             Vernon Bank Corporation

         Oneida, NY, April 2, 2007 - Oneida Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:  ONFC), the
parent company of The Oneida Savings Bank,  announces the  acquisition of Vernon
Bank  Corporation and its subsidiary The National Bank of Vernon,  headquartered
in Vernon, New York, in a transaction valued at over $11.3 million.

         The National Bank of Vernon  operated  three banking  offices in Oneida
County in the towns of Vernon and  Westmoreland,  and in the city of Utica.  The
Vernon  offices have been  re-branded  as Oneida  Savings Bank  facilities.  The
municipal  deposits of The  National  Bank of Vernon  will be  serviced  through
Oneida's limited purpose commercial banking subsidiary.  Municipalities,  school
districts  and other  public  funding  sources  throughout  the market area will
utilize the entire Oneida Savings Bank branch network to service their needs.

         "This merger was an opportunity to enhance technological  capabilities,
expand  product lines and broaden the branch  network in contiguous  markets for
our collective  customer  base." stated  Michael R. Kallet,  President and Chief
Executive  Officer of Oneida  Financial Corp.  "Oneida Savings Bank has a proven
record  of  providing  opportunity  for our  employees,  delivering  exceptional
service to customers and actively  participating in the communities we serve. We
view  this as a  combination  of two  local  institutions  that  share a  common
philosophy,  history and geography." Kallet continued, "Greater access to branch
locations,  expanded  products and  services,  and our  community  banking focus
ensure that a local financial institution will be servicing the needs of Central
New York for generations to come."

         Finpro,  Inc. served as financial  advisor to Oneida  Financial  Corp.;
Danielson Associates,  Inc. served as exclusive financial advisor and provided a
fairness  opinion to Vernon Bank Corporation in connection with the transaction.
Legal counsel for Vernon is Bond,  Schoeneck & King, PLLC and for Oneida is Luse
Gorman Pomerenk and Schick, P.C.

         Oneida  Financial  Corp.  reported total assets at December 31, 2006 of
$442.9 million and shareholders'  equity of $58.4 million.  The Company's wholly
owned subsidiaries  include; The Oneida Savings Bank, a New York State chartered
FDIC insured stock savings bank,  State Bank of  Chittenango,  a state chartered
limited-purpose  commercial bank, Bailey, Haskell & LaLonde Agency, an insurance
and  financial  services  company  and  Benefit  Consulting  Group,  an employee
benefits consulting and retirement plan administration firm. Oneida Savings Bank
was  established in 1866 and operates  twelve  full-service  banking  offices in
Madison, Oneida and Onondaga counties.

         This release may contain certain forward-looking statements,  which are
based on management's current expectations regarding economic,  legislative, and
regulatory  issues that may impact the  Company's  earnings  in future  periods.
Factors  that  could  cause  future  results  to vary  materially  from  current
management  expectations  include,  but are not  limited  to,  general  economic
conditions,  changes in interest rates,  deposit flows, loan demand, real estate
values,  and  competition;   changes  in  accounting  principles,  policies,  or
guidelines;  changes in legislation or  regulation;  and economic,  competitive,
governmental,  regulatory,  and  technological  factors  affecting the Company's
operations, pricing, products, and services.