COLUMBUS, Ohio - Joseph J. Gasper, president and chief operating officer of Nationwide Financial, will be elected next Monday to the hall of fame of the National Association for Variable Annuities (NAVA), one of the leading trade organizations of the life insurance industry.

Gasper was recognized because of his long-time commitment to the industry and Nationwide Financial's pioneering work in the field of retirement planning.

"Joe is a leader in our industry," said Mark J. Mackey, President and CEO

of NAVA.  "He has been instrumental in the advancement and growth of our

association's efforts to further the development and understanding of fixed

and variable products.  He has accomplished that in many ways, including

his valuable contributions as both chairman and board member of NAVA.  As a

recipient of this award, he is being recognized as a pioneer by his peers."

 "I am honored to receive this award, and as I do so, I recognize and applaud the efforts of thousands of Nationwide employees who have contributed to the company's leadership in the variable annuity business."

Nationwide Financial, which began developing tax-deferred life insurance products in 1974 with a staff of 12 employees, was the innovator of the multiple-manager variable annuity, a product line that remains popular today because it gives investors access to investment options from a variety of fund houses, such as Fidelity, Dreyfus, and Oppenheimer, but within one product.  That trend began in 1982 with the introduction of Nationwide's The BEST of AMERICA^SM product line.

Since Gasper's election as president in 1997 through year-end 2001, Nationwide Financial's variable annuity assets have tripled from $12 billion to $36 billion, and annual sales have nearly doubled from $3.2 billion to $6 billion.

In 1997, Nationwide Financial shook up the annuity industry with the introduction of The BEST of AMERICA America's FUTURE Annuity, a product that quickly became one of the ten best-selling variable annuities on the market.

Nationwide Financial's assets under management at year-end were $113 billion, with revenues of more than $3 billion, and more than 4 million customers served by nearly 5,000 employees.

Nationwide Financial Services, Inc. is the holding company for the retirement savings and income operations of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.  Nationwide Financial is a leading provider of annuities, life insurance, retirement plans, mutual funds, and other financial services to individuals and institutional clients. The major operating subsidiary of NFS is Nationwide Life Insurance Company, the country's seventh-largest life insurer[i].

Nationwide Mutual is a leading provider of diversified insurance and financial services. The parent company is ranked No. 136 on the Fortune 500 based on revenue. For more information about Nationwide Financial, visit www.nationwidefinancial.com.

[i] A.M. Best based on 12/31/01 assets