11 HќќѠіђџȱ юћјђџ юџѐѕ 2014 want communications that are personalized to the individual, and more of an informational exchange than a hard sell.” How did your banking career develop? “I’m a third-generation banker. My great uncle and my father were bankers, working together at the same bank in Sidney, Ohio. My father never changed banks; he stayed with the same bank for almost 50 years. “I have a brother in Ohio who is a banker. At one point I had two brothers, two sisters-in-law, my father and myself all serving as bankers at the same time. “Originally I was going to be an accountant, but between my sophomore and junior years in college, I took a job at First National Bank of Findlay, Ohio, and eventually decided to stay with banking. “My career went well, and I was promoted to executive vice president. Finally I felt ready for the next step, so I applied for a CEO position that I saw posted in the American Banker. ȱ ǰȱ ȱěȱȱǰȱ and my wife Pam and I moved to northern New Jersey. “We were located in the town of ęǰȱȱ ǯȱ ȱ ȱ an area of dense population, with a million people in just our county. Driving around, you never knew when you had left one town and entered another, because the communities had grown together. “There isn’t farmland in that part of New Jersey anymore, yet it is the Garden State, and I do think there was a heightened appreciation of landscaping and gardening. By far, ǰȱ ȱȱĴȱǷ “We were there for six years. Then in the late ’80s/early ’90s, the economy went through a sizable ǯȱ ȱȱȱęǰȱȱȱ members of the board of directors decided to sell. “When the bank sold, I had an opportunity to stay with the acquirer and move to Philadelphia, or take a severance package. Since Pam and I are both from Ohio, we wanted to come back to the Midwest. “I again looked at ads in the American Banker and responded to a couple. We wound up with two options: ȱȱȱ Ĵǰȱȱȱ to a bank in southwest Ohio. ȱȱȱȱȱ Ĵȱ State Bank and this community, so we came here. ȱȱȱȱȱęǯȄ What are some of the banking ěȱ ȱ ȱ Jersey and in the Midwest? “The banking business itself is similar. What I found ěȱ ȱȱȱȱ prices were probably three times higher in New Jersey than here for a comparable home. People tended to wait longer to buy a house, delaying until their late 20s or early 30s, often relying on assistance from parents or grandparents. ȱ ȃ ǰȱȱȱȱĜȱȱ Ĵȱȱȱǯȱ We lived about 20 miles from my work place. The commute could take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes, depending on the day. “Now I live a mile and a half from ǰȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱęȱ minutes. I got part of my life back when we came back to the Midwest.” What is the prognosis for community banking? “I keep hearing the debate about community banks’ having to sell, but I don’t believe for a minute that we can’t compete. We simply have to be realistic as to what the markets want and how they function, and we have to stay abreast of changes. But I am ęȱȱ¢ȱȱcan adapt. “In fact it’s easier today to stay current. The price of technology has come down, giving us access to the same services as larger banks. Our Ĵȱȱěȱȱȱȱ online banking, with all the features our customers want. Mark Fogt and Carla Smith of Garrett State Bank are active with the Garrett Art Museum, located in the former bank headquarters. Smith serves the bank as assistant vice president DQG DGPLQLVWUDWLRQ RIÀFHU Teamwork abounds at Garrett State Bank. Shown are (left to right): .UDLJ .HOKDP LQIRUPDWLRQ VHFXULW\ RIÀFHU 0DUN )RJW DQG %ULDQ 6SUXQJHU executive vice president. &RQWLQXHG RQ SDJH
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