fields and forests and thoroughly enjoy country living. We have two children: our son, Deacon, who is 10 — many in the Association know him because of his convention attendance and cornhole prowess — and our daughter, Elliott, who is 6 and an absolute delight. My family enjoys travel, the beach, camping, board games, youth sports, and Mountaineer football and basketball. Personally, I am an exercise enthusiast. I have completed Spartan races and many charity runs. I also like to read. I just finished “The Boys in the Boat” and highly recommend it. Please tell us about your involvement with the community and charitable organizations. I helped start a local flag football league in late 2020. What began with around 40 kids participating has grown to over 120 kids across multiple divisions. A year in, Amy joined us and started a complimentary youth cheerleading program, which has grown to 85 cheerleaders. Deacon plays club soccer, golf, basketball and baseball, and Elliott does cheer, gymnastics and soccer. I find myself coaching these two most of the time. Youth sports is a passion of mine. I’m active in the Romney Rotary Club and sit on the board of The River House, a nonprofit that promotes the arts and music in our rural communities. Many art and music programs have been defunded in the school system, particularly ours. It is important that children have exposure to the arts. What advice would you give someone considering entering the banking industry? I would start by sharing that there’s more to banking than you see on the surface. Unless you work at a bank, you probably wouldn’t know that. There is so much opportunity to grow in banking/financial services. From insurance and advisory services to accounting and traditional banking services, the possibilities are endless. Banking is a relationship business, whether you are on the front lines or in the back offices, so being able to clearly and compassionately communicate with the public is very important. What do you think will be some of the dominant trends within the banking industry in the next 5-10 years? I think we will see more banks being consolidated as well as more players, like fintechs, nibbling at the edges of what have been traditional core banking services. I have some concerns about smaller banks in rural areas getting left behind in the consolidation, but if the smaller banks are doing what they need to do to stay relevant — maintaining robust in-person banking opportunities and staying up with emerging technologies when appropriate — there is certainly a place for us in the future. What has been the most rewarding part of your career? It is very rewarding when our institution provides advice or direction to a customer who then follows said guidance and becomes more financially solid. A good example of that would be: John and Jane Doe want to buy a house, and they come in with terrible credit, a few judgments and some things they need to clean up. We then educate them on the best ways to clean up their credit. A year later, they come back to the bank, they’re in a better financial position, and we can lend them money for that house. There is no better feeling than helping customers take ownership of their own financial goals. How long have you been active in the WVBankers Association? In August of 2015, I joined the WVBA board and have been serving on numerous committees and in various positions since then. Why is being a member important? Our association serves the smallest to the largest banks and everyone in between. Access to education throughout all areas of the bank is provided by the Association, which is important to keep employees trained and banks compliant. Direct access to other members and opportunities to network comes through membership, which helps create strength and comradery. And ultimately, being a unified voice in the state of West Virginia is very important. What are you looking forward to most during your term as chairman? We have the goal of expanding the Association staff in Charleston. I also want to meet with as many people in bank leadership as possible. That includes not only presidents of banks but potentially their directors and their senior management team. I see so much value in networking. But my primary goal is to become the industry association of preference when it comes to decision-making in the state of West Virginia. When legislators make a decision that affects the West Virginia economy, we would like for them to think, “We need to reach out to the bankers and get their input.” 8 West Virginia Banker
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