Pub. 10 2019 Issue 3

www.wvbankers.org 8 West Virginia Banker Meet Your Chairman - How did you become a banker? Did you always aspire to be part of the financial services industry? In high school, I loved math. Algebra, geometry, you name it. In 1971, I enrolled at Parkersburg Community College (now West Virginia University-Parkersburg), with the goal of finding a job someday in the accounting field. During my winter break, I applied for a job at Union Trust Bank in Parkersburg. I loved the business from the first day, and transferred to evening college classes to be able to work during the day. Ten years later, in 1982, I was hired on with First National Bank of St Marys, and in 1997, I was offered a management spot with Pleasants County Bank. Their then-president, Leo Tullis, was looking towards retirement and wanted to hire his replacement. I worked with Leo for two years before he retired, so the tran- sition was very smooth. Do you have family members in the banking industry? I don’t. For example, one daughter is a teacher, one is in the pharmacy program at WVU and my son is an engineer. They all took different career paths. Describe your education back- ground. What did you study? Well, as I mentioned, I really took to accounting. However, once I was on my banking career path, if you will, I took every opportunity offered in taking banking classes within the industry. American Institute of Banking offered classes through the college, the WVBankers sponsored seminars and conferences and attended several schools of banking that offer classes to banking professionals. I felt early on in my career that continu- ous education is important and vital to more than just my own career. I wanted to be a knowledgeable banker not only for my employer but also for the cus- tomers I served. To this day I am a big believer in better- ing yourself and your skill set. Are there any specific individuals who had a major impact on your career? Yes, Leo Tullius. Leo is still on the board of our bank, and he is the one person I can go to anytime for professional advice. He is someone that I admire and F. MICHAEL NELSON, CEO, PLEASANTS COUNTY BANK