Pub. 8 2017 Issue 3

Fall 2017 9 West Virginia Banker Lewis Glasser PLLC is a proud Associate Member of the West Virginia Bankers Association. 300 Summers Street Suite 700, Charleston, WV 25301 Phone: 304.345.2000 Website: www.lewisglasser.com Ann Starcher and Spencer Elliott have over 40 years of combined experience in assisting commercial lenders throughout West Virginia both in and out of bankruptcy. Ann was in commercial lending for 11 years prior to attending law school, and was a Vice President at Citicorp North America, Inc. We specialize in pre-bankruptcy negotiations, forbearance agreements and other enforcement and collection mechanisms. Upon the filing of a bankruptcy, Lewis Glasser can assist lenders with the protection of cash collateral, securing adequate protection payments, relief from the automatic stay to pursue collateral, as well as navigating the often complex process of reorganization and plan confirmation of commercial debtors. dent of your company and your industry as it will allow your views to have more depth and credibility. Be a lifelong learner and do something to improve yourself every day. What are you looking forward to most as WVBA Chairman: Getting to know the bankers across the state and better understand what opportunities and challenges they face and how the WVBA can be valuable to them. What do you see as your biggest challenge this year: Not so much of a challenge, but an opportunity, would be to increase the participation rate of our member banks with regard to our organization’s activities. Those activities would be fully utilizing the professional services and educational programs we offer and helping to shape our political agenda. Community banks play a vital role in our economy and we need to keep them strong. Having an engaged and passion- ate group of banks all focused on the same message at the same time can make a difference with regard to our collective long-term competitiveness. How long have you been active in the WVBA: I started working at WesBanco almost four years ago and joined the WVBA the summer after I arrived. Something else I would like to accomplish: My goals are pretty simple at this point in my career. Accom- plishments are more about seeing others succeed and being a part of that success than achieving some additional person- al milestone of my own. I like coaching others and building successful teams. I was fortunate to reach the executive levels of banking very early in my career, having now spent more than two decades as a bank president. Sharing my experi- ences and perspectives with others to help them grow and develop is what motivates me. Something about me that would surprise fellow bankers: Attempted to set a world record for the most distance run on a track in 24 hours by a team of 10 runners while a high school senior. We didn’t get the record but the experience was worth the effort. By the end of the 24 hour period we were down to just six of us and I had lost 12 pounds. I have a great deal of admiration for ultra-marathoners as a result. Family/Outside interests: I have been married to my wife Paula for 28 years and have a son Ben (25), daughter Lexi (22), and son Joe (21). I enjoy fly-fishing, running, hiking and spending time with family. What is advice would you give someone entering the banking industry today: Be an early adopter of technology, both personally and professionally, and be an avid reader. These two practices will enable you to stay productive and stay informed. Being a lifelong learner will give you an edge that will make a huge difference over the course of a career. 