Ben Junk Will Retire This Week After 30 Years With VCNB
When Ben Junk retires this week, he will leave behind a legacy that can’t be measured with spreadsheets and calculators. His will be a legacy of people. VCNB’s longtime head of Consumer Lending has a long list of customers and colleagues who say they are in his debt for the many ways he has helped them.
The Frankfort native graduated from Adena High School and then from University of Rio Grande with a degree in finance and marketing. Not long after graduating college and marrying his sweetheart, Petrea, Ben kicked off his banking career as a teller at another bank. He admits he didn’t excel as a teller and ended up working in collections before finding his way to lending and the path that brought him to VCNB.
That experience in collections taught Ben valuable lessons that helped him be a better lender. “In the Collections Department, the people I met always had a problem or an issue. I can tell you that 98 percent of people have a desire to pay. If someone is in collections, it’s usually because there has been a life event. There’s been a job loss or injury, an accident, something they didn’t see coming. They’re embarrassed and they’re scared but the rewarding part is when they allow us to help them solve this part of their problem,” he explained.
As a seasoned lender, he points out that all banks provide the same services. What sets apart a community bank like VCNB from the large corporate banks is the personal touch that comes when customers and bankers know and trust each other. “No matter how subtle, every person’s situation is different. You never know what’s going on at home, with their health, their job, their family. A beacon score, an application, they don’t tell the whole story. That’s why we can’t let a computer spit out a decision and why it’s important that bankers know how to listen to customers,” he explained.
To that end, Ben is known around the bank for always being willing to lend an ear or a helping hand. “The last couple of years I have been working more with newer lenders. I remember how green I was back when I started and I had a couple of good folks to learn from. It’s important to pass that along to others.”
What advice does he have for young bankers?
“Let your customer drive what they want to do. Listen to what they have to say before you start trying to put them in a specific product. Be willing to listen and know that not every conversation is going to be fun. Sometimes you have to have a tough conversation with a customer but it’s often something they need to hear and often something that will bring better results for you and your customer.
How will Ben spend his time? He says his schedule will be full. He and wife Petrea have been married for nearly 45 years, have three grown children, and four young grandsons. Three of those grandsons live locally and spend a lot of time with their grandparents. The couple also help out both of their mothers who live nearby.
Plus, Ben has a lifelong habit of daily running which is a big part of his identity and which he plans to expand on in his free time. He also plans to continue as a township fiscal officer, a job that has kept him busy for 33 years.
“Life doesn’t always give people so much happiness. I am blessed that our kids are all healthy, the grandsons are healthy, Petrea and I are blessed to be healthy. I have always enjoyed coming in here, getting to come to work here. I’ll miss the people I work with every day but I still plan to be around from time to time. I’m so blessed to have this life. I’m ready to go out and enjoy it.”
Congratulations on your retirement Ben! We are happy for you but hope you know you will be missed.