Bill Garrett To Retire From Vinton County National Bank Board Of Directors This Year
Bill Garrett says that you don’t change attitudes by telling someone what to think. You change attitudes by listening and doing. That’s the kind of wisdom that Bill has brought to the VCNB Board of Directors since he joined 37 years ago. He will leave behind a legacy of customer advocacy, enthusiasm for the bank’s values, and insight into his community when he retires from the board on December 31.
Both Bill and his wife Ann are well known figures in Vinton County. The pair were the longtime faces of McArthur’s only funeral home, helping people face some of their most difficult days. They have also been tireless volunteers for organizations like Scouts, the Shriner’s, the Chamber of Commerce, the library board and essentially any community organization that needed a helping hand.
In other words, they know and understand the people who live in Vinton County and southern Ohio and the challenges that are unique to this region better than many.
But if you ask Bill about his achievements or about memorable moments from his time with the board, he is slow to take credit and quick to talk about his experience working with others. “I’ve made so many friendships and have appreciated the camaraderie of board members. There was never any tension or arguing because we were all on the same side, we had a common goal to keep the bank moving forward. You never want to stay still. You always want to go forward,” he explained.
It's important to note that VCNB has moved forward a lot during Bill’s tenure. In an environment where community banks are commonly closing or being acquired by bigger banks, the Board of Directors and bank leadership have worked to manage the bank’s growth in a safe and consistent way.
When Bill joined the board, he was a longtime customer in an environment where everything was still done in person and with paper. While never one to chase a trend, Bill said that he is a fan of growing the bank smartly to benefit customers and keep the bank healthy by modern standards and that has required keeping up with changing customer habits.
In his 37 years, Bill has been part of the online banking movement which as ushered in not just banking from a computer but banking from mobile devices anywhere that has an internet connection.
He also has been part of the expansion of the bank from Vinton County into a larger footprint that includes southern Ohio markets like Ross County, Laurelville and Logan as well as those further north like Pickaway County, Grove City, Pataskala and Canal Winchester.
“The bank was a leader in the community here in Vinton County but the question was whether we could succeed in other towns. There are a lot of good things here in Vinton County because of the bank and that involvement in what matters to our citizens has helped,” he explained. “I think it helps that we try to embrace a new community by hiring people they know and by making sure we are involved and taking part in the things that that town cares about the same as we would here in Vinton County.”
In fact, the Board today includes members who represent a variety of communities where the bank does business as well as people with different professions and expertise who can advise on what their communities value most in their bank.
“You don’t win people over or change their attitude about you by telling them you’re great. You show them you’re great by listening, by trying to solve a problem for them, by doing,” Bill explained.
In addition to the geography of bank locations, Bill has seen a number of other changes during his tenure including how the federal government requires banks to operate and how customers wish to do their banking.
“Technology is obviously the biggest change in how people bank. People don’t want to go into the bank like they used to. There was a time when people would come in and stand in line for a certain teller or for their person, the one they trusted and liked. Now a lot of people prefer to take a picture of a check or pull up to an ATM. Technology has changed what customers want from us,” he said. “Of course, the trick is to make sure we have the people here to help you when you do need them.”
Although he is leaving our board, he is proud of the bank’s past and enthusiastic for the future. “I’m proud of our bank and proud to have been a part of all this,” Bill said.
Bill and Ann retired in 2004 and spent some years traveling the world, seeing things they never could when local families needed them at the funeral home. They recently moved to Chillicothe and have one grown daughter who is a librarian for the Stow Munroe Falls Library.
Congratulations and best wishes in your retirement Bill! Your presence here will be missed.