Tag Archives: Pickaway County Banking Center

Your Dreams Matter To Us

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At Vinton County National Bank, we have spent over 150 years helping customers reach for their dreams. It’s actually our favorite thing to do.

There’s nothing more fulfilling than helping a young person buy their first home, a family take their dream vacation, or to see eyes light up when a customer realizes their dream home is within reach.

But dreams can be lofty and it’s not always easy for individuals to know where to start. That’s ok because we have experienced, proven lenders who not only know where to start but who can also guide you down the road ahead.

There are few dreams bigger than building a house. Most customers have a floor plan, they have a vision of a big kitchen with a farm sink or a living room with just the right spot for the Christmas tree. Few are experienced with choosing a contractor or the hiccups that come with every home built.

We will guide you through this process because your dreams matter to us.

Ready to build? Now is a great time to start! Visit VCNBConstruction.com to get started.

Barbara Perry Will Retire Friday

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Barbara Perry will end her banking career when she retires on Friday.

Barbara Perry’s mother always told her that it is important to be kind. This simple piece of instruction has made her popular among our Pickaway County customers and someone who will be missed when she retires later this week. “I just always try to be kind to people. You never know what someone is going through so a little kindness and a smile can go a long way,” she explained.

Barbara had a career in the medical field before switching to banking to work as a teller in our Pickaway County market for over fifteen years. While she has spent most of her time in Circleville, Ashville customers will remember her as a teller in that office for a few years as well. “I always thought it would be interesting to work in a bank and it really has been. Some things we do get kind of routine but I really like my customers and having a relationship with so many of them,” she said. “You get to know their children and families and jobs. I’m going to miss seeing so many of them.”

The Circleville native graduated from Circleville High School but now lives at Amanda with Terry, her husband of 44 years. Their son Kyle and daughter-in-law Amy have two sons – Drew and Carson – who Barbara calls her “little grandjoys.” She literally lights up when talking about these youngsters and how she looks forward to seeing them as often as possible.

Family is important to Barbara who came from a family of nine kids and she can’t wait to spend more time with her loved ones. “I always say my sister Cheryl is my best friend. I’m looking forward to spending more time with her and with my family.”

The self-described homebody has a number of hobbies to enjoy and aspirations to look forward to in her retirement. She has a large collection of teapots, enjoys cooking and baking when time allows, and enjoys going to flea markets with her husband.

Some of her retirement plans have been put on hold because of the pandemic but that doesn’t seem to have dampened her excitement. She especially is looking forward to a lighthouse tour with her sister once travel is safer. She also wants to learn salsa dancing and try Tai Chi. “They say it helps your peace  of mind, it centers you. I think I would enjoy that,” she exclaimed.

She also enjoys music and loves to sing. “I like to sing and all of us, my family, sing when we get together,” she said. She has sung at weddings and even used that as her talent when competing in the Miss South Central Ohio pageant. “That was a long time ago,” she laughed. “Good memories!”

But Barbara is looking forward to making wonderful new memories in the years ahead. “I’m ready. My husband has been retired for a while and I’m looking forward to not having a schedule and being able to do my own thing.”

Still, she said that retiring is a little bittersweet. “It’s been a pleasure serving my customers and meeting so many people over the years. It’s amazing all the people you meet in this line of work and I will miss that.”

Of those people, she especially has enjoyed serving elderly customers. “I have always had an affinity for older people and marvel at all they’ve seen in their lives. They remind me of my mother who passed away at 93 and all the experiences she had. People need to pay more attention to them because they have a lot of wisdom to share,” she said. “Of course some people might say that I’m elderly now too,” she laughed.

The bank will celebrate Barbara with a party on Thursday night and her last day of work will end Friday at 2 p.m.

In Their Own Words: Community Banking According To Our Branch Managers

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We are proud to be a community bank. What does it really mean to be a community bank? We asked some of our branch managers to tell us in their own words what community banking means to them and what they like best about being a community banker. Here’s what they had to say!

“One of the things I appreciate about working for a community bank is that we get to know our customers and their unique needs. Growing up on a farm, I understand a farmer’s business and their needs. They don’t have to explain their life and the challenges to me the way they would to someone without that background.”

Katy Hanes

“I like being able to get to know my customers and I think they appreciate the personal touch they get from us. That’s not something that’s encouraged or even possible at big banks so it feels really good to offer it here.”

Matt Hearn

“One thing I really like about VCNB is that they encourage us to get involved in the community, they reward us for volunteering and they want us to know our customers.         I never had that before at my old job.”

Christina Wine

“The thing about working in a bank in a small community is that you get to know almost everyone and they get to know you. It feels good when someone calls and asks for you. It tells you that that you’re doing something right – that you’ve built a relationship with that person and that they trust you to take care of them.”

Charlotte McCarty

“It’s going to sound cheesy but I love helping people, especially the problem solving aspect of what I do. I appreciate that we are taught about why a policy or procedure exists and the bank gives us the tools and leeway to work with our customers.
We’re sometimes able to find ways to help the customer whether it’s helping them get approved for a car loan because their car just blew up or finding ways to help them
stop over drafting an account.”

JJ Wright

“You don’t find that community feel just anywhere but our involvement in the community allows us to be a resource to customers. That extends to employees too. When your staff and coworkers feel like family, you all work together better. You help each other out more and you feel like we’re all in this together.”

Brittany Walters

“I like to problem solve and love when I can figure out a customer’s issues.
That’s rewarding to help and to be a resource for them. Even with seventeen branches, we are still a community bank. We’re still allowed enough leeway to help customers
in a way that you just don’t find at big businesses. I mean, we all know
the Executive Team here. We all know the President.
We all are given the confidence and the freedom to work together.”

Kati Maple

“Do you know how important it is to work for a company that encourages employees to get involved? And it’s not just about opening savings accounts and lending money. It’s about helping out at events and going to the fair to buy livestock. I was a 4-her once and I remember how important it was to have businesses support the livestock sale. That’s where I got the money to open my savings account, from taking hogs to the fair!”

Jeremy Robson

“This is so much more rewarding than corporate banking which is very black and white. In corporate banking, there’s no opportunity to get to know your customers or to help someone who you’ve had to tell they can’t have what they want but that there
may be another solution. It’s like night and day when you go to work for a bank that actually wants to work with customers.”

Matthew Giroux

Here for You Badge

Meet Your Banker: Megan Cline

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Today we continue our “Meet Your Banker” series by talking with Megan Cline. Megan is the Branch Manager of our Pickaway County Banking Center in Commercial Point.

Megan Cline

Megan Cline is the Branch Manager of our Pickaway County Banking Center in Commercial Point.

Ask Megan to describe her job and she immediately hones in on the people – the customers, community and bank employees she interacts with daily.

She started in banking at the age of 18, fresh out of high school and ready for a career. She worked as a teller at another community bank before moving on to a credit union and another corporate bank, gaining supervisory experience along the way. In all, she’s been a teller, a teller supervisor and a personal banker. She actually worked for the Citizens Bank of Ashville at the time this bank joined the VCNB Financial Family in 2014.

Megan has been the Branch Manager at Commercial Point since last fall and says that supervising and helping others in their career is one of the most rewarding parts of her job. “I like a lot of what I do but the biggest part for me is helping people get what they want out of their careers and helping them advance,” she said.

She enjoys spending doing good in the community. “We were really excited because we had just formed a partnership with the Pickaway County Dog Shelter when all this started. We’ll be donating our time at some of their events and donating money to help with things they need. That’s the best part of the job – just being able to help others.”

She also serves on the board for Fishing Has No Boundaries, an organization that provides people with disabilities the opportunity to go fishing and promotes this recreational activity as something accessible to all. She had been looking forward to helping with their spring event and to the bank helping sponsor the event until COVID-19 forced its cancellation. “It’s a great cause and helps all kinds of people with special needs. I just love it.”

The Ashville native is a graduate of Teays Valley Local Schools and has two little boys. “They’re four and eight so I’m busy with them. They’re pretty much my whole life outside of work,” she laughed.

Meet Your Banker: Kati Maple

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Our lobbies are available by appointment only but our bankers are still here to help you! Today we continue our “Meet Your Banker” series by talking with Kati Maple. Kati is the Branch Manager of our Pickaway County Banking Center in Ashville.

Katie Maple

Kati Maple is the Branch Manager of the Pickaway County Banking Center in Ashville.

Ask Kati what she likes best about her job and she immediately starts talking about her customers. The twenty-year banking veteran says that her career has always been centered on helping others and that this is the best part of her job.

Before coming to work for VCNB, she had experience working for another bank, was a stay-at-home mom, and sharpened her customer service skills helping antiques venders through the Scott Antique Company. But she describes coming to work for VCNB as “a little like coming home.”

While she has been in Ashville for the last five years, customers in Bremen and Lancaster will know her as well. She started out as a teller in Bremen before being promoted to Head Teller and then to New Accounts Officer before becoming Branch Manager. From there, she moved to our branch on East Main Street in Lancaster to be Branch Manager for five years.

When the bank acquired branches in Pickaway County, Kati’s experience with VCNB and her attention to customer satisfaction made her a good leader for the Ashville office. “I love to offer good customer service. I like to problem solve and love when I can figure out a customer’s issues. That’s rewarding to help and to be a resource for them,” she said. “Even with seventeen branches, we are still a community bank. We’re still allowed enough leeway to help customers in a way that you just don’t find at big businesses. I mean, we all know the Executive Team here. We all know the President. We all are given the confidence and the freedom to work together.”

Kati has a tightknit family and one built around their faith. Her two grown daughters also work in careers of service to others – Haley is a teacher and Lydia is a nurse. She was also proud to welcome a son-in-law, Bryce, to her family last year. As her family’s middle child, she remains close to both her sisters as well.

Her husband Mike is deceased, but Kati remains close to his family and spends much time with her church family where her father-in-law is the pastor. She teaches Sunday School and helps with Bible School every year.

In Ashville, Kati and the staff are involved in a number of community activities. They help with weekend packs of food and snacks for students at Teays Valley Local Schools. The bank provides the chicken for the community’s free Gazebo Gatherings picnic over Labor Day weekend and the staff helps serve. They also pass out water at the 4th of July celebration fish fry. “It’s important to be out in the community and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said.

Relationships and people are important to Kati and are at the heart of everything she does. “My home family, my church family, my community family and my relationship with God are the most important things in my life,” she explained. “My relationship with the Lord has brought me to this point and I just want to be a blessing to everyone around me.”

 

Meet Your Banker: Jessica Calder

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Today we continue our “Meet Your Banker” series by talking with Jessica Calder. Jessica is the Branch Manager of our Pickaway County Banking Center in Circleville.

Jessica Calder

Jessica Calder is the Branch Manager of the Pickaway County Banking Center in Circleville.

Jessica has worked in banking for over fourteen years. She has tried another line of work and knows that it’s just not for her. “I took a break from banking for a while. During part of that time I worked in another kind of office and hated it,” she explained. “I love what I do now because it gives me a chance to work with people, to get to know them. Our customers come to know us and to trust us when they have a problem or a question and I love being that person they turn to. Customers become friends and many become our family.”

She started her banking career as a teller for one of the corporate banks in Circleville. She went on to be a teller supervisor for two other big banks before finding her way to VCNB where she has been Branch Manager for Circleville’s Pickaway County Banking Center for about two and a half years.

“This place actually cares about the customers, about employees and their families and it shows. It’s possible to have work-life balance here and I’m grateful for that opportunity,” she explained. “Plus they give us the time and the money to give back to our communities!”

Jessica knows a thing or two about giving back to the community. The Circleville High School graduate is the Treasurer for the Pickaway County Chamber of Commerce and she coaches biddy league volleyball every August through October. She has volunteered as the fifth and sixth grade volleyball coach for four seasons. She had fourteen girls last season and, while she says her fall schedule is hectic and tiring, she feels like she’s doing some good. “It’s the greatest thing in the world to coach and to give back,” she exclaimed. “And when they run up to you off season and ask if you’re coming back next year, you know you did something right!”

She and her husband have been together for twelve years and have four children – their son is serving in Afghanistan, one daughter is in college and their other two daughters are in high school.

Select VCNB Branches Adjust Hours

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Some of our branches are temporarily adjusting their hours to maintain safe environments for our employees. While we regret inconveniences caused to our customers, these changes are necessary. See the list below to learn if your local branch has been effected.

Please remember that most of our branch lobbies are offering services through the drive-thru only at this time. We encourage customers to use contactless means of doing business such as Online and Mobile Banking. Deposits can be made via Express Drop and at most VCNB branch ATMs which we are disinfecting regularly. Our Customer Service team is ready for your calls at 1.800.542.5004 and our branch staff will be happy to serve you via the phone and drive-thru. If you require services that cannot be completed outside the branch lobby, please call your local branch to discuss your options.

VCNB_V_CMYKCommercial Point
Monday – Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday Closed

Grove City
Monday – Thursday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday 9 a.m. to 5 pm.
Saturday 8 a.m. to noon

Jackson
This branch continues to practice social distancing as it has no drive-thru at this time.
Monday – Thursday 8:30 a.m to 5 p.m.
Friday 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Closed for lunch from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday
Saturday 8:30 to noon

Richmond Dale
Monday – Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday 8:30 to 6 p.m.
Saturday Closed

Wilkesville
Monday – Tuesday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesday – Closed
Please note that items place in the Express Drop after 4 p.m. on Tuesday will not be processed until Thursday
Thursday – Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday 8:30 to noon

Out With A Bang: Sheila Stickel Will Retire On New Year’s Eve

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Sheila S.JPGWhen Sheila Stickel started with Vinton County National Bank in 1999, the bank had just three locations in McArthur, Wilkesville and Chillicothe. Much bank work was still done manually and online banking hadn’t even been invented.

Since then, the bank has expanded immensely and Sheila has worked in several branches and jobs, helping countless customers in many ways. But no matter her role here, Sheila always has the needs of the customer at heart.

That’s why her customers will be sad to learn that Sheila’s career with the bank will end when she retires on December 31.

A Vinton County native, Sheila worked for Society Bank in Columbus in the seventies and eighties before she went to an ophthalmic distributor where she sold equipment to eye doctors. When her sister, longtime VCNB lender Brenda Fee, called and suggested she apply for the Head Teller position in Chillicothe, Sheila thought it was worth a shot.

Today she is part of the VCNB Products and Services group, a team of five that tests, implements and maintains new products and services. They also assist both personal and business customers as well as bank employees who need help with those products and services.  She is well known to Business Online Banking customers as their go-to person for all answers about that class of products that she just calls “BOB.”

When she’s not helping customers, she’s busy generating several daily reports as well as monthly reports for lenders, New Accounts Offers and Personal Bankers.

Before going to Products and Services in 2012, Sheila worked directly with customers as Teller, Head Teller, New Accounts Officer and Branch Manager in a few different locations including West Fair Lancaster, Canal Winchester, Main Street Chillicothe, Laurelville and Tarlton. Since joining Products and Services, she has also worked in Ashville and Circleville, bringing the total number of branches she has worked in to seven.  She has visited all of the branches except the newest in Jackson. “I’m proud to say that I got to work in so many branches and see so many grow,” she said.

“I’ve seen the construction of some branches and the merging of some. We’ve gone from teller machines to online banking. Probably the most impressed I’ve been was going from the old teller machines to computers,” she smiled, explaining that teller machines were basically just large adding machines.

During the years before computers, everything was done manually. From manually stuffing statement envelopes to bundling up work for the Proof Department to process in another office, everything took longer and was more challenging than we find in the tech friendly bank of today. When the bank introduced online banking they held a contest for naming the product. Her entry “Bank to the Future” didn’t become the name of online banking but was used as the slogan. “I won a day off for the idea and Marketing went to town and used that to promote our Online Banking!”

Much has changed since Sheila won that contest as customers can now do almost all their business and personal banking online. “Today businesses can do almost everything they need with the click of a mouse. It just fascinates me how much control they have over their accounts and activities,” she said.

While she says she will miss the people, Sheila has a lot to look forward to including spending time with her recently retired husband and two grown children. She is especially excited to spend time with her seven year-old grandchild and a new grandbaby expected in June.

She looks forward to traveling some and to simply doing what she wants to do on her own time. “I have enjoyed my job but it’s time to hang up my hat,” she smiled. “Happy trails to me!”

The bank will celebrate Sheila’s retirement with a party on New Year’s Eve. Stop by the Pickaway County Banking Center in Circleville that day to wish Sheila good luck in this exciting new stage of her life!

 

 

 

What We’re Grateful For: VCNB Employees Give Thanks

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Thanksgiving Greeting Card

Every day is a good opportunity to give thanks but we’re especially mindful of how fortunate we are during November and this season of thanks. As a community bank, we know we are lucky to do business in such wonderful towns and communities across southern and central Ohio.

We are thankful for customers, many of whom have been with us for years if not decades. Some hail from families that have done business with VCNB since the 1860s. We are also incredibly thankful for our employees. Some of these folks have spent their entire careers with VCNB and are eyeing retirement while we have many newcomers who are eager to learn the VCNB way.

We asked our employees to tell us what they’re thankful for this year and here are some of the responses we received. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we did!

*  *  *

I’m thankful for the friends I’ve made here at VCNB! I came in and was instantly made welcome by almost everyone! I’ve built a lot of wonderful friendships here and for that, I am forever thankful!

Johnathon Bentley
Personal Banker in McArthur

*  *  *

I am thankful first and foremost for my family! I am also very thankful for all the military men and women that are or have served to keep us safe!! Finally I’m grateful to be living in Perry County around some wonderful neighbors that look out for each other!

Alyssa Holbrook
Personal Banker in Bremen

*  *  *

I am thankful for the past seventeen years of employment with VCNB and the privilege of working with a great group of people.

Beth Bayless
Senior Personal Banker in Canal Winchester

*  *  *

I am thankful for my wonderful family, my great friends and my health and job.

Alice McCloud
Teller in Wilkesville

*  *  *

I’m thankful my wife and I were each able to transition to working in Columbus this past year. This has allowed us to move back to where we grew up and be close to family. It’s been so great to be back around both of our families, especially our niece and nephews.

Josh Palmer
Branch Manager in Pataskala

*  *  *

I am most thankful for my boys who push me every day to be a better person and remind me what is most important in life. I’m thankful for the success and growth we continue to have at VCNB and the great people I get to work with across all lines of the bank. I am also really thankful for the holiday season that, despite all the to-do’s and crowds, gives us time to spend with loved ones, reflect on the past year, and look forward to the next.

Justin Pike
Chief Auditor

*  *  *

Most of all, I am thankful for my four boys – they are the loves of my life. I am also thankful to have an amazing fiancé, beautiful home and a job I love.

Melissa Wietelmann
Assistant Branch Manager in Ashville

*  *  *

Give thanks not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day of your life. Appreciate and never take for granted all that you have.

Erin Hart
Teller in Laurelville

*  *  *

I’m so thankful for the family and friends in my life. They all mean so much to me. So happy to still have Mom here and doing well and that she and I can still travel to see family in Tennessee and Florida.

Paula Goodfellow
Senior Retail Accounts Officer in Chillicothe

 

Bank Where You See Our Logo

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Do you know how to spot a VCNB branch?

We have seventeen locations in eight Ohio counties and they operate under a few different names – Friendly Bremen Banking Center, Canal Banking Center, Hocking Hills Banking Center,  Jackson County Banking Center, Pickaway County Banking Center, Ross County Banking Center and, of course – Vinton County National Bank.

Embracing a community name is our way of embracing our communities!  While they may operate with different names, all of these bank branches are a part of the VCNB Financial Family and all embrace the same values and priorities that have been developed since our first bank opened in McArthur in 1867.

But how do you recognize a VCNB branch? That’s easy. Just look for our logo!

VCNB_V_CMYK

Regardless of which VCNB branch you went to when opening an account, you can bank anywhere you see our logo. Need help finding a VCNB office? Click here!