‘Celebrating forward’
Community Bank marking 125 years
Barron McCune, commonly known as 无毛视频淧at,无毛视频� did not stand pat during a quarter-century with Community Bank, mostly as a corporate leader. He helped not only to sustain, but expand this venerable institution无毛视频檚 role in a region he called home.
无毛视频淭here aren无毛视频檛 many local independent banks left, much less ones that are 125 years old,无毛视频� said McCune, who retired as CEO in 2018. 无毛视频淚 think the secret sauce is the bank never forgot its roots. We were regular folk trying to take care of our neighbors and customers. The bank wanted to be trustworthy.
无毛视频淎ll officers, until recently, were home-grown people, and we didn无毛视频檛 make mistakes. We无毛视频檝e managed to survive and help people.无毛视频�
On July 1, Community Bank, the wholly owned subsidiary of CB Financial Services Inc., will celebrate its 125th anniversary. The bank was founded in 1901 in Carmichaels, led by local residents. They helped to raise funds to launch a bank near the banks of the Monongahela.
The bank started modestly during the McKinley administration, with one office. It now has 12 branches, located in Southwestern Pennsylvania and the northern panhandle of West Virginia, and offices in Southpointe and Pittsburgh. The bank provides an abundance of services, including digital banking, mobile deposits, online account opening and treasury management platforms.
Amazingly, it is one of three banks headquartered within 30 miles that have operated for at least a century. The others are Washington Financial Bank (127 years) and First Federal of Greene County (102).
Community Bank has existed essentially half as long as the United States, which is marking 250 years.
无毛视频淥ur Treasury Payments & Services program started running in March and we无毛视频檝e expanded our mortgage division,无毛视频� CEO and President John H. Montgomery said, adding that the company employs about 175. 无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 up a little as we invest in people.无毛视频�
He arrived from Missouri in September 2000, in the midst of the pandemic, with a similar mindset to that of his predecessors 无毛视频� let无毛视频檚 keep on keeping on with clients and communities.
无毛视频淵ou can无毛视频檛 go wrong if your focus is on customers,无毛视频� said Montgomery, who has often expressed a philosophy of 无毛视频渨e want to be Community Bank upper case and lower case无毛视频� 无毛视频� corporate title and mission description.
无毛视频淭he bank is well capitalized with excellent credit and liquidity. We want to use technology to make it easier on customers and employees. We don无毛视频檛 send callers to call centers. We want humans to answer the phone and clients to know their bankers.无毛视频�
Montgomery said 无毛视频渕ortgages are a key element for clients,无毛视频� and the bank plans to expand its mortgage division.
Community Bank distinguished itself in 2025, ending the year with $14.4 million in adjusted net income and strong capital levels.
A century and a quarter is a formidable accomplishment for any business, but Montgomery prefers to strategize for the future more than reflect on the past. 无毛视频淩ather than simply look back, we无毛视频檙e celebrating forward.无毛视频�
无毛视频淚 think our history generally speaks to stewardship. Folks working for the bank take their mission to heart,无毛视频� said Ben Brown, executive vice president of Consumer Banking and Banking Experience.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 not just a bank or a job, but being able to support communities and clients. We talk about strategic planning processes. How do we stay relevant to our stakeholders?无毛视频�
Brown, who grew up outside Atlanta, is well aware of longtime ties Community Bank has forged with communities and clients. 无毛视频淲e still have original ledger books from 1901,无毛视频� he said.
He said he believes similar interactions exist in this region beyond banking. 无毛视频淧eople in southwest Pennsylvania, the Mon Valley and Wheeling tend to form long-term relationships in a lot of other businesses that have been around for a long time. It无毛视频檚 good to see that.无毛视频�
Speaking of ties, Brown coincidentally has one with Pat McCune. He bought the East Washington house in which the former CEO grew up.
无毛视频淲e are the third or fourth owners since the 1880s,无毛视频� Brown said, laughing. He and his wife purchased the residence in 2009 from Washington & Jefferson College.
McCune now resides 1,600-plus miles from his previous residence in Scenery Hill, where he had horses on a 150-acre farm. He, his wife, Ann, and sons Sam and Joe, reside on a 40-acre farm in Sheridan, Wyoming, about 20 miles from Montana.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 very beautiful,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淭he mountains are not far from the house. 无毛视频淚f I look west, all I see are mountains.
无毛视频淭hings are working out. It无毛视频檚 not as taxing as our place was in Western Pennsylvania.无毛视频�
McCune rose to CEO of Community Bank in 2005 and oversaw a merger in 2014 with First Federal Savings Bank of Monessen, headed by longtime friend Pat O无毛视频橞rien, who shared leadership duties. (O无毛视频橞rien, a longtime Washington County resident, declined to be interviewed for this article.)
无毛视频淭hree years later, we purchased a bank out of Wheeling,无毛视频� McCune said.
He retired in June 2018, relinquishing CEO duties to O无毛视频橞rien. They were colleagues for four years.
McCune certainly established himself at Community Bank, as anyone approaching EQT Park can attest. The Barron 无毛视频淧at无毛视频� McCune Jr. Corporate Center sits a home run away from the Wild Things无毛视频� stadium.
McCune is enamored of the company that he served as well.
无毛视频淎dd my congratulations to Communuity Bank for 125 years,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淭here was an opportunity to sell the bank, but it didn无毛视频檛 happen. Not doing so is something special.无毛视频�