Farmers Bank Announces Executive Succession Plan

CANFIELD, Ohio – Farmers National Bank this week announced leadership transitions within the executive team that will “assure strategic continuity and continued future growth opportunities,” the bank said.

“Farmers National Bank has been on a growth and success trajectory for the past several years,” stated Kevin J. Helmick, president and CEO. “Successfully managing succession is how good organizations maintain high performance. At Farmers, succession planning is a top priority that we conduct on an annual basis.”

Mark L. Graham, currently executive vice president and chief credit officer, will be appointed a special assets analyst effective Aug. 1, and will retire effective Dec. 31.

“Mark Graham has been with Farmers for over 42 years in a number of key leadership roles,” says Helmick. “He is admiringly known as ‘Mr. Farmers’ by the local business community. It is not possible for me to overstate the respect and honor with which he is held both within and outside our bank. I am thrilled that Mark is going to stay onboard with Farmers to help us navigate through his transition to retirement. I envision calling upon him for counsel after his retirement for years to come.”

Mark R. Witmer, currently senior executive vice president, chief banking officer, will be appointed as senior executive vice president, chief credit officer effective Aug. 1.

“Mark brings a full decade of experience with Farmers, and his 30 years in the financial industry include being the CEO of a very highly-regarded community bank. Mark has held the highest lending authority and credit decision-making in his chief banking officer role at Farmers, and also is highly-esteemed by the business and investor communities,” says Helmick.

Another strategic action is the promotion of Timothy Shaffer, currently senior vice president and regional president of the bank. Shaffer will be appointed senior vice president, chief lending officer effective Aug. 1.

“Tim Shaffer’s promotion is well-earned as he has led our East division commercial banking team to record growth and earnings each of the last eight years,” states Helmick. “He brings 36 years of experience in commercial banking to his new role and a reputation of integrity in the local business communities we serve.”

Farmers National Banc Corp., founded in 1887, is a diversified financial services company with $2.9 billion in banking assets.

Wholly-owned subsidiaries are comprised of The Farmers National Bank of Canfield, with 41 banking locations in Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana, Stark, Wayne, Medina, Geauga and Cuyahoga Counties in Ohio and Beaver County in Pennsylvania; Farmers Trust Co., which operates four trust offices and offers services in the same geographic markets and Farmers National Insurance LLC. Total wealth management assets under care at Dec. 31 were $2.5 billion.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.