General
Press Releases
Community
| 07.25.2023
David M. Thomas, president and CEO of Clear Mountain Bank, has been elected to serve as chairman of the board of directors for the Community Bankers of West Virginia (CBWV), a trade association that represents and promotes community banking across the state. Thomas will assume the chairman position from outgoing chairman Lee Milam of Whitesville State Bank, who has served in that role for two years."I am truly honored and humbled to have this opportunity to lead and represent the exceptional group of community banks across our great state that make CBWV the strong organization that it is today,” said David M. Thomas, CEO and president of Clear Mountain Bank.
He added, “I’m fortunate to be following in the footsteps of our past chair, Lee Milam, who is a strong advocate for the community banking industry and has fostered a spirit of collaboration and camaraderie among our members. I look forward to working with the rest of the CBWV board and team to support our member banks so that they can continue to serve the needs of their communities with the passion and personal touch that only community banks can provide."
Thomas has served on the CBWV board since 2017. He is a graduate of West Virginia University with a degree in accounting, and he received a juris doctor degree from the West Virginia College of Law in 1996. He also currently serves on the board of directors for Milan Puskar Health Right and the Morgantown Area Partnership and is on the advisory council for West Virginia University's John Chambers School of Business and Economics MBA Program. Thomas also serves on the Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
“I am very excited to work with and learn from Dave,” said Ryan Gilkerson, president and CEO of CBWV. “We have had the opportunity to spend time together at several CBWV and ICBA events. I believe we will be able to collaborate and continue to grow our association. We have tremendous leadership on our board. It was a privilege to learn from Lee Milam, our immediate past president. Community Bankers are passionate about what they do, and I am inspired by that,” Gilkerson added.
Established in 1995, the Community Bankers of West Virginia represents the interests of community banks throughout West Virginia, representing 35 community banks in the state. CBWV directors and officers are David Thomas, Clear Mountain Bank; Brad Ritchie, Summit Community Bank; Susan Barber, Community Bank of Parkersburg; Valerie Hurst, Freedom Bank; Matt Stickel, BCT Bank; Lee Milam, Whitesville State Bank; Bill Loving, Pendleton Community Bank; Mark Harrell, CNB Bank; Linda Ashley, Poca Valley Bank; Tim Aiken, Union Bank; Martha Haymaker, Calhoun Banks; Sharon Anderson, Williamstown Bank; Greg Gency, Clay County Bank; and Hoy Ferguson, Davis Trust Company. More information is available at www.wvacb.com.
Clear Mountain Bank is a locally owned and managed community bank that has been serving North Central West Virginia and western Maryland for more than 130 years. The bank offers a full range of financial products and services, including personal and business banking featuring checking, savings, loans, and credit cards; lending solutions for personal, business, and commercial customers; mortgage lending; financial advising services; as well as online and mobile banking solutions. Additional information is available at www.clearmountain.bank.
