Our Team

As President & CEO, Jim is responsible for the Bank’s overall management, and its strategic direction, as well as being, one of the Bank’s many faces in the community. Jim is native of Fostoria, Ohio and has more than 35 years of banking experience, including many years as an executive officer at two other Northeast Ohio community banks. Prior to joining GSB, he was President of Young & Associates, Inc.—a prominent community banking consulting firm.

Jim is a graduate of Bowling Green State University and numerous banking trade association schools. He has been an instructor for the American Institute of Banking (AIB). The Community Bankers Association of Illinois, The Indiana Bankers Association, The Michigan Association of Community Bankers and the Ohio Bankers League. He has been a banking convention speaker, and has been a member of Risk Management Associates (formerly known a Robert Morris Associates) the banking industry’s premier risk management trade association for many years. He has authored articles for Banking Trade Association Newsletters, as well as being a contributor numerous times to national banking magazines.

440-564-9441 ext. 112

Dell is responsible for developing competitive loan and deposit services. The bank will continue to actively grow commercial relationships and expand the availability of community banking services. Dell has a 40 year banking history with experience in a number of Northeast Ohio financial institutions. He began at Midwest Bank/Provident Bank. Dell also founded two community banks in Beachwood – Commerce Exchange Bank in 1986 and Ohio Commerce Bank in 2006.

He resides in Chagrin Falls and is married with three daughters.

216-225-1666

Mr. Fitz Gibbon, born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, began his banking career at what was then Continental Illinois National Bank and Trust Company of Chicago in 1979.  In 1984, he moved on to the Bank Administration Institute.  After following his spouse’s academic career to Ohio, his banking career resumed in 1993 with a position at what was then First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Wooster.  That bank went through a charter conversion and became Signal Bank NA before being sold to FirstMerit Corporation.  After that sale, Mr. Fitz Gibbon spend a short time with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency as a Capital Markets Examiner on the large bank team in Cleveland before returning to the industry at Third Federal Savings and Loan Association of Cleveland.

Mr. Fitz Gibbon next served at Wayne Savings Community Bank in Wooster, Ohio from 2005 through 2016.  Founded in 1899 as the Wayne Building and Loan Company, Wayne Savings Community Bank is a state chartered savings and loan association with $450 million in assets, 11 branches, and 113 staff members serving a mainly rural five county area in Northeastern Ohio between Cleveland, Columbus, Akron, Canton and Mansfield.  Starting as Chief Financial Officer, he was also Chief Risk Officer and Chief Operating Officer before being named President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of both the bank and its holding company in late 2014.  A mutual thrift for most of its history, the bank underwent a first step conversion in 1993 and became a fully public company through a second step conversion in 2003.

Mr. Fitz Gibbon joined Geauga Savings Bank as a consultant in January 2017, becoming Interim Controller in February 2017 and Vice President, Chief Risk Officer, Compliance Officer and CRA Officer in April 2017.

Mr. Fitz Gibbon has been an invited participant in numerous regulatory outreach programs, most recently testifying at the EGRPRA Outreach Program at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago on October 19, 2015.  Mr. Fitz Gibbon has also been an active member of the Ohio Bankers League, most recently serving as Chair of the Ohio Bankers Foundation for Financial Literacy during 2016.  Mr. Fitz Gibbon is an active community member, serving on the boards of the Buckeye Council, Boy Scouts of America and the United Way of United Way of Wayne and Holmes Counties.  He also serves on the finance committee of Central American Medical Outreach (CAMO), is assistant treasurer of St. James Episcopal Church and a member of the board of trustees of the Mohican Sailing Club.  He is a past board chair of the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce and a long-time member of the Financial Managers Society.

330-464-0509

As the Lead Credit Officer, Maria’s responsibilities include credit underwriting, maintaining asset quality, and portfolio management. Maria has over 20 years of relevant banking experience having worked for several local financial institutions. She has an extensive background in small business lending, commercial real estate, and C & I lending.

Maria grew up in Northeast Ohio. She earned her undergraduate degree in Business Administration (majoring in Finance and Economics) from Miami University. She later went on to receive a master’s degree in Urban Planning, Design and Development as well as a Masters of Business Administration from Cleveland State University.

Maria resides in Aurora with her husband and two daughters. She is the former Chairman of the City of Aurora Planning Commission. In her free time she enjoys running, swimming, and volunteering with her daughters’ school.

440-564-9441 ext. 165

Eric joined Geauga Savings Bank in May 2016 as Vice President | Loan Documentation and Loan Operations.

Prior to joining Geauga Savings Bank, Eric was the Vice President | Loan Administration with Ohio Commerce Bank. He has held various management and leadership positions in branch banking, bank operations, private banking and commercial banking.

Eric is married and has lived in University Heights for over 20 years.

440-564-9441 ext. 124

As Community Relations Manager, Betty’s responsibilities include contacting various businesses, trade associations, realtors and the like to share products offered by Geauga Savings Bank’s lending and deposit products. In addition, Betty meets with potential residential and commercial loan customers to inform them of Geauga’s lending opportunities that may fit with their needs.

Prior to joining Geauga Saving, Betty spent 5 years as Executive Director of Lake-Geauga Habitat for Humanity and was President/CEO of Maple Leaf Financial/Geauga Savings Bank for 22 years prior. Betty was recently nominated as Vice President of Lake-Geauga Habitat for Humanity and is the Chairman of the City of Chardon Audit Committee.

440-564-9441 ext. 139

As Vice President of Bank Operations, Donna is responsible for loans and deposits, including online banking. She has been with Geauga Savings since January 2002, starting as a Loan Operations Representative, then quickly moving to Loan Supervisor and Deposit Manager. Donna is also Security Officer for the Bank. Donna lives in Newbury, minutes from Geauga Savings.

440-564-9441 ext. 153

Ron joined Geauga Savings Bank in October of 2015 to oversee the residential mortgage loan sales and operation groups.

Prior to joining Geauga Savings, Ron spent 28 years at a local financial institution and work his way up to the position of Chief Lending Officer.

Ron is a graduate of Cleveland State University where he earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in Accounting. Also, he graduated from Baldwin-Wallace College with a Masters in Business Administration with a concentration in Systems Management and Leadership. Additionally, he graduated from the American Bankers Association Commercial Lending School at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. He is the past president of the Mortgage Society of Ohio, and the Olmsted Falls Music Association.

Ron lives in Olmsted Falls with his three children.

440-564-9441 x 142 | 440-476-5583 cell
NMLS #732978

Greg joined Geauga Savings Bank in April 2013 as the Senior Commercial Analyst and Portfolio Manager. In July, 2014 he was promoted to the Lead Lending Officer to oversee commercial loan production.

Prior to joining Geauga Savings Bank, Greg has spent 35 years in various positions at various Northeast Ohio banks with concentration on commercial lending and customer service.

Greg is a 1987 graduate of Youngstown State University where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration. He and his wife make their home in Cortland Ohio.

440-564-9441 ext. 173

A native of northeast Ohio, Karen started her banking career with Geauga Savings Bank in October of 2006. Karen started as a bank teller and from there she moved into various positions including loan coordinator, personal banker, and assistant branch manager. She currently holds the position of Branch Manager. In addition to her responsibilities at Geauga Savings Bank, Karen is a board member and President of The Mortgage Society of Ohio.

440-564-9441 ext. 147
NMLS # 422872

440-564-9441 ext. 220

Tammy has been a Geauga County resident since 1995. She joined Geauga Savings Bank in 2003 as an experienced bank teller. She was later promoted to the Head Teller position at the Newbury Office. In 2012, she joined the Deposit Operations Department to learn the many areas of electronic banking.

Tammy has almost 20 years of banking experience with her main focus on providing excellent customer service and meeting the financial needs of her customers.

She resides in Parkman with her husband Thomas.

440-564-9441 ext. 152

Christina recently joined the Geauga Savings family in 2018. Prior to Geauga Savings, Christina was with another financial institution as a Small Business Banking Specialist. She also has 24 years of customer service. Christina was born in Oklahoma and spent her summers visiting her grandparents and uncles here locally. She moved to Ohio in 1999 after meeting her now husband, Ernie and to attend college. She and Ernie live in Solon with their 3 children.

440-564-9441 ext. 273

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Blaine has over 40 years of technical and leadership experience across the full spectrum of Information Technology.  After retiring from a major telecommunications company Blaine formed an IT Management Consulting company providing IT leadership to small and medium businesses.

Blaine joined Geauga Savings Bank in September 2009 as a consultant filling the role of Information Technology Manager.  In April 2016 Blaine became a Bank employee with the added responsibility of Information Security Officer.

As Information Technology Manager, Blaine is responsible for all aspects of the technology assets employed by the Bank and providing direct leadership to the IT Team.

As Information Security Office, Blaine is responsible and accountable for administration of the Information Security Program which includes directly managing the risk assessment process and overseeing the development of policies, standards and procedures, testing and security reporting processes.

Blaine was born in Texas, grew up in Western Pennsylvania and has lived in Northeast Ohio for the past 30 years.    Blaine and his wife Kimberly have two children and three granddaughters.

440-564-9441  ext. 162