Harvey retiring after 32 years as bank president
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ELKINS -- After serving as a community banker for the past 45 years, Mountain Valley Bank President and CEO T. Richard "Dick" Harvey has announced that he will be retiring at the end of the year.
Harvey, who has held his current position with Mountain Valley Bank for the past 32 years, said he wanted to pick a time for his retirement when the bank was in excellent shape and a qualified successor was in place.
"The bank is doing very well and we have someone lined up to come in and fill my position," said Harvey. "With everything in order, I just felt that the time was right for me to retire."
During Harvey's stint as President and CEO, Mountain Valley Bank has been awarded a 5-star superior rating by Bauer Financial Inc., denoting the highest level of strength and performance a bank can receive. Also during that span, the bank's total assets have more than tripled, increasing from $61 million to nearly $190 million.
"Mr. Harvey has successfully served as President and CEO of Mountain Valley Bank, and he has been the face of our organization since its inception," said Donald J. Judy, Chairman of the Board of Mountain-Valley Bancshares, Inc. "He has built a strong reputation of honesty and fairness in our community and for our Bank
"Along with our dedicated group of employees, Mr. Harvey's leadership has ensured the growth and success of our organization for over three decades," Judy said. "On behalf of the entire Board of Directors and our employees, I wish to extend to him and his family congratulations on his retirement, as well as our sincere appreciation for his many years of dedicated service and a job well done."
Randolph County native Doug Weese is in place to take over for Harvey as the new president of Mountain Valley Bank.
"Doug worked for us during one point of his career," Harvey said. "He then went to Pittsburgh and worked for the federal government. We are very fortunate to have him come back and be the next president."
Harvey is a 1974 graduate of Elkins High School who went on to earn degrees from Davis & Elkins College in both Accounting and Finance, and Management and Marketing.
While in college Harvey was a four-year letterman for the Senator baseball teams and served as captain his senior year. He was an outstanding starting pitcher and infielder during his college career (1975-1978) and was inducted into the Davis & Elkins College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022.
Harvey's first job after graduating from college was at Citizens National Bank of Elkins, where he spent a total of 13 years working in several different positions, including Vice President of the bank. Harvey was instrumental in bringing the first ATM to Randolph County in the 1980s, and in 1990 earned his designation as a Certified Public Accountant.
The following year, Harvey accepted a job with Mountain-Valley Bancshares Inc. and was named President and CEO of Mountain Valley Bank. At that time he was the youngest bank president in the state of West Virginia.
"It has been the honor of my professional life to be the President of Mountain Valley Bank and to serve the citizens of Randolph, Tucker and surrounding counties throughout my career," said Harvey. "I have been blessed to work with a supportive and encouraging Board of Directors. My wife and I plan to do some traveling, and we are both excited about the opportunity to spend more time with our sons and our grandchildren."
Harvey will remain involved in the oversight of Mountain Valley Bank, serving as the chairman of the board. Mountain Valley will hold a public reception for Harvey in the lobby of the bank on Friday, Dec. 16 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
"The thing I'm going to miss the most is my customers, my management team, and my staff," Harvey said. "I've been blessed to work with some wonderful people through the years and I will miss the interaction with the public and with my staff."
During his long tenure at the bank, Harvey also found the time to be an integral part of the community and raise a family.
He is married to the former Roseann Lambeth, who has worked in the field of special education for the past 38 years. They are the parents of two sons, Jeffrey and wife Deanna of Falls Church, Virginia and Steven of Wilmington, North Carolina. They are the proud grandparents of three grandchildren – Talia, Asher and Garrett. He is the son of Barbara and the late Robin L. Harvey.
Harvey coached Babe Ruth Baseball in Elkins for 28 years. During that span he served as the treasurer of the league, and as a coach guided teams to district and regional titles. He coached the 1991 Babe Ruth team to a West Virginia State Championship. Harvey also served as a Jerry West League Basketball coach for numerous years, and has been a member of the Elkins Parks and Recreation Commission for more than 35 years.
Harvey is also a member of the Rotary Club, West Virginia Public Accountants, Randolph County Technical Center Business Advisory Council, and the First Baptist Church of Elkins. He was selected as the Elkins-Randolph County Chamber of Commerce Businessman of the Year in 2012.