Dan DeLawder, an icon of community banking leadership in Ohio,
announced today to Park National Corporation (Park) board members
and shareholders his intention to retire on June 30, 2021. He will
retire from his role on Park’s executive leadership teams, and
continue to serve on Park’s board of directors in his role as
director and chairman of the executive and trust committees. In his
50 years with Park National, the organization has grown from $91
million in assets and seven offices in one county to $9.9 billion
in assets and 97 offices in four states.
“One or two lines in a quote are inadequate to the task of
honoring Dan DeLawder’s 50 years of service to this bank, its
associates and its communities. Dan brings energy, enthusiasm,
intelligence and compassion to every task and situation. We, and
countless others, have been enriched and inspired by Dan’s
leadership and empathy,” said Park Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer David Trautman. “He has been a colleague and friend to me
for nearly 38 years. While I will miss his daily wisdom, he has
earned the chance to write his next chapter and spend more time
with Diane and their family.”
DeLawder’s retirement follows Park’s long-standing tradition of
carefully planned, incremental leadership transition. In 2014,
he passed the chief executive officer role to then-President
David Trautman; and five years later he stepped down from chairman
as Matt Miller was appointed president and Trautman became both
chairman and CEO. DeLawder’s predecessors at Park, William
McConnell, John Alford and Everett Reese, followed the same pattern
of succession that has been a hallmark of the organization’s
consistency and culture.
“I never dreamed when I joined Park National Bank that I would
enjoy a 50-year career with the same organization,” DeLawder said.
“It has been a blessing to work at Park National Bank, to follow in
the footsteps of Bill McConnell, John Alford, and Everett Reese,
and to work with driven, motivated colleagues who, like me, believe
there is no place like Park. We are so fortunate to have leadership
in place that would be the envy of any successful organization.
David and Matt are simply the best, and the right people at the
right time to lead us forward.”
Banking Leadership
DeLawder joined the bank’s management training program in 1971
and spent his first seven years in branch management roles at the
Eastland (east Newark) and Southgate (Heath) offices. In 1978, his
work shifted to focus on home loans and commercial lending. He
demonstrated a keen aptitude for lending, and was integral in the
innovation and development of several lending programs and
procedures still relied upon by Park’s lenders today.
In 1985, DeLawder led the bank’s first merger outside Licking
County, moving to Lancaster, Ohio to serve as president of Park’s
Fairfield National Bank affiliate. In addition to growing Fairfield
National Bank’s success, he became a respected leader in the
Fairfield County community, serving as president of the Fairfield
County Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Fairfield County, and
Lancaster Rotary Club.
DeLawder was appointed executive vice president of Park National
Bank in 1992 and returned to Newark to fulfill that role under
then-President and CEO William McConnell. A year later, he was
named president of Park National Bank and joined its board of
directors. In 1994 he was also chosen as president of Park National
Corporation and became a director on its board. In 1999, DeLawder
added the title of CEO for both the bank and corporation (with
McConnell serving as chairman of the board) until 2005 when
DeLawder was named chairman and CEO.
DeLawder was at Park National’s helm throughout several periods
of intense change and growth, including significant merger and
acquisition activity, brand and operational reformation and
unification, and unprecedented regulatory and technological
environment changes.
Respected by banking industry peers, he was elected chair of
Ohio Bankers League, a role each of his predecessors held at one
time. He also followed Alford and McConnell’s footsteps in serving
a six-year term on the board of directors for the Federal Reserve
Bank of Cleveland.
“Dan’s 50-year run epitomizes the ultimate illustration of a
community banker. Well aware of where he came from, ceaselessly
focused on giving back and continually seeking opportunities to
lift others, Dan has made an indelibly positive mark on the Ohio
banking industry,” said Mike Adelman, President and Chief Executive
Officer of Ohio Bankers League. “On behalf of so many improved by
Dan’s leadership as well as friendship, thank you, Dan, for all you
have poured into our great industry. I am forever blessed to have
worked alongside of Dan on meaningful initiatives enhancing our
state and I wish my fellow OU Bobcat great health and happiness in
his well-earned retirement.”
Community Leadership
Various community and non-profit organizations have honored
DeLawder for his exemplary service over the years. His dedication,
experience and leadership have been crucial in the success of many
organizations, from chambers of commerce to community levy
campaigns to fundraising for key initiatives. He also served his
alma mater as a 9-year member of Ohio University's Board of
Trustees, the last two of which he held the position of board
chair.
“Dan DeLawder has defined what it means to be a leader at Park,
in the banking industry, and in the community. His standards are
high, his character is strong, and his style is such that
generations of Park bankers aspire to emulate his work and make him
proud,” Park President Matt Miller said. “We are not just better
bankers thanks to his example and influence, we are better
community members and human beings.”
“His devotion to our customers and our communities is
unmatched,” Miller added. “I’ve seen numerous organizations rely on
his support, and often admired how driven he is to provide help
when he believes there’s an opportunity to make things better for
someone. Whether it was swinging a hammer to build a ramp for one
local family that needed wheelchair access to their home, or
coordinating a complex capital campaign for a local non-profit
organization, Dan leads by example and gives what is needed to make
a difference.”
Currently, DeLawder serves on the boards of the Simon Kenton
Council of Boy Scouts of America, Newark Development Partners,
Newark Campus Development Fund and the Salvation Army. He is a
member of the Newark Rotary Club and First United Methodist Church.
He currently serves as chair for a major community fund raising
project in support of the new John and Mary Alford Center for
Science and Technology located at the Newark Campus for The Ohio
State University and Central Ohio Technical College. And as chair
of Newark Development Partners, Dan is currently raising funds to
renovate the Historic Arcade in downtown Newark.
After retirement from Park, DeLawder will enjoy a more flexible
schedule in which to spend time with his family and concentrate his
community support activity. He and his wife Diane look forward to
travelling, most especially to visit their adult children and young
grandchildren who live outside Ohio.
Headquartered in Newark, Ohio, Park National Corporation (NYSE
American: PRK) has $9.9 billion in total assets (as of March 31,
2021). Park's banking operations are conducted through its
subsidiary The Park National Bank. Other Park subsidiaries are
Scope Leasing, Inc. (d.b.a. Scope Aircraft Finance), Guardian
Financial Services Company (d.b.a. Guardian Finance Company) and SE
Property Holdings, LLC.
Media contact: Bethany Lewis, VP Marketing
& Communication, 740.349.0421,
bethany.lewis@parknationalbank.comPark National Corporation, 50 N.
Third Street, Newark, Ohio 43055
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/61acb65e-9e2b-4339-998f-77efe3a3a5c1
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