May 29, 2024
During the Ohio Valley Bank Corp. Annual Shareholders Meeting, OVB President and CEO Larry Miller announced the winners of the bank’s prestigious employee award, the OVB Award of Excellence, which is OVB’s highest honor.
The OVB Award of Excellence is presented to Ohio Valley Bank employees who exemplify and are committed to the mission, vision and values of the company. In addition, the award is presented to those who have made a positive impact on the bank, their fellow employees and the community.
This year’s OVB Award of Excellence recipients are Cindy Johnston, Bill Richards, Missy Wooten and Cristobal Encina.
Johnston, who serves as OVB vice president, assistant secretary, began her career at the bank in 1977. During her time with OVB, Johnston has consistently maintained service excellence. She is often praised for remaining calm under pressure while also displaying empathy and compassion.
Richards, OVB assistant cashier, advertising manager, has been part of the OVB team for more than 33 years. He is noted for often working diligently behind the scenes to ensure that OVB is well represented. He is continually praised for his teamwork mentality.
Wooten, OVB assistant vice president, shareholder relations manager and trust officer, began her career with the bank in 1985. During her time at OVB, Wooten has shown to go above and beyond for her customers. For example, Wooten will often visit and aid elderly customers, who have no local family members in the area.
Encina, OVB human resources generalist I, joined the OVB team of community bankers in 2022. During his career at the bank, Encina has shown a passion to help others. He recently worked to help international students at the University of Rio Grande transition to life in southeast Ohio. Encina also guided students on how to do banking basics, such as open a checking account. In his spare time, he coaches a local soccer league.
OVB Award of Excellence winners were nominated by their fellow employees and selected by the bank’s board of directors. During the judging process, nominee names were removed. The board selected this year’s winners based on a scoring system. Each recipient received $500, a commemorative plaque and an extra vacation day.
Ohio Valley Bank, which operates 17 offices and was established in 1872, is a FDIC-insured community bank based in Gallipolis, Ohio, and is a state member bank of the Federal Reserve. Common stock for the bank’s parent company, Ohio Valley Banc Corp., is traded on The NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol OVBC.
