Local leadership, residents and valued customers all came to ESB Financial Wednesday afternoon to bid longtime CEO and President Jim Wayman a fond farewell as he enters retirement.
Wayman began his career in the family business back in 1969 at the age of 14 eventually rising to his current role and says looking back on his career he is very proud of where the business has come since its inception in the late 1800s. Wayman believes the bank’s success is rooted in one key value, a commitment to building strong personal relationships with their clients.
Wayman says he has several plans for retirement including spending more time on his bike and enjoying the great outdoors, however, he does not plan to be too far removed from the bank as he will continue to serve as the ESB Financial Board of Directors Chairman. Taking Wayman’s place as President and CEO is Michael Black a longtime employee of the Emporia institution.
Black says his succession to Wayman has been in the works since he began with the bank a decade ago.
Wayman’s retirement was preceded by the retirement of his sister Karen Sommers as the bank’s Vice-President of Marketing last October. Since her retirement, Sommers has maintained her seat on the ESB Board of Directors and plans to continue doing so for the foreseeable future.
Wayman says the bank will still be family-owned with the Wayman family planning to remain highly active in the local area.
