Bancorp of Baltic CEO Tom Gerber officially announced his retirement at the Board of Directors’ Meeting held on April 10th. Tom’s final day as an employee of Baltic State Bank will be July 19, 2024.
Tom’s banking career began in 1977 while he was attending Mount Union College where he worked at a local Savings & Loan while completing his final two years of college. There he had the opportunity to assist in lending, branch, and back-office operations.
Following his graduation from Mount Union in 1979, Tom accepted a full-time position as a mortgage loan officer. Tom made two additional job changes early in his career and gained additional experience in branch and back-office operations.
By this time his family had relocated back to Baltic, and he was approached by former Baltic State Bank President John Rice. The bank’s current President, Andy Gerber, was retiring and John was looking for a “sidekick” to assist him as he assumed the President’s role. Tom accepted John’s offer and officially started at Baltic State Bank on January 1, 1986. On Tom’s first day of employment, the Bank’s converted to their first computer processing system.
Tom has been employed at the bank ever since, and 2024 marks his 38th year as an employee of the company. Tom reflects that when he graduated from college, his father asked if he’d ever consider working for Baltic State Bank.
His response? “Baltic State Bank is the last place I’d ever work.”
Tom now notes the irony of that statement, because “Baltic State Bank will likely be the last place of my formal career, but that’s not what I meant when I said it.”
As part of his announcement to staff and shareholders, Tom had this to say about his tenure at the bank:
“It has been a pleasure to work for the Bank. I have enjoyed working with great fellow employees. The Board of Directors and Shareholders have continually supported me in all that I have done. My goal as President of the Bank has always been to serve my local community and the bank’s shareholders. I hope that the bank’s record during my tenure here has accomplished that and that the Bank can continue to exist long into the future. Thank you to the Shareholders, Directors, and my fellow employees for the opportunities and blessings you have provided for me and my family over these many years.”
Tom will continue to serve as the Bancorp of Baltic’s CEO and on the Bancorp of Baltic board of directors.
