EUGENE, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Summit Bank (OTC Pink: SBKO) is pleased to announce that Jenny Bennett, a longtime Lane County-based community banker, banking executive and community leader, has been promoted to Market President for the Eugene and Springfield Market. Bennett steps in for Craig Wanichek, who remains President and CEO. Bennett will utilize her depth of banking experience and expansive business network to support the continued growth of Summit Bank’s client base in their headquarter market. Summit Bank is the only bank headquartered in Eugene.
Bennett’s prior executive role at Summit was the Senior Vice President of Marketing and Business Development. While in this role, she grew the bank’s brand in Summit’s Eugene/Springfield, Central Oregon and Portland Metropolitan markets and maintained and grew relationships in businesses in the area. Jenny will continue to serve on the Bank’s Executive Committee. Preceding that, she worked for a former community bank as their Director of Marketing. She is skilled in the areas of strategic planning, leadership, business development, account acquisition and treasury management.
“Jenny is a successful community leader and contributor at Summit,” says Wanichek. “In the six years she’s been with us, she’s made a significant impact on our growth in the market as well as our bottom line. She epitomizes what it means to be a community banker. We look forward to her continued leadership at our company.”
Bennett, who has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Oregon with an emphasis in public relations, is heavily involved in the business community. She serves as a Past President of the Board of Directors of the Relief Nursery and the Shedd Institute of the Arts. She is the current Chair of the annual Relief Nursery Main Event, which raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for the 1000 children and families served by the Relief Nurseries in Eugene and Springfield. She is a 10-year Chair of Marketing for the Oregon Bankers Association. In 2019, she won the OBA’s Presidential Award for her service to the industry. Most recently, she was elected to the American Bankers Association’s Communications Council, advises the ABA on overall communications and whose membership comprise the Editorial Board of the ABA Banking Journal. The Journal was first published in 1908 and provides insights that help banking leaders succeed in the competitive financial services market.
Bennett is currently attending the Pacific Coast Banking School in partnership with the Foster Graduate School of Business at the University of Washington. She is the 2021 recipient of the “Rise Above the Rest” scholarship, which is a multi-year scholarship aimed at promoting advanced education for high-potential employees in the finance industry. She is a member of the Oregon Bankers Association. Bennett is a 2008 recipient of the inaugural class of the 20 Under 40 awards, which honors Lane County’s top young leaders.
“The past 18 months have shown me the power of community banking. I have never been so proud to be a banker as I have been during the past 18 months of this pandemic. My colleagues at Summit and in the industry worked tirelessly to help our clients keep their doors open. As community bankers, we must never lose sight of the importance to give back to the communities we serve. Summit has a strong team and I am excited for the opportunity to work with our colleagues and clients to continue to make Summit the best bank of choice for businesses and their owners,” says Bennett.
Summit Bank, with offices in Eugene/Springfield, Central Oregon and the Portland Metropolitan area, specializes in providing high-level service to professionals and medium-sized businesses and their owners. Summit was recognized in 2020 as the Top Small Business Administration (SBA) Community Bank Lender in the State of Oregon. Summit Bank is quoted on the NASDAQ Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board as SBKO.
