William P. “Bill” Hayes has announced that effective June 30, 2023, he will relinquish the title of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kish Bancorp and Kish Bank, while retaining the role of Executive Chairman. Following the effective date of this change, leading the company forward as its CEO and President will be Gregory T. Hayes, who currently serves as President and Chief Operating Officer. This step is part of an established and Board-approved transition plan and is intended to ensure leadership continuity until the Board and Bill Hayes determine his full retirement, the date of which has not yet been established. As Executive Chairman, Hayes will continue to be engaged in a number of critical risk management functions and client acquisition efforts as well as maintaining responsibility for Board leadership and development.
Bill Hayes joined Kish in 1977 and has served as its CEO since 1983, or more than 40 years. During his time at Kish, the Bank has grown from $10 million in assets to $1.4 billion, and from two full-service branches and a mini office focused primarily on serving the Kishacoquillas Valley, to today operating 16 branches and financial centers in five central Pennsylvania counties, an Innovation Center in Reedsville, and a loan production office in Hudson, Ohio serving the Cleveland to Columbus corridor.
Since Hayes joined Kish, the company has grown from 17 to nearly 250 employees while expanding its services from basic banking to a breadth of solutions that includes commercial, retail, and mortgage banking; property and casualty insurance; wealth management and trust services; health care benefits consulting; and travel consulting. In that time period, Kish’s total stock market value has risen from $800,000 to approximately $90 million. The Bank’s earnings have grown from less than $100,000 per year to $12.9 million in 2022.
During his tenure, Hayes has been actively engaged in both industry and community activities. In addition to serving numerous committee leadership roles for the Pennsylvania Bankers Association, Hayes served as its Chair in 2001-2002. Today, he is Chair of the Pennsylvania Bankers Past Chair Forum and sits on the Association’s Banker Advocacy Committee. Hayes has also held several leadership positions for the American Bankers Association, serving as Chair of its Communications Council and as a member of several key committees and boards, and later traveling the U.S. as a media advisor addressing banking issues on behalf of the Association.
In addition to industry engagement, Hayes has been active in numerous community organizations. He is currently a Trustee of Juniata College and chairs the Mount Nittany Health Foundation Board. Past board positions included Chair of Lewistown Hospital, Easter Seals of Central PA, Mifflin County Industrial Development Corp., Chair of PA Friends of 4-H, Mifflin County Youth Park Board, United Way Board, Rotarian, and Chair of Team Mifflin County.
Hayes has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including the Juniata Valley Council Boy Scouts of America’s Joseph V. and Suzanne Paterno Community Impact Award (2022); the Lafayette College George Washington Kidd, Class of 1836, Award for Alumnae Achievement; the PA Bankers Advocate of the Year Award; and recognition by the NYFD for his outstanding support of the 9/11 Victims and Families Relief Fund (2003).
Hayes is a graduate of Lafayette College with Honors in American Civilization and English Literature. He attended post-graduate programs including the Stonier Graduate School of Banking, the Kellogg ABA CEO Graduate Program, and the Bucknell School of Banking.
Bill Hayes and his wife, Connie, will continue to reside in State College and maintain a seasonal home in the Kish Valley. Their daughter, Maggie, resides in Richmond, Virginia with her son, Andy, and her husband, Byron; their son, Greg, resides in State College with his wife, Meghan, and their children, Aidan, Sarah, and Declan.
