Lunches with his business friends at Tiber Way Grill in Marietta and his daily interaction with clients at Settlers Bank are two of the favorite things Jim Meagle will miss as he steps down from his position as CEO and chairman of Settlers Bank and Third Street Bancshares, Inc. Dec. 31.
And then there are all the delightful to-dos on his retirement list that Meagle looks forward to, like going to his grandchildren's out-of-town athletic games on weekdays, tackling handyman projects around the house and getting in plenty of rounds of golf.
Although Meagle admitted he's not mechanically inclined, "I like working with my hands. (I like to) cut it, pound it or put a nail in it," Meagle laughingly said.
Article Photos
Jim Meagle, CEO and chairman of Settlers Bank, discusses his retirement plans with bank president Donn Schafer Friday.
SHARON BOPP The Marietta Times
The game of golf is one of Meagle's popular pastimes, one he hasn't had time for in recent years.
"I played a lot of golf prior to starting Settlers Bank," Meagle remembered. The golfing prints hanging on his office wall, showcasing golf courses like the Masters' Augusta National Golf Club and Pebble Beach golf links, are testament to that passion.
Personal golf outings took a big business backseat when Meagle helped start Settlers Bank in the late 1990s, a process that took about 18 months.
Fact Box
Jim Meagle
Age: 67.
Residence: Marietta.
Education: 1967 graduate of Wittenberg University, Springfield; 1978 graduate of University of Wisconsin Graduate School of Banking, Madison, Wisc.
Beginning Jan. 1, current Settlers Bank President Jim Meagle will be chairman of Marietta's Settlers Bank and Third Street Bancshares, Inc.
At Settlers Bank since March 1998, Meagle previously worked at The Dime Bank in Marietta.
1999: Named Marietta Area Chamber of Commerce "Business Person of the Year."
Meagle's wife, Kay, is a retired teacher. The couple have three children and four grandchildren.
Interests: Golf, watching grandchildren's sporting events.
"You're starting at zero" and dealing with government bureaucracies, said Meagle.
"Raising $5.5 million (to start Settlers Bank) was much easier than going through the regulatory part," he added. "With the federal government, it just drags on and on and on, and you get very frustrated."
Meagle didn't let that frustration deter him from taking a leadership role at Settlers Bank and driving the bank's continued success.
He'll still be involved in the bank even after the end of the year.
Beginning Jan. 1, Meagle will be chairman of Marietta's Settlers Bank and Third Street Bancshares, Inc.
No longer involved in the bank's day to day operations, Meagle said "If people need me to make a call on a prospective customer and I can help, I'll certainly do it."
Donn Schafer, who will be president and CFO of Settlers Bank moving forward, said he is thankful he has worked closely with Meagle for 10 years.
"If I can emulate his leadership and the example he sets, then everything will be fine," Schafer said.
Meagle said he has no worries about Schafer's future leader role at Settlers Bank.
"I'm very confident that he'll be able to manage it, build it and run it forward," he said.
In his role as a business leader and as a private citizen Meagle has played an active role in the Marietta and Washington County communities. He put much of his focus on education, athletics, health care and business development.
Meagle served on the board of Marietta City Schools when Dora Jean Bumgarner was curriculum supervisor.
"His loyalty to the district and to the community was certainly evident," Bumgarner said. "He was always very cooperative and informative when we worked together on committees."
Meagle's interest in Marietta's school district also extended to its athletic department.
"He's always been an active supporter of our athletic programs and attends football games," said Harry Fleming, Marietta City Schools superintendent.
At Marietta College, Meagle and his wife, Kay, were instrumental in developing the women's basketball foster family program.
"He extends himself beyond the bank," said Debbie Lazorik, associate professor in business and economics at Marietta College. "Jim is a person who touches people's lives. ...He's a special friend, and he's a special friend to the community."
When new staffers come to Marietta College, Lazorik suggests they talk to Meagle.
"I say 'You need to meet Jim if you want to know something about the community, the people in the community and what Marietta is all about,'" she said.
The business community has also benefited from Meagle's involvement.
"Jim's most lasting contribution to the business community was the establishment of Settlers Bank," said Charlotte Keim, executive director of the Marietta Area Chamber of Commerce. "He and a few others saw the need for a community bank that focused on serving the Mid-Ohio Valley...and being a working partner with small businesses in the area."
Keim lauded his efforts to be a working partner among his contemporaries.
"He mentors others in the business community, promotes local businesses and acts as an advocate for business," Keim said.
For his part, Meagle said "I hope that I've given as much back to the community as it's given to me."
"Marietta is a great community. It was a great place for me growing up and for my children growing up," he added.
With balloons, "grassy" green golf-themed cupcakes and a life size stand-up photo of Meagle himself, Settlers Bank celebrated "Jim Meagle Week" at the bank's Third Street location from Dec. 10 to Dec. 14.
Staffers, community members and business people had the opportunity to thank Meagle for his years of service and wish him well in his retirement.
"There was a lot of traffic through here," Schafer said.
