Chuck Barton, first vice president and senior lender at First Financial, must have listened to Beer, who, along with the late Jack O’Neill, were two of his early mentors in the banking business.
“He was very responsible,” Beer said when asked about Barton’s best qualities. “He was one of those guys you could count on; one of those who always seemed to have the answer for the project.”
After today, and for the first time since 1975, First Financial Bank won’t be able to count of Barton. The 1971 Middletown High School graduate is retiring today, ending a 39-year career that has included several transfers back and forth from the banking centers in Hamilton and Middletown.
When he began after graduating from Ohio State, he remembered during his retirement party Tuesday night — fittingly in the bank — he worked at First National Bank of Hamilton, there were six banking centers, $350 million in assets, and one large computer, about the size of his office.
Today, First Financial Bank has 100 banking centers in three states, $6.5 billion in assets and all of the employees have computers.
“That’s progress,” he said.
When asked why he’s retiring now, at 61, he said there are golf courses to play, fish to catch and do whatever “my wife (Kristi) tells me.”
He smiled, then added: “I have torn emotions, but I’m ready. You know when you’re ready. It’s gonna be a heck of a change.”
For him and the bank.
Lawrence Mulligan Jr., president of the new Butler-Warren market at First Financial Bank and mayor of Middletown, called Barton “a great individual” whose impact was felt in Middletown and throughout Butler County. Barton served on several community organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce, United Way, Rotary and the Middletown Community Foundation.
It was Barton who talked Mulligan into serving on committees in the city, which led him to his politics career. Mulligan said people can either “blame” or “give credit” to Barton, giving on how you feel about the mayor.
Fittingly, it was Mulligan who encouraged Barton to hold a retirement party, though Barton said that wasn’t his style.
Instead, he wanted to “float off into the sunset.”
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