MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Summit Community Bank, together with the Morgantown Area Partnership (MAP), invited the community to an open house and ribbon-cutting event to celebrate the first anniversary of Summit’s branch.

A few dozen people gathered at Summit’s local branch and the first 100 guests received a “special gift”, according to a press release. Summit’s Market president, Jennifer Kinty, said the company as a whole was “so excited” to have the event after looking forward to it for a year. Initially, the ribbon-cutting ceremony was going to be in 2020, but the branch opened in March, right when the pandemic hit.

  • Summit Community Bank team
  • People talking after ribbon-cutting

“We had to rethink our approach to Morgantown during COVID,” Kinty said. “And as other banks, we had to make some adjustments. But, with those adjustments came the opportunity for us to, actually really, bring to Morgantown our service, beyond expectations. It’s more than just a slogan that we say, it’s something that we do every day.”

During the pandemic, Kinty said, Summit’s Morgantown branch was able to “really perform” and make a difference in the lives of employees, clients and the community.

One year celebration of Summit Bank in Morgantown

The market president said Summit has partnered with local nonprofits since opening its branch doors in March of 2020.

For its existing branch, hard work and dedication to the community, MAP presented Summit with a “Certificate of Recognition” and, officially, welcomed the bank to the Morgantown area.

  • Kinty receiving “Certificate of Recognition” from MAP
  • The “Certificate of Recognition”

With this recognition, community partnerships and more than a year of COVID weathered through, Kinty said it’s time for Summit to look to the future.

“We would really love to just continue to expand our presence here and to provide, you know, that small community banking to Morgantown,” Kinty said. “Actually, we’re a $3 billion bank, so we do have all the resources that the bigger players have, but we have that small community bank feel. And we’re more of a, you know, partner in the community. We are part of the community, our employees live in the community. And I think once we, really, get established here and the doors are, really, open from COVID, I think the Morgantown community is going to benefit from having a bank like Summit.”

Kinty said Summit is appreciative of MAP because it has been “outgoing” and helpful with providing resources and connections within the community.

Summit Community Bank open house

In fact, it was MAP that provided the necessary resources and connections to make the open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony possible, she added.

“Everything from the caterers to like getting invitations, they have been a very wonderful resource to Summit,” Kinty said. “And we do, really, appreciate the partnership that we have with them and the relationship we have with them. And we look forward to, really, expanding that in the future.”

Summit is also sponsoring a promotional giveaway night with the WV Black Bears at Monongalia Ball Park on Tuesday, Aug. 3. The game starts at 6:35 p.m. and is conveniently located right across the road from the Morgantown branch. The bank hopes the community will join them for a fun evening supporting a local team.