First West Virginia Bancorp, Inc. Announces Appointment of William G. Petroplus to Serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors Following the Resignation of R. Clark Morton

WHEELING, W.Va., Aug. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of First West Virginia Bancorp, Inc. (OTCQX: FWVB) (the "Company") announced today that William G. Petroplus was appointed to serve as the Chairman of the Board of the Company following the resignation of R. Clark Morton. Mr. Morton resigned as Chairman of the Board of the Company and as Chairman of Progressive Bank, N.A. effective August 15, 2016.  Mr. Morton will continue to serve as a director of the Company and as a director of Progressive Bank, N.A.  Mr. Morton is currently serving as a member of the Audit Committee, Nominating Committee and the Corporate Governance/Human Resource Compensation Committee of the Company.  Mr. Morton has served as Chairman of the Company since December 2013.  Mr. Morton has served on the Board of Directors of the Company since 1965. 

Mr. Petroplus presently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of First West Virginia Bancorp, Inc. Mr. Petroplus also serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Progressive Bank, N.A., the Company's wholly-owned banking subsidiary. Mr. Petroplus has served on the Company's Board of Directors since 1998. Mr. Petroplus also serves as a director of Progressive Bank, N.A.

Mr. Petroplus has over 41 years of experience as an attorney. He has been with the law firm, Petroplus & Gaudino, PLLC since 1999. He also is the sole member of GWP Realty, LLC, a real estate investment and rental limited liability company. Mr. Petroplus is a graduate of West Virginia University and the West Virginia University College of Law.

The Board of Directors also appointed Thomas L. Sable to succeed Mr. Morton as Chairman of the Board of Progressive Bank, N.A.  Mr. Sable has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Company since 2005 and serves as the Chairman of the Nominating Committee and as a member of the Audit Committee and Corporate Governance/Human Resource Compensation Committee. Mr. Sable also serves as a director of Progressive Bank, N.A. and has served on the subsidiary bank board since 1987. Mr. Sable also serves as Chairman of the Investment/ALCO Committee of Progressive Bank, N.A.

Mr. Sable is the owner and managing partner of Summit Atlantic Group, LLC. He has held the position of the Auditor/Clerk-Treasurer for the Village of Bellaire, Ohio since 1995 and also currently serves on their Public Records Commission. 

About First West Virginia Bancorp, Inc.

First West Virginia Bancorp, Inc., headquartered in Wheeling, West Virginia, is a $337 million holding company and the parent company of Progressive Bank, N.A.  Progressive Bank, N.A. is a community bank and operates nine full service branches located in Wheeling (3), Wellsburg, Moundsville, New Martinsville, Buckhannon, and Weston, West Virginia and Bellaire, Ohio. The Company's common stock is traded on the OTCQX marketplace under the symbol, "FWVB." Additional investor information can be found on the Company's website at www.progbank.com.

SOURCE First West Virginia Bancorp, Inc.