Chris Harover(left) assumed the role of President at The National Bank of Adams County follwoing the retirement of Robert Smith(middle), and Randy Sininger assumed the role of Executive Vice President formerly held by Harover.
By Ryan Applegate
People’s Defender
After 57 years of dedicated service, Robert L. Smith has retired as President of National Bank of Adams County (NBAC). Smith will continue as Chairman of the Board, while Christopher P. Harover, who has been with the bank for 36 years, assumes the role of President. Harover previously served as Executive Vice President/Cashier since 1995.
“It’s just the amount of time that I’ve got to spend with Bob Smith, because he pretty much has run the bank, he and his family forever,” Harover said when asked what prepared him most to be President of NBAC. “I want to take what his vision is and his philosophies and carry that forward, but ensure those same values continue indefinitely.”
Harover, who worked alongside Smith for decades, understands the importance of maintaining the core values that have shaped NBAC’s success. “Since Bob mentioned it to me six months ago, my main concentration really has been, well, how am I going to leave the place? Where am I going?” Harover continued. “So if I retire in 10 years, how am I going to leave the bank to carry forward?”
During Smith’s tenure, NBAC became a community cornerstone, known for its conservative management and commitment to customer service. Harover is focused on continuing this legacy while introducing innovations to prepare the bank for future growth.
“Some of my first ideas were trying to go more into the paperless, and how much that will directly affect the customer,” Harover shared. “It might be just a bunch of background stuff, but being able to access files instead of having to pull them, I can just click and see it. So, I want to try to invest in some technology to keep everybody going in the same direction.”
Harover’s leadership is focused on keeping the bank’s operations running smoothly while implementing technology to improve customer experience. He believes it’s crucial to find the balance between embracing digital tools and maintaining the bank’s personal touch.
“We have an older population as far as a lot of the customers, so how do I stay relevant with younger customers?” Harover asked. “I’ve dealt with grandpa, dad, and their kids, and I’d like to continue being that place where people feel they can come in and visit a friend instead of going into a business. I like to know everybody’s name, and everybody knows us.”
Harover emphasized that the transition to his leadership will be seamless for customers. “There’s not going to be any effect to them with me becoming president,” he said. “It’ll all just be seamless. Randy [Sininger] and I have 66 years of experience between us. We know what Bob expected, and we’ve worked together on the policies and strategies for the last several years.”
Randy W. Sininger, who has been with the bank for 30 years, will take on the role of Executive Vice President/Cashier. Harover and Sininger are committed to ensuring that the bank remains efficient while staying true to the values that have made NBAC successful.
“I’m fortunate to have younger people like Alex Clark and Tanner Ellis working for me,” Harover noted. “They’re in their 20s, so I’m picking their brains to see what services they use and what they would like to see. Even my kids are helping me understand what the younger generation wants from their bank. It’s important to stay relevant to younger customers but still support the loyal, long-term clients.”
While Harover is implementing digital solutions, he stresses that NBAC’s core focus remains on the community. “Nothing’s going to change for our customers,” he said. “We’re still the same community bank. We’re still here to help people, and we’re still focused on delivering a personal experience.”
Harover also shared his commitment to improving internal processes. “I want to make sure we’re all prepared for the future. A big part of that is improving our back-end systems, so we can make better, quicker decisions. For example, if there’s an issue with the drive-thru, I want to be able to click and immediately have the service contract at my fingertips, instead of having to search through files.”
Above all, Harover remains focused on the mission of helping people, something he learned from Smith. “In my very first conversation with Bob, he told me his favorite part of his job was helping people,” Harover said. “And in our last conversation, he reiterated that was his favorite part of the job—helping people. So, I want to keep that. That’s what the bank is here for, to help customers, and I want everybody on the team to take that to heart.”
As Harover steps into his new role, he’s confident that NBAC is well-positioned for the future. With his vision for growth, a focus on technology, and commitment to customer service, Harover aims to continue the legacy of excellence that has defined NBAC for decades.
