BUCYRUS — “Community is our middle name,” is a common phrase around the First Federal Community Bank offices, and the bank’s board recently honored a prior leader at the bank in fitting fashion.
Part of the recent renovations to FFCB included the creation of a community room available for members of the public to use as a meeting space.
This space now will forever be known as the John Kennedy Community Room.
Kennedy served as president and CEO of the bank for 28 years until his retirement in 2003. He was president when the bank changed its name in 2001 from First Federal Savings and Loan to its current name.
Friends and family gathered in the newly dedicated room Jan. 18 to give love and well wishes John and his wife, Joyce.
The theme among every speech made, and conversation had, was the community room was the perfect way to honor John Kennedy, as his career and lifestyle focused on little else.
Kennedy was involved throughout the entire Crawford County community, while also serving as bank president, including the Bucyrus Kiwanis Club, Crawford County Development Board, Crawford County Concert Association, multiple community band and music organizations as well as multiple church and other community groups.
“No better person to dedicate it to than John Kennedy, who’s touched more lives in our community than probably anybody,” FFCB President and CEO Brad Murtiff said. “He’s a confluence between community and business and that’s what we really wanted the room to be, a place for our community to meet.”
Kennedy said being so involved in the community and the bank did take a lot of time from his family, but when he could, he combined both areas of his life.
Joyce Kennedy said they used to host the annual Christmas party at their home until the size of the staff outgrew the space. She also said, when it came down to it, John was always there for his family when they needed him.
Murtiff said he took the idea to the board and received one of the easiest approvals of his career.
FFCB Board Chairman Phil Harris, who was a board member when Kennedy retired, said it was the perfect fit.
“What I learned from John wasn’t just the banking business, but also the people business,” Harris said. “His community service always stretched into his job and his job always blended with the community service. He’s a great friend to many people in the community.”
Harris said Kennedy’s retirement did raise some concern to who would take over after such as staple at the company was gone. Phil Gerber was hired as a vice president and was expected to be Kennedy’s successor. A transition that went smoothly with Kennedy’s help.
Gerber said since he was hired at the company, until he became president in 2003, Kennedy always encouraged his employee’s professional growth. That encouragement, along with his guidance when Gerber was a vice president, led to a seamless transition.
“I learned enough from him to do things the right way,” Gerber said.
Thinking of what John would do was one thought when continuing the expansion of the FFCB physical footprint. Multiple employees said a room created through expansion and renovation was another perfect fit to the dedication.
During Kennedy’s bank presidency, FFCB added to its banking options, including new locations in Marysville, New Washington and the Bucyrus East branch.
Kennedy said all the success he achieved throughout his career came from the support he received from his family, the bank’s board and the employees who worked beside him at the bank.
“Without that support, I wouldn’t have been able to do what I did,” Kennedy said. “It was a great experience.”
The John Kennedy Community Room is free for the public to use and may be reserved by contacting First Federal Community Bank.