Orvin T. Kimbrough will leave the United Way of Greater St. Louis, where he is president and CEO, to lead Midwest BankCentre (and its holding company, Midwest BankCentre, Inc.) as CEO, effective February 1, 2019. He will remain a member of the bank board, on which he has served since 2015, and stay in his current role with United Way until then.
Kimbrough will become the region’s only African-American bank CEO.
In a release, the bank said his appointment “affirms the transformation begun by Midwest BankCentre in 2011, when it enlarged its vision of service to the community. About the same time, the bank entered into a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice, which expired in mid-2016. The bank committed to open a bank branch in an area of St. Louis populated primarily by African-American citizens; invest in a special financing program to expand loans to St. Louis area neighborhoods with majority African-American residents; allocate funding for consumer financial education and credit repair; and expand marketing.”
“As a direct result, we transformed our culture and perspective in ways that enable us to be an even stronger partner to clients and communities, now and in the future,” Midwest BankCentre CEO and Chairman Jim Watson stated.
Watson will continue in his current role until Kimbrough joins the bank, and then serve full-time as executive chairman of Midwest BankCentre while remaining vice chairman of Midwest BankCentre, Inc. Dale Oberkfell continues as president and chief financial officer of Midwest BankCentre.
“Our geographic reach has extended to include neighborhoods overlooked or shunned by our competitors. We’ve opened full-service branches in Pagedale and at Friendly Temple in the Wells-Goodfellow neighborhood and acquired a location on North Broadway in the near north riverfront area north of downtown St. Louis,” Watson stated.
“Our efforts have spurred economic development and vitality, changed the trajectory of lives for generations by removing barriers and building opportunities, and forged relationships that led us to our new CEO. We are grateful for the inspiration and for the difference it has made in the bank we’ve become for our community.”
Midwest BankCentre was recently selected as a national award recipient by the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) for the 2018 National Community Bank Service Awards. ICBA selected the bank from among more than 100 nominations for its high-impact service and economic empowerment programs that have brought mainstream banking services to more than 1,200 previously unbanked or underbanked families in the St. Louis metro area.
Watson stated that bank employees contributed more than 4,700 volunteer hours in 2017 to help hundreds of immigrants, minorities and economically disadvantaged citizens gain access to financial services, and spur community redevelopment and reinvestment.
Kimbrough, 43, joins Midwest BankCentre after a nearly 20-year career leading entrepreneurial, community-focused nonprofit organizations. As president and CEO since 2013 of United Way of Greater St. Louis, it has advanced from the fifth to the third largest United Way in the country, generating more than $82.5 million annually in private and public funding.
The agency recently announced a $76 million campaign goal for 2018. The 2018 campaign – co-chaired by Mark S. Wrighton, chancellor at Washington University, and Jeff Fox, chairman and CEO of Harbour Group – runs through early November.
“The St. Louis region is at a critical crossroads,” Kimbrough said. “United Way will forever be a part of my life. I am excited to join Midwest BankCentre, which has demonstrated the depth of its commitment to community at every level. I look forward to working with the bank’s outstanding team to fulfill and advance its demonstrated commitment to financial success for all citizens in the region.”
Kimbrough’s entrepreneurial approach has been shaped by his educational background in social work, business and theology. He graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work. He earned his master’s degree in business administration at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Kimbrough also graduated from Aquinas Institute of Theology with a master of arts in theology. He currently serves as adjunct professor in Washington University’s Brown School of Social Work, designing a post-graduate course on teams and leadership.
“We are deeply grateful to Orv for his decade of service and leadership with United Way of Greater St. Louis,” said Rich McClure, board chair. “Orv has made a lasting impact in the St. Louis region during his time with United Way. As CEO, he led the community through five successful campaigns, raising more than $370 million to help others live their best possible lives. In addition, Orv has guided the organization through a strategic transformation in how United Way engages with stakeholders and supports our community. United Way’s board and staff remain focused and committed to the important work of our agencies and partners, and we look forward to continuing a strong relationship with Orv in his new role with Midwest BankCentre.”
McClure said United Way has convened a search committee of the board to conduct a national search for Kimbrough’s successor. The committee expects to have a president and CEO named and in place before Kimbrough’s departure.
“Orv’s lifelong passion for the United Way’s mission, which is helping people live their best possible lives, connects deeply with our community banking focus of helping our community rise together,” Watson stated.
“Through our bank’s volunteer and leadership engagement in United Way, we’ve witnessed Orv’s talent for strategically building relationships and teams through integration, collaboration and alignment. The successful digital transformation he led at United Way parallels the revolution now underway in banking to serve customers in ways that best suit their needs across all platforms.”
