Pictured from left to right: Jeff Szyperski, Chairman & CEO, Matthew Newman, Commercial Lender, Pat Lewis, Senior Vice President & HR Director, Amy Mitchem, Human Resources Officer & Assistant Vice President, Donna Highfill, Corporate Education & Development Officer
Chesapeake Bank is proud to introduce the very first graduate of our Management Trainee Program, Matthew Newman!
Matthew graduated from the University of Richmond with a major in Business Administration. His father owns and operates a local dental practice in the Northern Neck and encouraged him to get a business degree because of the many applications. For Matthew, the decision was easy because he was inspired to learn all that he could about the industry.
He’s passionate about personal finance and believes that everyone should make informed decisions. He is quoted with saying “Financial independence allows you the freedom to do what you are most passionate about more often.” He might even be interested in facilitating personal finance classes in the future.
Outside of work, he also has a heart for the outdoors. In fact, just before coming on board at Chesapeake Bank, he completed a 4-month Thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, covering 2185.3 miles. While on his hike he completed the 4-State Challenge, hiking from Virginia to Pennsylvania during the summer of 2014. In addition to that, he is an avid U of R sports fan. He goes to as many games as he can get in every season. GORUCK challenges and pretty much any other activity that involves a team atmosphere and camaraderie are right up his alley.
It is this same reason that he loves working and getting involved in the town where he resides. It allows him the opportunity to get to know the faces and the people in the organizations around him. He loves Westhampton, the Museum District, and the Fan; particularly, how it feels like a small town community within a big city.
Matthew was selected in February 2015 for the Manager Trainee Program at CFS. In addition to completing the course and training requirements, he has been a “Pioneer” in laying the initial groundwork with Senior Management. He completed the program and joined the Commercial Lending team in our Westhampton office on Patterson Avenue. Please stop in and say hello when you are in the neighborhood!
As for the Management Trainee Program, one new candidate will be recruited each spring, intentionally timed with college graduations. Ideal candidates for this position are considering the business field but may not have decided yet which industry. Qualified applicants can be internal or external. They must be a college graduate and a good cultural fit. Look for more details this spring!