The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, December 7, 1994 3 “Forne y closes 40- year bank career » But afternoon ® haps aren't “on his agenda By JACK HILSHER _ Post Correspondent 4 SS ® ' Banker Glenn Y. Forney of Old * Field Road became an ex-banker on September 30 this year when he retired at the age of 62. He had been chairman, president and ~~. chief executive officer of Mellon + Bank's Northeastern region. E) 7 L .. NEN ER Lek IY EF ERY 2 wasn't a Questioned about that “62,” ..Forney laughs and says, “No, it premature . retirement...more like a pre- WE ~ planned one. It was just some- thing I decided it was time to do.” This successful and constantly busy bank executive has now had a taste of that “feeling of freedom” which retirement has always been said to bring to a new member of the no-job and no-hours life. However he shows no sign of ad- N justing to the attendant slower § pace. " The things which crammed the " Forney spare career time are going to fill his leisure time as well. For ): ‘instance, and he is not giving up I a single one, here are the high i! spots: trustee for three educa- It tional facilities: i} Elizabethtown, Misericordia, and East ! Stroudsburg. He is on many t boards, such as the Wyoming I Valley Health Care System, the y id i ' fi F.M. Kirby Center, Greater Wilkes- 4 Barre Partnership and the Com- \ mittee for Economic Growth, @®: which he chairs. 18 \ |] lL M HY Then there is the American . Bankers Association, the Penn- sylvania Bankers Association and * quite likely some miscellaneous 'e boards and committees which “."have been 1issed, but knowing Mr. Forney he will attend their s+ - meetings anyway! he rie. Ew = WS rR sv er sv ad ATU 7p = Speaking of the Pennsylvania Bankers, a surprising thing hap- pened which he says was the nicest tribute he could ever have imagined. They have a very exclu- sive group of hand-picked direc- tors - there are only 18 nation- wide - and Forney was elected to serve as one of them, an honor not shared with very many bankers. Nowi.totheabove mix, throw in his great passion for the game of golf - weather or not - along with five-hour horseback rides on most Saturdays, through timber yet, and you'll begin to see why there won't be many couch naps for this retiree. After teaching commercial col- 2 . lege courses for several years in £ Ye Le BS 3 w Tha i Wi WW WO WIRY YW, Wig Vi Wh Yk D 73 &) ; $% 1% L. $388 £3. 8 S228 P .@ HE ERTR TH TF," 8 FR o. s + Mt. Joy, in Lancaster County, Forney decided to seek his for- “ tune ina unique industry. Banks. There are more of those than post offices, and people visit them more often. They are inspected by the government more than anything but prime beef, but are almost never rejected by the inspectors. There are over 20,000 banks in the U.S.; only a handful in many other nations People have a lot of confidence in banks. One hour after holding up a bank in Portland, Maine, a woman was arrested trying to deposit her loot in another bank! Atmany Manhattan intersections, three corners if not all four, have banks on them. In Quakertown, population 2,500, there are three banks, each a mere stone’s throw apart. Forney thought he saw a future in banking rather than educa- tion, and he now knows he hit it right on. He calls it, “A steady ‘lifetime’ career.” “Beginners,” he says, “used to learn everything and work in every department, unfortunately not like today when college graduates can go directly into a specialty and never be exposed to anything else. But if you apply yourself, work hard and round out your experiences, you'll eventually reach the top.” “I was one of the lucky ones,” he adds. “I became a bank presi- dent at the ripe young age of 27, just through circumstances. That bank board took a chance on me, and it probably scared them, but itdidn't scare me because by then I knew something about every operation. You need to move around, move around and you'll move up, that's the simple se- crel.” GLENN Y. FORNEY Shirley Forney nee Eby grew up in the same town - Mt. Joy - only at opposite ends. Of course they eventually got together, and two children resulted: Todd, 32, a CPA who also holds a law degree, lives in Washington, D.C. where he manages Price-Waterhouse’s tax department and has one child, Alyssa, 4. daughter Beth, 31, is an artist who studied in London and currently manages the Key- stone Resort in Delon, Colorado. Shirley Forney has some vol- unteer action of her own, reluc- tantly chronicled because, as she modestly said, “This is about “It was a highly satisfactory career. I have absolutely no regrets...just a great 40 years.” Glenn Forney Retired Mellon Bank chairman Glenn, not me.” Nevertheless, here they are: the Salvation Army Board, the Visiting Nurses Asso- ciation board, church committees at Kingston's Church of Christ Uniting, and volunteering at the Back Mountain Library, a chore which isn’t a chore because she enjoys working there so much. Glenn Forney joined United Penn in 1986 before it was called Mellon. Before that it was the Miners National, chartered in 1868. He says the proliferation, and there is no other word for it, of name changes and mergers going on constantly these days is sim- ply the normal outcome of too many financial institutions. “There are over 20,000 in the United States, counting credit unions and S&L's, but in Europe, even a major country might have only six banks. They look at us with amazement and cannot understand why we put up with such duplication.” Forney then said, “If you'd like me to sum this thing up I can. It was a highly satisfactory career. I have absolutely no regrets... justa great 40 years.” From the looks of things, it figures to be an equally great re- tirement. Enjoy it, Mr. Forney! Credit card sounds too good? Watch out. Forney's advice: Keep your account close to home Are you pre-approved? Does that sound familiar? Is your mailbox flooded with credit card solicitations like those be- low? If so, you need some advice before signing anything, and we have it for you from someone who should know...Dallas resident and banker for 40 years, Glenn For- ney. You'll get his advice with no interest, no fee and no annual charge! First, here are the pitches which landed in one Back Mountain mailbox in a two-week period. Then Mr. Forney will tell you of the perils of plastic... ...Bank of New York - 8.75% - “Give me the consumer edge!” ...GTE Associates Bank - 7.75% - “Last chance to get an in- troductory rate!” ...America’'s Card - 8.9% - “Your choice of scenic vista cards: Statue of Liberty, Lighthouse, Snowcapped Mountains, Grand Canyon, Big Sur, Fall Foliage, etc. etc.!” ...Execu-Gold - 9.9% -"Limited Time Offer! Act now!” ...Visa-Gold - 9.9% -"Anyone with credit good enough to earn Visa Gold acceptance can in- stantly see the advantages!” ...Signet Bank - 6.9% - “We make transferring balances easy!” ...Optima True Grace - 7.9% - “It’s true! No other card gives you the savings of a True Grace pe- riod!” ...Nationsbank - 6% - “We be- lieve your excellent credit record has its rewards!” ...Chase Gold Visa - Prime minus 0.35% - “No annual fee, a ‘credit up to $25,000 and great savings!” ...Chem-Rewards - 11.9% - “Lock in this special low rate - plus earn extra Chem-Reward points!” There are more than one billion credit cards in circulation. Card- holders generally have anywhere from five to 10 cards. The average balance on credit cards is $2,800, which is up over $1,000 from 25 years ago. (Recognize yourself yet?) The New York Times predicts this year $700 billion of goods and $325 billion of debt will be signed for on these cards. They say consumers spend more with a credit card than with either cash or checks, and noone knows why. Glenn Forney warns that offers like the ones above are “come- ons” from the most competitive industry in the world. They are designed by experts to get your attention, get you interested, and then sign you up. He says, “The bargain low rates hold up for a brief period and then jump back up to where everyone else is, usually without the card holder noticing a thing. Many of these organizations never had to mar- ket before, and now they are just going crazy.” “This is what you need to do,” Forney explains, “Ask yourself the question, ‘Why should I be doing business with a bank in South Dakota?’ You shouldn't. Let the Dakotans bank there. You pick one close to where you live, one with a name you recognize, one who employs your neighbors. Such a bank will do a lot more for you than one miles away. You'll be a lot better off with a local relationship...financially that is, that's for sure!” by Jack Hilsher Santa and helpers plan visits to Back Mountain Santa's elves and his travel agent have scheduled several appearances in the Back Moun- tain for the jolly old man in red. He'll visit five municipalities, tour each by firetruck and visit with local children at special holiday "parties hosted by fire companies and veterans’ organizations as a Christmas gift to the children. ' “Santa's elves have provided his . Back Mountain itinerary: ' . » December 10: Shavertown Fire Company will hold its annual Christmas party at the fire hall, 1- 4 p.m., with snacks and special kids’ gift stockings. ". «December 17: Lehman Town- ship Fire Company will host breakfast with Santa at the fire hall, 8-11 a.m. The all-you-can- ~ eat breakfast is $5 for adults and $2 for kids, with Santa giving presents to all good children. Dallas Borough: Santa will arrive at the Dallas Fire Hall s The Dallas Post P.O. Box 366 Dallas PA 18612 or drop it off at our office at ~ end your school news % 45 Main Road, Dallas / K-PAT CARPET ELCCIS utnorized plicator $29.95 pb UPHOLSTERY CLEANED SOFA or 2 CHAIRS $29.95 BEGIG * Fully Insured « Guaranteed Work » Residential/Commercial » Dual-Process 825-0146 Lowest Prices in Town - Compare & Save! Office Cleaning Available around 1:30 p.m. for a firetruck tour of the borough, followed by a party at 2 p.m. at the Daddow- Isaacs American Legion Post 672. e December 18: Franklin Town- ship Fire Company will hold its vevieer Foc. BA Plus Super Rates on CD's and Holiday Cash Advance Loans. Coupons Available Inside Mr. Z's Food Mart and Price Chopper Locations. EN PIONEER MERICAN AN annual Christmas party with snacks at 2 p.m. at the fire hall on Orange Road. After a firetruck tour of the township, Santa will arrive at the party to give presents to the kids. Come Celebrate Our #51 During December With Money Saving Offers Inside Mr. Z's Food Mart 225 S. Mountain Boulevard, Mountaintop Rte. 415, Memorial Highway, Dallas Jackson Township Fire Com- pany's annual Christmas party will begin at 1 p.m. at the fire hall on Chase Road. Santa will make a guest appearance at the party after a firetruck tour of the township. e Dallas ¢ Wilkes-Barre ® Kingston Mountaintop i) 2 Locations 717 474-5910 717 675-1429 Existing Office Joins the Celebration East End Centre - Route 309 , Wilkes-Barre ET 9AM to 7PM Saturday......c.....o0h 9AM to 2PM Inside Price Chopper 717 824-6101 SR 9AM to 6PM NLA. One American Helping Another. FETTER 502 West Market Street, Kingston The Ultimate in Personal Banking 717 288-7070 Support... The Dallas High School band Save... on dining, entertainment, travel, services and more Over $5000 savings in each book! Dine-A-Mate books are being sold as a fundraiser to support the Dallas High School band. Your purchase will help the band to grow and attend competitions, while you save every time you use it. 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