Jean R. Hale to speak at Lexington NAWBO March meeting

Hale has been with Community Trust for 43 years and has participated in the growth of the Corporation from $1 million in assets to $3.6 billion in assets.  Community Trust Bancorp, Inc. is currently Kentucky’s largest domiciled bank holding company.

Founded in 1903, Community Trust Bank has had only ten presidents including Hale. Hale had the opportunity to learn everything about banking by holding numerous positions at the same time and gained experience through moving up through the ranks within an industry that employed a large number of women, but at that time had very few women in leadership positions.  In 1993, she became the first woman to be named President of the bank and the second woman in the company’s history to be named to its Board of Directors.  In July 1999, Hale was named President and CEO of the holding company, and in 2004 she assumed the additional responsibility of Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Hale has been active in a number of organizations, including serving as Past Director, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Cincinnati Branch; Past Chairman of the Board, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce;  Chairman and Board Member of KCTCS Foundation, Board member Commonwealth Small Business Corporation, Chairman, Big Sandy Community and Technical College, and Morehead State University Foundation, Inc., and currently serves as Chairman of the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority, the Pikeville College Board of Trustees, Kentucky Economic Development Partnership Board, and Commonwealth Seed Capital, LLC, to name a few.

During her ascension through the ranks, Hale has always recognized the importance of being successful in paving a way for future generations of women.