Mark McFatridge joins Metropolitan National Bank

Last edited 12:05 p.m., Feb. 9, 2012

Mark McFatridge, the former executive vice president and chief operating officer at Guaranty Bank, yesterday joined Metropolitan National Bank as its interim president, CEO and director.

The appointment follows the sudden November exit of Sterling Huff, who had held the position since March 2010.  John Paul VanDiggelen, president and CEO of the bank's holding company, Springfield-based Marshfield Investment Co., stepped in as Metropolitan's interim president and CEO following Huff's departure. In November, VanDiggelen told Springfield Business Journal he would serve in the interim until the holding company's directors selected a permanent replacement.

McFatridge said Marshfield Investment hasn't made him the permanent successor, but that is likely on the horizon.

"It's not set in stone completely yet, but that's what we're working toward," he said. "When it becomes final, we'll let everybody know."

McFatridge said there was no other reason for leaving Guaranty than to take the job with Metropolitan.

"You only get the opportunity to work with a bank with this kind of history every so often," he said.

Both Huff and Janet Weber, former vice president of private banking and marketing for Metropolitan, ceased employment with the bank in November, though it is unclear why they left their positions, or whether their exits were connected, according to SBJ archives.

McFatridge said it was a personnel issue and declined to comment.

McFatridge noted that he doesn't believe Guaranty has yet filled the vacant COO position. Carlye Wannenmacher, director of marketing for Guaranty, said via e-mail that Guaranty "will seek to fill the vacated COO position in the near future.”[[In-content Ad]]