WHEELING — Main Street Bank President and CEO James “Jay” VanSickle sees technology as a major factor propelling the financial services industry forward in the same way technology has evolved banking practices over the more than 20 years he has been in the field.

VanSickle is responsible for the bank’s strategic direction, overall management and financial stability. Main Street Bank has 19 branches in West Virginia and Ohio and more than 54,000 customers.

Upon graduating from Miami University in 1992, VanSickle worked for a regional public accounting firm, Crowe Chizek, now known as Crowe. Over his 14 years with Crowe, VanSickle said he worked “100% of the time” with community banks, which he noted was “very helpful” once he took a role inside a bank.

“I was able to identify the best practices from working with over 100 clients during my time with Crowe,” VanSickle said. “It really served me well as I have tried to maximize efficiency and ensure the banks I’ve been with are financially stable, profitable and successful.”

VanSickle entered the banking industry in 2001. Before joining Main Street Bank, VanSickle served in senior management roles with Farmers National Bank of Canfield, Ohio, and National Bankshares Corp. of Orrville, Ohio.

In 2017, VanSickle became president and CEO of Wayne Savings Bank. When Main Street Bank merged with Wayne Savings Bank in 2024, VanSickle became president and CEO of Main Street Bank.

In addition to managing the bank, VanSickle ensures the company serves the community’s needs, builds strong relationships with customers and maintains compliance with laws and regulations.

VanSickle credited the work of current directors Michael Baker and Nick Sparachane, as well as past Main Street Bank leaders Rich Lucas and Bruce Wilson, in ensuring the bank stays connected to the community it serves.

“I talk to my customers all the time, and our directors are talking to customers all the time,” VanSickle noted. “A community bank typically has a few more folks available to discuss different products or a particular situation to a customer than larger banks with a different staffing model. There is a heightened awareness to ensure that we have staff that can fulfill the needs of our customers.”

Over the years, VanSickle has observed technology influencing the development of new banking practices. He identified the “most significant change” within the financial services industry as the need to stay abreast of technological developments.

“For banking in general, if you go back 40 years, people used cash and checks quite often,” VanSickle said. “They’re still in use, but now there’s online banking, which includes online bill pay. As technology continues to evolve and make itself available, we must ensure our customers have access to that technology.”

VanSickle noted that Main Street Bank’s ability to connect with customers has helped the bank roll out new technology in the banking industry. Zelle, a digital payments network similar to Venmo, is a recent product the bank unveiled to customers during the Waynes Savings Bank merger.

VanSickle added that banking is “continually evolving” due to technology. He said Main Street bank leadership and employees attend “quite a few” conferences and seminars on technological developments in the industry each year.

In recent years, VanSickle said implementing artificial intelligence has been a hot topic within the financial services industry. He added that the industry must also “stay vigilant” about the possibility of AI being used by bad actors.

“We are looking at how AI can be implemented, both from an operational perspective of becoming more efficient, but also to help provide better services to customers,” VanSickle said. “Banks using AI to help with efficiency and also serve their customers better is a development we’ll see over the next five to 10 years.”