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Carissa Rodeheaver
//November 3, 2022
Carissa Rodeheaver
Chairman of the Board, President and CEO
First United Corporation and First United Bank & Trust
The center of Carissa Rodeheaver’s leadership style is leading by example and influencing through actions.
“I believe in modeling, which means living and leading by principles and values,” she said. “Core to my principles and values are trust, respect, resiliency, transparency, flexibility, inclusivity, fun, curiosity, effective communication and knowledge. I believe that it is important to link behaviors to business objectives and for people to understand what is expected and why it is important to the outcome.”
Rodeheaver is open to change and welcomes new ideas and thoughts.
“At my core, I am competitive and like to win or succeed,” she said. “I don’t believe in doing things halfway. You must be all-in and full-force.”
For example, at the beginning of Rodeheaver’s tenure as CEO, the company underwent a broad re-branding of the bank.
“We created a new logo, remodeled all of our physical locations to be more modern and relevant in the changing economic landscape and incorporated technology to help us become more efficient and effective so we could spend more time customizing financial solutions,” she said. “Customization and personal service is what sets our community bank apart from the regional and national banks. We know our customers personally and we design financial solutions that meet their individual needs. This takes more time, expertise and cost, but it is worth it through loyal and long relationships. This approach has led us to strong financial performance compared to peers.”
Rodeheaver volunteers her time with the Garrett College Foundation board, Western Maryland Health Systems Community advisory board and Garrett County Public Schools CTE advisory committee. She also serves as treasurer of the Garrett County Development Corporation.
