Meet & Greet

Art Appreciation

Kentucky banker Bernard Trager was well known in his community for the millions he donated to local institutions like the Jewish Community Center and the University of Louisville's athletic programs. But the Republic Bank founder (his son, Steve Trager, runs the bank now) also steered his giving in ways that reflected his lifelong passion for the arts. In one of his last major gifts, Trager donated $150,000 to construct a courtyard on the university's campus and financed the restoration of a sculpture that was a fixture at the school for 40 years before getting displaced because of a 2008 campus renovation project.

The new plaza was dedicated to Trager last summer, commemorating his philanthropy and in particular his support of the local arts community. Sculptor Ed Hamilton and other local were on hand to salute him.

It was one of the last public appearances for Trager, who died in February. He was 83.

The artwork that Trager helped restore for the campus, "Truth and Justice" by the late Kentucky art legend Barney Bright, now stands before a shallow reflection pool in the new commons area bearing Trager's name.

Prime Promotion

Sandie O'Connor is back in a treasury function role at JPMorgan Chase, and this time it's the biggest treasury function role at the firm. O'Connor, who previously managed the company's hedge fund relationships as the head of Prime Services, was named treasurer of the company last month, focusing her attention on the management of the firm's capital, liquidity and funding, along with its ratings agency relationships. She also joins JPMorgan Chase's executive committee.

Her 24 years with the firm include a stop in the company's Treasury & Securities Services group. Earlier in her career she was treasurer of Morgan Guaranty Trust Co. of New York, during completion of the merger between JPMorgan and Chase Manhattan.

A memo from her new boss, CFO Doug Braunstein, referred to O'Connor as "a role model for many colleagues," citing her role as co-chair of the company's Investment Bank Women's Network.

Fox in the Henhouse?

When Fannie Mae in February hired Anthony "Tuck" Reed and put him in charge of customer strategy, a question arose: why Reed?

The longtime capital markets expert for SunTrust Mortgage and later Wells Fargo Home Mortgage had been a loud voice calling for radical reform of the GSEs. Ideas he backed included the shifting of mortgage guarantee programs from the government to regulated private capital groups.

Does letting Reed into the henhouse portend sweeping changes in Fannie's mission?

Unlikely. But it does show that the historically insular Fannie, which also recently hired former ResCap/GMAC Mortgage executive Adam Glassner to manage small-lender relationships, is seeking experienced players to help widen the breadth of servicers and lenders it works with.

"I would say the real news is that they're bringing in people from the outside," says Mary Lou Christy, a former investor relations chief for Fannie who is now a managing director at the Collingwood Group.

MVB's Wealth MVP

MVB Bank in Fairmont, W.Va., has launched a wealth management division led by Sam Guarascio, a new hire but an old hand at investment advisory work. The West Virginia native has spent three decades in the industry and came to MVB as a consultant. The new Wealth Management Solutions group which will offer investment services through Raymond James.