First Keystone in Pennsylvania Taps Retired CEO as Vice Chairman

First Keystone (FKYS) in Berwick, Pa., has convinced its retired chief executive to serve as its vice chairman.

J. Gerald Bazewicz will also serve as the vice chairman of the $820 million-asset First Keystone Community Bank, the company said in a press release Thursday. Bazewicz, who once served as the company's president, retired in 2010, but had remained on the board. He is a former chairman of the Pennsylvania Bankers Association's board.

"During his tenure, [Bazewicz] was instrumental in earning First Keystone Community Bank recognition as a high-performing bank with earnings above peers and consistent overall performance, including excellent capital ratios and asset quality," Matthew Prosseda, the company's president and CEO, said in the release.

First Keystone has 16 branches in eastern Pennsylvania, with plans to open two more, the release said.