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Board of Directors
William J. Small Chairman
Mr. Small first became affiliated with the thrift business in 1978 when he joined First Federal Bank as an assistant branch manager. He was promoted to company vice president and transferred to the main office in 1979. He served in this position until 1987 when he assumed the role of president and chief executive officer of the Hicksville Building, Loan and Savings Company. In 1994, he returned to First Federal Bank as senior vice president. He was appointed president and chief operating officer in 1996 and chairman and chief executive officer, First Federal Bank and president, chairman and chief executive officer of First Defiance Financial Corp. in January, 1999. Prior to 1978, Bill was affiliated with the Napoleon Products Company of Napoleon, Ohio and Siena Heights College of Adrian, Michigan.
Mr. Small served on the Federal Reserve Board's Thrift Advisory Committee from 2002 through 2004, serving as its chairman in 2004. He is on the Board of the America Bankers Association, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati and is past chairman of The Ohio League of Financial Institutions and Ohio Bankers League. An active citizen in his community, he is president of the Defiance Area Foundation, past president and board member of the Defiance Area Chamber of Commerce, the Defiance City Schools Foundation and the Defiance Area YMCA. He is a trustee of The Defiance College, and is a member of the Defiance Rotary Club, Kettenring Country Club and St. Paul’s United Methodist Church.
Currently residing in Defiance, Bill attended the University of Notre Dame and graduated with his bachelor’s degree in sociology and business administration from Siena Heights College in Adrian, Michigan in 1973. He and his wife, Kathy, are the parents of three children.
Stephen L. Boomer Vice Chairman
Mr. Boomer is President and Chief Executive Officer of Arps Dairy, Inc., a processor and distributor of dairy products located in Defiance, Ohio. Mr. Boomer joined
the First Defiance board in 1994. He was appointed to Vice Chairman of the board in January 2006. He is member of Executive Committee, Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, Corporate Governance Committee, Succession Planning Committee, Trust Committee and First Insurance Group Board.
John L. Bookmyer
Mr. Bookmyer is the Chief Executive Officer of Pain
Management Group in Findlay, Ohio. Mr. Bookmyer
also is a Certified Public Accountant. He was appointed
to the board in February, 2005. He is a member of
the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and
Investment Committee.
Douglas Burgei, D.V.M.
Dr. Burgei was appointed to the Board of Directors
in 1995. He is a veterinarian practicing in Napoleon,
Ohio since 1978. He is member of, Strategic Planning
Committee, Succession Planning Committee and
Investment Committee.
Peter A. Diehl
Mr. Diehl has been a Director of First Defiance since
1997. Mr. Diehl is a retired business owner. He is member of the Audit Committee, Corporate Governance
Committee, Strategic Planning Committee and
Succession Planning Committee.
Jean A. Hubbard
Mrs. Hubbard is a graduate of Defiance College with
a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and is
also a graduate of the Ohio School of Banking and the
ABA School of Human Resource Management. She is
currently Business Manager and Corporate Treasurer
for The Hubbard Company in Defiance, Ohio, and has
more than 30 years of experience in banking. She is
a member of the Audit Committee, Compensation
Committee and Succession Planning Committee.
Barbara A. Mitzel
Mrs. Mitzel has a Bachelor’s degree from Saginaw
Valley State University and is the Area Manager for
Consumers Energy in Adrian, Michigan, where she
is responsible for community and local government
relations in the areas of economic development, public
safety, franchise renewals and infrastructure-related
work across two counties. She serves on the Corporate
Governance Committee, Strategic Planning Committee
and Investment Committee.
James L. Rohrs
Mr. Rohrs was named President and Chief Executive Officer at First Federal, Defiance, Ohio in January of 2009.
A Hamler, Ohio native, Rohrs began his banking career with Huntington National Bank in Bowling Green, Ohio in 1972. He began his career in consumer lending and advanced to become the senior business development and credit officer responsible for the bank’s Northwest Ohio region, which consisted of 25 banking offices in the Toledo area. Subsequently, he was promoted to Northwest Ohio regional president.
In 1994, Rohrs was promoted to Business Banking Product Manager for Huntington’s entire small business market segment. In this capacity, he managed marketing, product development, and the credit approval process for companies with annual sales up to $10 million. In August 1999, Rohrs was promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer.
Mr. Rohrs currently serves on the Board of the Community Bankers Association of Ohio. He has also served in many community leadership roles with organizations such as the Defiance Area Chamber of Commerce, the United Way of Defiance County, the American Heart Association Heart Walk, Defiance Rotary Club, Kettenring Country Club, and Emanuel Lutheran Church, Hamler, Ohio.
Rohrs is a graduate of Bowling Green State University with a degree in Finance/Credit Management, a Graduate of the University of Wisconsin School of Banking, and a graduate of the Ohio School of Consumer and Commercial Credit.
Samuel S. Strausbaugh
Mr. Strausbaugh is Chairman, Chief Executive Officer
and Chief Financial Officer of JB & Company, Inc.
in Tiffin, Ohio. He was appointed to fill a vacancy on
the board in January 2006. He serves on the Audit
Committee, Compensation Committee, Succession
Planning Committee and the First Insurance Group
Board.
Thomas A. Voigt
Mr. Voigt is Vice President and General Manager of
the Bryan Publishing Company. Bryan Publishing is the
commercial printer and publisher of The Bryan Times,
The Countyline, The Montpelier Leader Enterprise
and Realty Northwest. Mr. Voigt was appointed to the
Board of First Defiance in 1995. He is member of the
Compensation Committee, Corporate Governance
Committee and Stategic Planning Committee.
Donald P. Hileman
Donald Hileman is the Chief Financial Officer of First Defiance Financial Corp. A graduate of Heidelberg College with a bachelor’s degree and an MBA, Hileman has been in the financial services industry for over 30 years, most recently as a Corporate Controller. Hileman is a licensed Health and Life Insurance Agent and has also completed Banking School in Madison, Wisconsin. He will be responsible for the overall management and business development of First Insurance Group, with a focus on administration, sales promotion and new business initiatives. Hileman is an active member of St. Paul United Methodist Church in Defiance, is a member of Financial Executives Institute and Financial Managers Society, and has served as a United Way Team leader in Defiance. Hileman and his wife Elizabeth have three adult children and reside in Defiance.
Executive Management
William J. Small President, Chairman and CEO of First Defiance Financial Corp.
Mr. Small first became affiliated with the thrift business in 1978 when he joined First Federal Bank as an assistant branch manager. He was promoted to company vice president and transferred to the main office in 1979. He served in this position until 1987 when he assumed the role of president and chief executive officer of the Hicksville Building, Loan and Savings Company. In 1994, he returned to First Federal Bank as senior vice president. He was appointed president and chief operating officer in 1996 and chairman and chief executive officer, First Federal Bank and president, chairman and chief executive officer of First Defiance Financial Corp. in January, 1999. Prior to 1978, Bill was affiliated with the Napoleon Products Company of Napoleon, Ohio and Siena Heights College of Adrian, Michigan.
Mr. Small served on the Federal Reserve Board's Thrift Advisory Committee from 2002 through 2004, serving as its chairman in 2004. He is on the Board of the America Bankers Association, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati and is past chairman of The Ohio League of Financial Institutions and Ohio Bankers League. An active citizen in his community, he is president of the Defiance Area Foundation, past president and board member of the Defiance Area Chamber of Commerce, the Defiance City Schools Foundation and the Defiance Area YMCA. He is a trustee of The Defiance College, and is a member of the Defiance Rotary Club, Kettenring Country Club and St. Paul’s United Methodist Church.
Currently residing in Defiance, Bill attended the University of Notre Dame and graduated with his bachelor’s degree in sociology and business administration from Siena Heights College in Adrian, Michigan in 1973. He and his wife, Kathy, are the parents of three children.
James L. Rohrs President and Chief Executive Officer - First Federal Bank
Mr. Rohrs was named President and Chief Executive Officer at First Federal, Defiance, Ohio in January of 2009.
A Hamler, Ohio native, Rohrs began his banking career with Huntington National Bank in Bowling Green, Ohio in 1972. He began his career in consumer lending and advanced to become the senior business development and credit officer responsible for the bank’s Northwest Ohio region, which consisted of 25 banking offices in the Toledo area. Subsequently, he was promoted to Northwest Ohio regional president.
In 1994, Rohrs was promoted to Business Banking Product Manager for Huntington’s entire small business market segment. In this capacity, he managed marketing, product development, and the credit approval process for companies with annual sales up to $10 million. In August 1999, Rohrs was promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer.
Mr. Rohrs currently serves on the Board of the Community Bankers Association of Ohio. He has also served in many community leadership roles with organizations such as the Defiance Area Chamber of Commerce, the United Way of Defiance County, the American Heart Association Heart Walk, Defiance Rotary Club, Kettenring Country Club, and Emanuel Lutheran Church, Hamler, Ohio.
Rohrs is a graduate of Bowling Green State University with a degree in Finance/Credit Management, a Graduate of the University of Wisconsin School of Banking, and a graduate of the Ohio School of Consumer and Commercial Credit.
Donald P. Hileman Executive Vice President – Chief Financial Officer
Donald Hileman is the Chief Financial Officer of First Defiance Financial Corp. A graduate of Heidelberg College with a bachelor’s degree and an MBA, Hileman has been in the financial services industry for over 30 years, most recently as a Corporate Controller. Hileman is a licensed Health and Life Insurance Agent and has also completed Banking School in Madison, Wisconsin. He will be responsible for the overall management and business development of First Insurance Group, with a focus on administration, sales promotion and new business initiatives. Hileman is an active member of St. Paul United Methodist Church in Defiance, is a member of Financial Executives Institute and Financial Managers Society, and has served as a United Way Team leader in Defiance. Hileman and his wife Elizabeth have three adult children and reside in Defiance.
Dennis E. Rose Jr. Executive Vice President of Operations - First Federal Bank
Dennis Rose is the Executive Vice President, Chief Operations Officer for First Defiance Financial Corp. Rose has been with First Federal Bank for over 15 years. As Chief Operations Officer, Rose is responsible for overall management, supervision and strategic direction for operation and sales support departments.
He has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Toledo and a Master’s in Business Administration with a focus in Finance from BGSU. He obtained his CPA in 1993 and graduated first in his class from the Graduate School of Banking in 2008.
Rose currently serves on the Member Services Committee of the Community Bankers Association of Ohio Advisory board, is a treasurer of the Optimist Club of Defiance and golf league treasuer of the Defiance Elks Lodge.
In his spare time, Rose enjoys spending time with his family, playing hockey and golfing.
Gregory R. Allen Executive Vice President, Southern Market Area President – First Federal Bank
Gregory Allen is the Southern Market Area President for First Federal Bank, a subsidiary of First Defiance Financial Corp.
Allen has been with First Federal Bank since 1998, most recently managing the commercial and agricultural lending and commercial credit departments. During his tenure, the bank’s commercial loan portfolio grew from $30 million to $825 million. As Market Area President, Allen will oversee the branch administration, commercial lending, mortgage and consumer lending and cash management functions for the eleven First Federal Bank offices in Allen, Hancock, Seneca, and Putnam counties. Allen’s office will be located in Findlay.
A graduate of Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a major in Finance, Allen has been in banking over 17 years in the Toledo, Findlay, Fostoria and Defiance areas. He graduated from the American Bankers’ Association National Commercial Lending School and is currently pursuing a degree from the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin.
Allen, his wife Susan and their two children reside in Findlay.
Timothy K. Harris Executive Vice President, Eastern Market Area President – First Federal Bank
Tim Harris is the Eastern Market Area President for First Federal Bank, a subsidiary of First Defiance Financial Corp.
Harris has been with First Federal Bank since 2000, most recently serving as Senior Vice President and head of Commercial Lending in the Northern Market Area. As Eastern Market Area President, Harris will oversee the branch administration, commercial lending, mortgage and consumer lending and cash management functions for the five offices in Lucas, Ottawa and Wood counties. Harris’s office will be located in Bowling Green.
Harris has a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics from Ohio State University and a Master’s in Business Administration from BGSU. Harris has been in banking over 27 years in the Toledo and Bowling Green areas. He also completed the Graduate School of Banking in Madison, Wisconsin in 2007. He is a Board member of the Wood County Board of MR/DD, a member of the Bowling Green Revolving Loan Fund and a Board member of the Wood County District Library Foundation. He and his wife Margie and their three children reside in Bowling Green.
Michael D. Mulford Executive Vice President, Chief Credit Officer
Jeffrey D. Vereecke Executive Vice President, Northern Market Area President – First Federal Bank
A native of Morenci, Michigan, Mr. Vereecke graduated from Morenci High School in 1979 and earned a degree in finance from Grand Valley State University. He began his banking career with First Federal Bank in 1984 in the credit department. After ten years in the lending department he was promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Lending Officer. In 1998, Vereecke was promoted to Executive Vice President of Retail Banking and was responsible for the development and implementation of the retail sales and service strategy for the company. In March 2008, Mr. Vereecke was promoted to Northern Market Area President and oversees the implementation of First Federal Bank’s strategy in Adrian, Tecumseh, Hudson and Morenci, Michigan as well as Bryan and Wauseon, Ohio. Mr. Vereecke serves on several boards, including the Lenawee Economic Development Corporation, Lenawee United Way, Boys & Girls Club of Lenawee and the Adrian Symphony Orchestra. In addition, he is the acting Vice Chairman of American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Lenawee County. Vereecke is also an active member of the Christian Family Center, Crossroads Community Church and Lenawee County Club. He is a graduate of the Defiance County Chamber Leadership Program and was honored as a distinguished alumnus of Morenci High School in 2007. He and his wife Karen have 7 children and reside in Adrian.
James R. Williams III Executive Vice President, Western Market Area President
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Mr. Small first became affiliated with the thrift business in 1978 when he joined First Federal Bank as an assistant branch manager. He was promoted to company vice president and transferred to the main office in 1979. He served in this position until 1987 when he assumed the role of president and chief executive officer of the Hicksville Building, Loan and Savings Company. In 1994, he returned to First Federal Bank as senior vice president. He was appointed president and chief operating officer in 1996 and chairman and chief executive officer, First Federal Bank and president, chairman and chief executive officer of First Defiance Financial Corp. in January, 1999. Prior to 1978, Bill was affiliated with the Napoleon Products Company of Napoleon, Ohio and Siena Heights College of Adrian, Michigan.
Mr. Rohrs was named President and Chief Executive Officer at First Federal, Defiance, Ohio in January of 2009.