Randolph National’s Dimick
Is Banker of the Year

Randolph National Bank President Steven Dimick considers that his bank's contribution to the renewal of Randolph's downtown is one of his important accomplishments. (Herald / Bob Eddy)

Steve Dimick, president of Randolph National Bank, has been honored with the 2007 Outstanding Community Service Banker Award by the Vermont Bankers Association.

The award is given to a banker who exemplifies real and tangible dedication for the communities in which they live. Nominations for this award are voted on by independent persons who are not affiliated with any Vermont bank or the VBA office.

Dimick received this award at the Vermont/New Hampshire Bankers Association Annual Convention on September 15 in Manchester. The Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration, Paulette Thabault, began the presentation by announcing that this year’s award recipient had five children.

At that point Steve Dimick thought, "Like me. Who would that be?"

Then Ms. Thabault said that two of his boys had been high school All-American wrestlers and two had gone on to collegiate wrestling, and Dimick realized, "She’s talking about me!"

Dimick has shown dedication to the Randolph community, it was noted, through involvement in numerous organizations and committees. He has twice been the Randolph Area Chamber of Commerce president, and he has served as a member and chaired the Economic Development Committee. He is a long time member, and past president, of the Randolph Rotary Club, and a two-time past master of Phoenix Masonic Lodge of Randolph.

Dimick served on the board of the Randolph Area Community Development Corporation during the reconstruction years following the 1992 and 1993 fires in downtown Randolph, and was instrumental in the rebuilding process.

In addition to his direct contributions as president of Randolph National Bank, Dimick encourages employees who work for him to be active community members. He often hand-picks bank staff for various community service projects, knowing that they would be a perfect fit for the task or organization.

For seven years Dimick served on the Gifford Hospital board of directors, and he is currently on the board of the Hooved Animal Association and the Lamson Howell Foundation.

A Randolph native, Dimick graduated from UVM in 1972 and went to management training for three years with the First National Bank of Boston, returning to Randolph to a management job with the local bank. Sarting as assistant cashier, he became cashier after three years, a position which put him in charge of regular operations. He became heavily involved in the bank’s computer services, helping to set up a special business with two other partners to help Randolph National stay ahead of the technology curve.

After the retirement of Raymond Gray, Dimick was selected as president by the board of directors.Gray had succeeded Dimick’s father Sheldon as bank president.

As president he has tried, Steve Dimick said, to "keep totally focused on improving the community, economic development, making loans to create business opportunities.

"If you don’t run a bank that way, it’s difficult to be successful," he observed.

The board of directors has supported that banking direction by keeping Randolph National determinedly independent in a day of large-scale bank buyouts and consolidation.

Regional Activity

Dimick has been involved in the regional and national banking community as well, serving as chairman of the Vermont Bankers Association (VBA) as well as being a member of the VBA Legislative Committee, Marketing Committee and chair of the Operations Committee.

He was also the president of the Bank Administration Institute, a member of the American Bankers Association membership committee, and served on the board of directors for the Independent Community Bankers of America for seven years and as a member of its marketing committee.

In addition to his involvement in civic activities, he was always available to support whatever activities his children and their friends were involved in, whether it was as president of Friends of Randolph Wrestling, driver for, and coach of, USA Wrestling, being active in the Randolph Outing Club, driving his horse trailer to trail rides and horse shows, Sunday afternoons to Killington Junior Ski Program, driving for junior high Gymnastics Club, chaperoning school trips, or overnights to Groton State Park.

His five children are currently scattered across the country: Shelley Ritter is in Westfield, Mass. working for a financial services agency; Justin is a surgeon and assistant professor at the University of Michigan; Peter is an art installer in San Francisco; Bretton is in a PhD program in ethnomusicology at the University of Michigan; and youngest son Joe just graduated from Drexel University and lives in Philadelphia, where he is organ transplant coordinator for the Gift of Life organization.