Bank President/CEO Beth Manges, ACM Class of 1989, in the lobby of the bank's Bedford branch.
Bank President/CEO Beth Manges fields a client call in her office.
EVERETT, Pa. – March 25, 2025 – As Pennsylvanians prepare their business and personal
income taxes, Elizabeth "Beth" Manges, president and CEO of Hometown Bank of PA, is encouraging business owners to enroll in Pennsylvania's Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program. For Manges, it's about helping business owners understand how the EITC works.
Hometown Bank of PA is one of a small number of Bedford County companies, including ECM Insurance Group,
that use the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program to help their community. With
seven bank branches in Bedford and Blair Counties, Manges views the bank's EITC experience
as a model for other businesses. "Instead of [our tax payment] going to the state,
we're directly helping students," said Manges.
Tax Credits Stay Local
Jeb Kegg, Hometown Bank of PA's chief financial officer, echoed Manges' sentiment,
"We're going to pay the money anyway. By using this program, we have more control.
The EITC program helps us keep our money here in our community, instead of going directly
to the State [Department of Revenue]."
Companies must enroll and be accepted into the Department of Community & Economic Development's EITC program to participate. Once approved, businesses may donate 90% of the value of their
tax payment to approved EITC nonprofit organizations. Both Manges and Kegg direct
business owners to visit www.dced.pa.gov/eitc and talk with their accountant for more information. "We're also here to talk about
the process if it helps a business owner," said Kegg.
Allegany College of Maryland Director of PA Advancement and Community Relations Leah Pepple is also available to talk about the EITC donation process by calling 814-652-9528 ext. 6223.
Hometown Bank of PA has a long history of using Educational Improvement Tax Credits
to support PreK-12 students and programs. The bank began providing EITC donations
to the Bedford County Regional Education Foundation beginning in 2016. Since that time, it’s contributed $207,000 in EITC donations to
the Foundation.
Last November, the Hometown Bank of PA Board of Directors decided to dramatically
increase its EITC donation from $14,000 to $125,000 to the Bedford County Regional
Education Foundation, an educational improvement organization. Under the EITC program,
the Foundation may only use EITC funds for the early college program. Their bank’s
two-year EITC commitment has had a profound impact on the early college program and
the high school students served by the program.
"The more that we grow as a bank, the more money we can give back to our community,"
Kegg said. From its humble beginnings with approximately 20 employees, Hometown Bank of PA has grown to 75 employees with assets just under $400 million and seven branches.
It has led with the top market share in deposits in Bedford County as reported by
the FDIC for the last six years.
Personal Connection to Education
Manges brings a personal perspective to supporting the Educational Improvement Tax
Credit program and Allegany College of Maryland. "It can be a struggle to find your
direction or choose a career when you're a teenager. I didn't know if I was college
material at that age. A lot of kids don't know if they're college material," she shared.
"ACM along with the EITC program gives them a chance to see if they can succeed in
college courses.”
Manges attended Allegany Community College (now ACM) in the late 80s, thanks to a
scholarship offered by the college. Through her college classes, she grew more confident
and found her love for public speaking. She earned an Associate of Arts degree in General Studies in 1989. Manges received a scholarship to attend Towson State University (now Towson University),
where she studied communications and journalism. Manges is a personal donor to both
the Bedford County Regional Education Foundation and the ACM Foundation.
While a student at Towson, Manges began her 35-year banking career as a teller at
Signet Bank. Although Manges thought she would become a television news anchor, she
soon found that she loved the world of banking, lending, and finance. After working
for Signet, she moved into operations at First National Bank of Maryland. In time,
she returned to Manns Choice to raise her family and accepted a position at Johnstown
Bank and Trust. From there she worked for First American Bank, which became Susquehanna
Bank, where she worked her way up to a commercial loan officer.
In 2007, Manges joined Hometown Bank as one of its founding employees. She explained
that as the banking industry changed, she wanted to be part of a locally owned bank
that made local decisions and where customer service was the top priority. “Coming
to Hometown was the best career move I ever made,” said Manges. Ten years later, the
Hometown Board of Directors promoted her to be the president/CEO.
Manges serves on the Bedford County Regional Education Foundation Board of Directors
as Vice Chair. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Bedford County Development
Association, the Bedford County Chamber Foundation as well as the Pennsylvania Banker’s
Association. She was awarded the Bedford County Chamber's Athena Award in 2020, recognizing
her professional excellence and community service.
Community Impact
The connection between Hometown Bank of PA and the ACM Bedford County Campus extends beyond financial support and Manges' role on the Bedford County Regional
Education Foundation. In addition to Manges, ACM alumni are bank employees, including
among others, Brandon Leonard, who is the head of the Loan Department, and Michael
Messersmith, who was recently promoted in the Credit Department. Hometown Bank of
PA also reaches out to campus staff when looking to hire students or recent graduates
for entry-level positions.
For More Information
Those interested in learning more about the Bedford County Regional Education Foundation may reach Leah Pepple by calling 814-652-9528 ext. 6223.
