When Chris Spurry was appointed to be the chair of the board of the Talbot Bank in 2006, he felt both honored and excited to take on this role during a time in banking when, as he recalled it, “a blind chicken could get fat.” The economy in general, and real estate in particular, was hitting historic highs in value and returns on investment. To be part of this extraordinary moment in Delmarva prosperity could not have been more fulfilling for him.
The St. Michaels native also saw this new role on the board of this highly regarded community bank as another positive outcome of his decision to move his a manufacturers’ representatives firm to Talbot County in 1983 after over thirty years serving in senior leadership positions with a Fortune 500 manufacturing corporation and food equipment supplier based in New York City. With Spurry (now Spurry-Curren and Associates) operating out of Easton, Chris was able to return home to the Mid-Shore he loved and directly particulate in its economic future.
But when troubling financial smoke signals were popping up in 2007, which later unfolded the following year into the country’s most significant economic collapse since the Great Depression, Scott and his fellow board members realized quickly that within this short period, the entire future of the Talbot Bank, Centreville National Bank, Avon-Dixon Insurance, and Wye Financial & Trust were now being severely threatened.
And as a result of this perfect storm, the Talbot Bank directors oversaw one of the most dramatic and sweeping corporate reconfigurations in the commercial history of the Eastern Shore.
In short order, the board was strengthened, a new senior management team was hired, banking operations were consolidated, as well as dozens of other operational changes required to cope with this new economic environment as well as an unprecedented wave of fiduciary regulations.
Now, after nine years of hard work and significant cultural change, Shore Bancshares is safely out of the woods and thriving.
The Spy caught with Chris at the Shore Bancshares corporate headquarters last month to talk about this extraordinary time in banking history as he steps down from being one of Shore Bancshares’ longest-serving board Chairs.
This video is approximately five minutes in length. For more information about Shore Bancshares please go here
Steve Ochse says
Chris Spurry was an ideal person for the job! A thoughtful, intelligent, detailed and serious business person, and natural leader. Congratulations on your leadership and extraordinary term with one of largest institutions in the area.