About

Our mission

The Peoples Bank continues to build on the traditions of the past while working through the challenges of the present. Excellent customer service remains our primary touchstone.

• Our core values — providing the best in customer service.
• Getting results — focusing our hard work, shared commitment and mutual accountability to meet our customers’ needs and in turn, share in the rewards.
• Communicating persistently — promoting open communication and understanding among our employees, our customers and our shareholders. Valuing honesty and communicating with integrity.
• Being innovative — demonstrating creativity, agility and resilience as we develop and provide new products and services for our customers and remaining well-positioned in our markets.
• Caring for others — being actively involved in the communities we serve. Showing our dedicated team of employees that we care about them and their families while having fun in the process.
• Teamwork — working together as a team to achieve strategic goals, both at the board and organizational level.

Our history

• 1910 — The Peoples Bank of Chestertown, Maryland was incorporated.
• 1911 — The Rock Hall branch opened.
• 1924 — The Peoples Bank was the first bank in Kent County to offer Christmas Clubs.
• 1944 — The Peoples Bank handled the major portion of G.I. mortgage applications for Kent County veterans of World War II.
• 1975 — The Peoples Bank of Chestertown, Maryland changed its name to The Peoples Bank of Kent County, Maryland (PBKC).
• 1979 — The Washington Avenue branch in Chestertown opened.
• 1983 — PBKC was the first bank in the state to offer a discount brokerage service.
• 1985 — The charter was amended to allow PBKC to establish branches beyond Kent County.
• 1987 — The Galena branch opened.
• 1990 — PBKC offers the first drive-through ATM in the county.
• 1996 — The Board of Directors, with the approval of stockholders, formed PEOPLES BANCORP, INC, and Peoples Bank became a wholly owned subsidiary of PEOPLES BANCORP.
• 1997 — Telephone banking and a Visa debit card were added to PBKC’s offerings.
• 1998 — The Millington branch opened.
• 2006 — The bank changed its name to The Peoples Bank.
• 2007 — The Peoples Bank purchased FAM&M, a local independent insurance agency.
• 2008 — The Sudlersville branch opened.
• 2015 — Mobile banking and mobile deposit services were added to the bank’s offerings.
• 2016 — The Easton branch opened.

The Peoples Bank has had seven presidents in its long history. Dr. H. Benge Simmons, who was the first president, served until his death in 1945; Charles F. Wheatley, Sr., served from 1946 until his death in 1956; A. Parks Rasin, Jr., served from 1957 to 1975; E. Roy Owens, served from 1975 to 2002; Thomas G. Stevenson served from 2002 to 2012; and Ralph W. Dowling served from 2012 to 2021. J. Scott Sturgill became the president in May of 2021, and remained until his departure in April of 2024. Under the present guidance of Interim President/CEO Randall M. Robey, the Bank continues to grow and prosper. Its family of employees continues to respond to the challenges of modern banking with dedication and friendly service.

All of this past history has culminated into the excellent, sound, independent bank we are today. Consistent and steady growth has been accomplished without benefit of mergers. We want to continue to grow and progress with the community. We expect to have the pleasure of accomplishing this with the continued dedication of our employees and continued friendship, confidence and good will of our present customers, and we look forward to serving many new customers.

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