“We have a 3.5 year old daughter […] and a son on the way and hope they are future Muskies,” says Chris Hiner, ’05, who majored in geology and business and married fellow Muskie Amy (Brannon) Hiner.
Hiner began a job as a Management Associate at Park National Bank one month after his December 2005 graduation from Muskingum; he heard about the job from a fellow Muskie who had gone through the same Management Associate Program.
While at Park National Bank, Hiner worked as a branch manager in Gahanna, then relocated to Newark, Ohio and worked his way up to Vice President and Retail Regional Manager. In April 2016, he was promoted to President of Richland Bank in Mansfield, which is one of eleven affiliate banks in the Park National Corporation.
Of his work in the banking industry Hiner says, “My passion is leading and lending and Park National allowed me to do both. […]I am appreciative of being able to work with such strong leaders who coached and mentored me as I developed as leader. They were willing to allow me to have my own leadership style and freedom yet were there for when I needed advice. Those opportunities set the stage for being able to take on additional responsibilities and allowed me to be ready for my current position.”
Hiner says that the knowledge he gained in his business courses was the foundation to his success; he was able to make practical application of his coursework early in his career. He adds that, although he has not used his geology degree directly, the information he gained through those courses have given him added insight when working with businesses in that field.
Hiner shares an anecdote about how widespread the members of the Long Magenta Line are: “Since moving to Mansfield I have run into several Muskies. At a recent Mansfield Art Center gathering, my wife and I were talking to a couple and they both went to Muskingum in the 70s. He was a MACE, as I was, and she was a Kianu as [my wife] was. We felt an instant connection with them. Another gentleman within earshot overheard out conversation and he, too, went to Muskingum. It was amazing that 100 miles away there were five Muskies at an event.”
“My advice for college seniors is simple. Learn how to communicate and be confident. Learn how to relate to different people and write down your goals and how you are going to get there. Take each opportunity given, do it well and ask for more. Become extremely valuable and good things will follow.”