Haney’s interest in banking, community a great asset

By Samantha Sturm
Review Correspondent
Published: April 10, 2008

After more than 40 years in the nine-to-five rat race, Orange County native Nancy Haney has punched her last time card. Following a rich career in the banking business, Haney finds a greater reward—in friends, family and community--during retirement.
“I had a hard time giving it up and deciding if I wanted to retire or not, but I have been so busy I haven’t missed it at all,” Haney says. “I turned 65 and I thought that while my health was good I wanted to be home and spend more time with my grandchildren, and spend more time with my mother.”
Haney’s work history began with a short stint at Virginia Metal Products in 1966, followed by a number of other positions at other local businesses. But it was at the Town of Orange’s banking institutions that Haney made a long career.
“I started off as secretary to the president of the bank,” says Haney. “Then certificates of deposit came into play and I began working with the vault and safe deposit boxes. Basically I was a customer service representative.”
During her career, Haney said, banking in Orange changed to keep up with technology.
“We went from manually figuring interest on savings accounts and we began to go to computers and adding accounts to those. Checking accounts went on, safe deposits and automation began to set in at that point,” she says.
Computer-age technology increased automated transactions and decreased the numbers of walk-in customers, she said. But back in the paper-and pencil days, Haney remembers long queues of customers eagerly awaiting their turns with tellers. ““I have seen 5-6 tellers, I have seen the customer lines go all the way out the door,” she says.
Advances in technology made for faster banking services, but Haney said less frequent face-to-face interaction with her customers took some getting used to. 
“I think the most interesting thing was the customer base that I developed,” Haney says. Some loyal customers, accustomed to Haney’s service with a smile, followed her when she took a position at another local bank. And that loyalty goes both ways. “I followed some children and even grandchildren of customers. There was a little girl who played with my typewriter who grew up and went into college, she now has children ready to enter college,” Haney recalls. “My elderly customers are the dearest to me. I learned so much from them and they taught me a lot.”
Haney spent decades at Virginia National Bank, until the business underwent a series of complicated mergers and changes. As the bank restructured under new ownership, employees sometimes found their hours cut or their positions eliminated.
“I wasn’t sure what was going to happen and at that point. Virginia Community Bank was already in existence, so I made a call and within 30 minutes had an interview,” recalls Haney. “I was hired on the spot.”
And in 1993, Haney brought the years of experience she’d amassed at Virginia National to the nearby competitor, where she handles new accounts, vault and safe deposit boxes until her retirement at the end of last year.
In the first full year of her retirement, Haney has transferred her interest from her full-time career to her family, community and church.
“I love being active in the community,” she says.
And since she’s no longer keeping banker’s hours, she’s spending her time on new pursuits, like securing sponsorships for the Orange County Fair.
“Being on the Orange County Fair Board, I have met so many folks,” she says.
Haney balances her new-found leisure time traveling with new friends, and playing with her grandkids. And fortunately for her, close ties to the community keep her close to her loyal bank customers and friends.
“It’s always a treat to run into some of them in the grocery store or somewhere in town,” she says.