CHRISTOPHER
MARTIN,
Southwest Region
President, Northwest
Savings Bank
Ryan Balog
Involved!, Inc., an organization that provides
leadership and development programs and
initiatives that engage, energize, educate and
empower students, young professionals and
lifelong learners to make a positive difference
in their communities.
Baker served two terms as president of the
Pittsburgh East Rotary Club and as assistant
district governor for Rotary District 7300.
He is past president of the National Speakers
Association Pittsburgh, the Coro Pittsburgh
Alumni Council, and the Pittsburgh Urban
Magnet Project and currently serves on the
boards of North Hills Community Outreach,
the Baierl Family YMCA and Special
Olympics of Pennsylvania.
“This honor really means a great deal to
me!” Baker said. “My parents taught me about
the importance of being involved and making
a difference in your community at a young
age. My wife, Erin, and I truly enjoy being so
involved in Ross Township and throughout
our region.”
Youth Volunteer of the Year
When Ross Township resident Ryan Balog,
a high school honor student at North Hills
High School, backs a cause, he does so with
fulltime commitment. That’s the reason he
won the Community Awards for Service
Excellence (CASE) Youth Volunteer of the
Year Award.
For four years, Balog has spearheaded the
“Team Balog” efforts as part of the annual
Tom Baker and Preston
Western Pennsylvania Epilepsy Walk/Run
event. He does this in support of his sister,
Julie, who suffers from a severe form of
epilepsy. In those four years, he has raised
more than $5,000, and his passion is to
continue raising all the money he can so that a
cure can be found for his sister and all of those
affected by epilepsy. He even designed team
t-shirts, and in 2013 alone, he organized more
than 50 walkers on his team.
Balog also manages the bingo games at
Cumberland Crossing in the North Hills. He
enjoys interacting with the senior citizens and
attracts larger crowds each week.
Balog suffers from a rare skin disorder,
congenital ichthyosis, erythroderma and
a bleeding disorder called Von Willebrand
Disease, though he does not let these
conditions limit him. In fact, he enjoys
helping at chapter events and spending time
with the children in the playroom at the
doctor’s office and has already expressed
interest in volunteering at skin camp in
Danville, Pa., where he will help children to
enjoy the camp as much as he did when he
attended as a camper.
Balog also helps at his church whenever he
can, especially at the church festivals, where
he delights in seeing the children’s faces light
up after they win a game and a prize.
“Thank you for this recognition,” Balog
said. “I will always be willing to serve my
community.” ■
President of the Southwest Region of
Northwest, Mr. Martin is responsible for
the growth and profitability of the bank in
southwestern Pennsylvania. In addition to
29 community banking offices in Allegheny,
Armstrong, Butler and Washington
counties, Mr. Martin coordinates all business
development efforts in his region through
Northwest business lines and personnel.
His goal is to increase awareness of the
comprehensive line of products and services
offered by the bank, including retail banking,
mortgage lending, commercial lending,
insurance services, business services and
investment management and trust.
Mr. Martin and his team are committed
to the success of the people, businesses and
communities in southwestern Pennsylvania.
Together, they strive to improve Northwest’s
community awareness and involvement,
customer satisfaction and loyalty, employee
engagement and development, profitability
and shareholder return.
Mr. Martin joined Northwest in 2006,
bringing 16 years of sales, banking and lending
experience. Prior to his appointment as
Southwest Region president, Mr. Martin served
as senior vice president of Sales and Customer
Service for NexTier Bank.
Mr. Martin received his bachelor’s degree
in economics with a minor in Spanish from
Westminster College. He is a graduate of
the Graduate School of Executive Bank
Management at Emory University in Atlanta,
Ga., and the Pennsylvania Bankers Association
(PBA) Commercial Lending School at Bucknell
University in Lewisburg, Pa.
Mr. Martin currently serves as chairman
of PBA’s Group 8. He is also a member of the
Board of Directors for the trade association of
the PBA, and the finance chair of the Butler
County Family YMCA. Mr. Martin also serves in
an advisory capacity to several local nonprofit
organizations.
Active in his hometown, Cranberry
Township, Mr. Martin volunteers his time to his
passion of developing and instilling integrity,
respect, sportsmanship, fair play, honor, work
ethic, responsibility and teamwork to local
youth. To deliver this message, Mr. Martin
serves as an assistant coach for youth baseball,
youth soccer, youth softball and youth
basketball.
Mr. Martin, his wife, Holly, and their children,
Karlie and Brady, live in Cranberry Township.
Ross Township | Summer 2014 | icmags.com 31