Hollidaysburg native Justin Gildea serves as the Vice President, Commercial Banking Relationship Manager at S&T Bank. He works directly with mid-sized businesses to understand their needs and help with lending, depository, and treasury management solutions.

“I act as a partner to the company’s management to provide financial expertise, which allows the company to focus on its strategic imperatives while running the company,” said Gildea. “What I enjoy most about the job is hearing the stories of how companies were started and learning about what helped them be successful. Each company has its own unique journey full of ups and downs, and hearing the stories firsthand while also being a part of helping the business is the most rewarding part of my job.”

Gildea, whose first job was harvesting strawberries on a local farm during the summer in middle school, attended Hollidaysburg High School in Central Pennsylvania where he grew up. He then attended Temple University, majoring in Legal Studies within the business school and also playing on Temple’s football team. Following his undergraduate studies, Gildea earned his MBA from West Chester University.

Gildea stated that while many impactful mentors and colleagues have helped propel his career, one in particular — Chad Shank, his colleague at a previous bank — was instrumental in pushing him to get his MBA and challenged Gildea to get involved in various organizations to expand his network.

“Additionally, at S&T, my supervisors Jon Levine, Evan Dickinson, and Joe Entenman all played vital roles in seeing my potential and helping me advance my career,” said Gildea.

One stand-out moment in Gildea’s career was being instrumental in his bank’s PPP program during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The pandemic was a very uncertain time for many businesses, and I was able to help our bank as part of our internal PPP review team while also working with my clients to accept and process applications,” he said. “The program helped many businesses survive the mandated shutdowns, and I could see the direct impact it had on my clients.”

Gildea and the rest of the 2024 Class of VISTA Millennial Superstars will be honored at the Awards Reception & Celebration on Thursday, May 9 at Penn State Great Valley, Malvern.

Sponsors are still being sought. Click here to learn more about the various opportunities available to partner with VISTA Today as it celebrates Chester County’s next generation of leaders, or contact Steve Knickerbocker at steve.knickerbocker@acj.today or 484-437-2826.