By MIKE MCKENNA
Chris Privon and his wife, Maryjane, didn’t plan on moving to the Wood River Valley. But they’re glad that this is where their journey has led them.
“The community has been very welcoming,” Chris said. “Within the first eight months, I feel like I’ve met the whole Wood River Valley.”
Chris is originally from Eagle and he and his wife were happily living in the Treasure Valley when he got asked to fill in at Wells Fargo in Ketchum. After a few weeks of working at the local bank by day, staying at the Fairfield Inn weeknights and going back home to visit his wife and their dogs on the weekends, Chris decided to apply for the branch manager position. He got the job.
“From helping out for a few weeks to moving here a moth later, this certainly wasn’t planned,” Chris said. “But I’m glad it happened.”
The Privons made the move from Kuna out to Croy Canyon west of Hailey. Having such easy access to the great outdoors is one of their favorite parts of calling the Wood River Valley home.
“The fact that I can wander out my door with the dogs and get lost for hours, hiking, it’s one of the best experiences I’ve had,” Chris said, adding, “You can’t take a bad picture around here. Every direction you look is beautiful.”
One of the other big appeals of life in the Wood River Valley for the Privons is the sense of community.
“People here appreciate if you’re going to contribute to the community and that’s what I try to do at Wells Fargo,” he said.
Chris has been with Wells Fargo for over a decade, starting as a teller, then working as a personal banker and small-business banker before becoming a branch manager. While Wells Fargo was once making the news with some unsavory headlines, Chris is proud of the way the bank has evolved from its previous issues.
“Because of everything that happened, we’ve really adapted to become the best bank you can be with,” Chris said. “Our bank is customer-centric and customer-focused.”
One of the advantages of the Ketchum branch of Wells Fargo, Chris explained, is that it offers all the resources of a large bank while still providing personal and friendly service.
“It’s our job to be the cog in the machine to help locals and small businesses tap into all a large bank can offer,” Chris said. “It’s really about putting our customers first and figuring out what we can do to make their financial lives better.”
Most people find that moving to the Wood River Valley makes their lives better. Our community is always ready to accept new people who want to be a positive part of what we have going on around here. Chris and Maryjane are just such people.
“The pace of life here suits us well,” Chris said. “There’s a sense of belonging here that you don’t get in big cities.”
Find out more by visiting Wells Fargo at 411 North Main Street in Ketchum.