Executive Vice President & Chief Consumer Banking Officer, United Bank
Photo by United Bank
By Cathy Bonnstetter
Chad Mildren, executive vice president and chief consumer banking officer for United Bank, spent his summers from second grade onward in the Parkersburg Country Club Pro Shop washing golf clubs and caddying. Mildren developed a love of the game and a passion for helping people. The inside of a bank was as familiar as a golf green.
“I come from a long line of bankers,” he says. “I often spent Saturdays at the bank with my dad, watching and learning.”
Mildren’s father, William Mildren Jr., and grandfather, William Mildren Sr., were both bank presidents at the former Commercial Bank in Parkersburg.
“I was inspired by my father and grandfather, who instilled values in me much like those we hold true at United—integrity, hard work, teamwork and caring,” Mildren says. “I admired their long careers and have been motivated to lead as they modeled.”
A Vienna, WV, native and University of Kentucky graduate, Mildren spent his summers as a bank teller. His internship at Jackson State Bank & Trust in Jackson Hole, WY, cemented his commitment to banking. However, it was not the bank that brought Mildren to Wyoming.
“Growing up, my father and I took duck and bird hunting trips and went fishing for trout and bass,” he says. “I still often golf, fish or hunt with my brother, Trip, but I especially love fly fishing. I even completed the Western Rivers Fly Fishing Guide School upon graduating college.”
After he finished fly fishing guide school, Mildren and a friend embarked on a three-month camping trip to explore Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. This trip is what led him back to Jackson Hole, WY, to begin his banking career.
He became a credit analyst in Jackson Hole before the Mountain State called him home. He returned to Parkersburg to work at Commercial Bank as vice president and commercial loan officer while attending the West Virginia School of Banking. In 2000, he joined United Bank and continued in those roles.
“I also furthered my financial education by attending Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Georgetown University,” he says. “That experience enabled me to rise through the ranks at United.”
At United Bank, Mildren became the Parkersburg market president, then the West Virginia regional president, as well as director of United’s mortgage banking division. He began his current role in 2016. In 2022, he became an executive officer for United Bankshares, Inc., the parent company of United Bank.
“Holding a number of roles throughout the banks where I served gave me a solid understanding of banking and what it takes to be successful,” he says.
Along with his professional obligations, Mildren gives back to his community. He is an advisor for United’s Leadership Development Program and has taught financial literacy lessons for United’s Teach Children to Save initiative. He also serves as an executive steering member of United’s Community Reinvestment Action Committee, a bank-wide infrastructure to connect employees to high-impact volunteer opportunities.
For 15 years, Mildren has served as chairman of the Kids Golf Classic that benefits the Boys & Girls Club of Parkersburg. As a member of the Downtown Development Task Force, Mildren was instrumental in bringing a much-needed skate park to town.
“I enjoy helping young people,” he says. “I also enjoy supporting the economic development of the region.”
Mildren lives in Parkersburg with his wife, Nikki, and two daughters, Annie and Margaret, whom he says are incredibly supportive of the long hours and travel his job demands.
“I am someone who is driven by being the best,” he says. “I want to be in the game, even if I don’t win every time. It is always important to put in the effort and see what you can achieve. However, family and faith come above all. Put in the effort professionally, and keep perspective on what is important in life.”
Mildren says he is proud to be from the Mountain State and genuinely loves it.
“For me, it boils down to the people and the culture—warm and genuine,” he says. “When I travel throughout the country, I can’t wait to get home to the wide-open space, our values and the genuine sense of community.”
