Don Robinson

Photo by Norwood Photography.

By Maggie Hatfield

Originally from Moundsville, WV, Don Robinson was given the keys to being a successful businessman at a young age.

“Growing up, my father was a banker and he always exposed me to businesspeople, showing me the value of relationship building and how to interact with others. His emphasis on the importance of keeping your word, taking care of your team and a strong work ethic has stayed with me throughout my career,” he says.

Robinson’s first professional job was as an auditor for Arthur Andersen in the Washington, D.C., area.

“I was part of the emerging technology group, auditing
telecommunication and technology companies ranging from Fortune 100 companies to startups and received great exposure to initial public offerings, acquisitions and corporate restructures,” he says.

After Andersen, Robinson joined Toothman Rice in the audit department and made partner at the age of 29. He then served as the chief accounting officer for an oil and gas company, taking the company public in 2006.

“When I transitioned to the banking industry in 2006, some people were skeptical about my abilities, thinking I was only hired because of my dad who had a more than 30-year career in banking. This wasn’t the last time I’ve been asked to bet on myself and prove my position to others, but I’ve always risen to the challenge.”

Currently, Robinson is the president of MVB Financial Corp., which operates primarily through its subsidiary MVB Bank.

“My role entails regular engagement with investors, analysts and significant clients. A key objective of my position is to expand the scope of the investor base and telling the MVB story,” he says.

Robinson strongly believes in paying it forward and using his skills and talents to help others, and it is for these reasons he has chosen to give back to multiple local organizations. In 2018, he co-founded GameChanger with Joe Boczek, partnering with Bernie Dolan and the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission. GameChanger is a student-powered substance misuse prevention movement connecting West Virginia students and educators.

“As a parent of multiple student-athletes, I continuously heard the devastating stories of students grappling with addiction and the impact of the opioid epidemic on the state,” he says. “The goal of the organization is to build an environment which prevents student opioid and other drug use before it starts.”

As a baseball fan and resident of Morgantown, WV, Robinson wanted local kids to have the chance to play at Mon County Ball Park, the same park where the West Virginia University Mountaineers and West Virginia Black Bears play.

“I wanted to provide young baseball players with the experience of playing on a college or minor league field, to feel like a big-league player, even if just for one day,” he says.

In 2020, after the athletic director at St. Francis Central Catholic approached Robinson to coach the middle school girls’ basketball team, Robinson went on to coach alongside Nate Embry for two years.

“As someone who enjoys coaching and developing athletes, which is similar to mentoring team members at work, I saw this as an opportunity to not only improve their abilities on the court but also to challenge them as individuals,” Robinson says.

In 2019, Robinson was an ambassador to the American Cancer Society’s Real Men Wear Pink program for breast cancer research and helped raise more than $20,000. Currently, Robinson is a board member at Mon General Hospital and serves on St. Francis Central Catholic’s finance committee.

“For me, volunteering is not about seeking attention or return but about doing the right thing,” he says.

From its small-town charm to its undeniable beauty, Robinson couldn’t imagine living anywhere other than the Mountain State.

“l love the small-town family values, I love the energy of living in a college town yet having the option to relax in the country, and I love the state’s beautiful landscape of the rivers and the mountains during all four seasons.”