By Chris Slater, WV News
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Taking nothing away from medical professionals, Sally Cline said that the banking industry served as a sort of first responder for the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cline is president and CEO of the West Virginia Bankers Association, a service industry established in 1891 that advocates on behalf of banking, as well as offers professional development training programs, communications, marketing and more.
The economy was strong as 2019 was turning into 2020, Cline said, and West Virginia was well-positioned with “ample capital and liquidity.”
Then the pandemic hit.
When the economy shut down as stay-at-home orders were enacted, Cline said banks jumped up to help, getting Paycheck Protection Program loans into the hands of those who needed it…