Meghan Hibner
Meghan Hibner: 30
Assistant Vice President and Controller, Westfield Bank
Meghan Hibner believes the greatest joys in life are found by branching out. “Don’t limit your possibilities,” she says.
It’s a message she is passionate about sharing with young people, and one that reflects her life experience. “I have been very fortunate and have had tremendous blessings,” she said. “A good support system goes a long way. Success doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and it’s only natural to want to give back.”
Hibner graduated from UMass with a degree in Psychology, expecting to go into social work. Instead, she was hired as an accountant at Westfield Bank, which satisfied her love of numbers. She enjoys the work, but found many ways to fulfill her desire to help others.
Hibner volunteers for the Westfield State College Mentor Program and for Southwick Tolland Regional High School’s Business Education Alliance program.
“It’s very rewarding to work with youth in schools,” she said, adding that she tells students to stay focused, become well-rounded, and get involved in their communities.
Hibner is a role model for many with her myriad activities. She volunteers with Brightside for Families and Children, Friends of the West Springfield Public Library Inc., the Noble Visiting Nurse and Hospice Service, the United Way Day of Caring, and the American Lung Assoc. Fight for Air Walk. She makes time for leisure, too; a longtime softball enthusiast, she keeps equipment in her car in case a game arises with family or friends.
The library is very important to her. “It is the center of a community and such an important place to foster a love of reading and values,” said Hibner. In fact, she led a collaboration between the library and the Sisters of Providence Health System to provide books for children at Brightside.
In 2007, she was nominated by Westfield Bank’s senior management team to attend the Springfield Leadership Institute. To her, it was another branch on the tree of life. “I feel very strongly about relating to people in a way that’s effective and produces results,” she said. —Kathleen Mitchell
