Bensinger named president, Eaton Community Bank. Jewell is CEO.

Information provided by Eaton Community Bank

Garrett Bensinger was officially approved as the fourth president of Eaton Community Bank at its February board of directors meeting. The Charlotte native succeeds Tim Jewell, who remains with Eaton as the chief executive officer.

As president, Bensinger now oversees all day-to-day operations of the bank and its seven branch locations throughout mid-Michigan.

“Growing up in Charlotte, I’ve always known Eaton was a unique bank, a true community institution and it’s a tremendous honor to be named president,” Bensinger said. “I will continue working hard every day to ensure Eaton remains financially strong, so that we can continue being the first place our communities look for trusted advice and solutions to their financial needs.”

Bensinger has been with Eaton since 2017, serving as senior vice president and chief lending officer since 2018. He resides in Bellevue with his wife Nicki and their four children.

Bensinger’s extensive banking career began in 2006. He’s served in various capacities, ranging from branch manager to treasury management, sales manager and chief lending officer.

The unanimous board approval completed a process more than two years in the making.

“Garrett Bensinger is absolutely the right person to lead Eaton moving forward,” Jewell said. “We identified him as my successor awhile back as part of our succession planning. That process coupled with a broader strategic planning process also identified a need for some additional executive positions as Eaton has enjoyed healthy growth in recent years.”

The next step was identifying Bensinger’s successor as chief lending officer. That included splitting the position into a chief lending officer, commercial lending manager with a new retail lending manager position to best support continued growth.

In January 2024, Dennis Grounds – Eaton’s commercial lending manager since 2021 – began transitioning into senior vice president, chief lending officer. With three decades of banking experience and an extensive background in lending, the Okemos resident was a natural fit with Eaton’s community-first mind-set.

At the same time, Louis Salow was named vice president, retail lending manager. The Stockbridge native joined Eaton in 2023 as a business development officer handling financing needs for both commercial and retail customers.

As Grounds and Salow transitioned into their new roles, Bensinger began transitioning into the role of president.

Eaton Community Bank has served mid-Michigan since it was chartered by two local businessmen in 1937 to help local families buy a home and provide a safe place to invest their savings. Today, Eaton provides expanded services and solutions to meet the financial needs of the diverse communities it calls home.

In February, Eaton Community Bank’s board of directors approved Garrett Bensinger as the bank’s fourth president. Image provided by Eaton Community Bank