WHEELING, W.Va., July 26, 2018 — The Undo’s Upper Ohio Valley Italian Festival has named alumnus Richard Lucas Italian-American of the Year. Lucas is president and CEO of Main Street Bank, headquartered in Wheeling. 

Lucas also serves on the WLU Board of Governors. Both his grandparents on his mother’s side immigrated to the United States in the 1920s (Angela Giovonne and Alphonse Cipoletti). His mother’s maiden name is Cipoletti.  

The honor was conveyed during an annual dinner held last evening at the McLure Hotel in downtown Wheeling. The dinner also feature the naming of several student scholarship winners.

A native of Wellsburg, W.Va., and a resident of Wheeling, Lucas graduated from West Liberty State College in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science degree specializing in Accounting, and passed the Certified Public Accounting Exam in 1990. He began his accounting career with S R Snodgrass, CPAs, in 1986 and worked there until 1994.

In 1994, Mr. Lucas accepted the position of Vice President with One Valley Bank – North, Inc. and remained there until October 2000, leaving the bank as Senior Vice President. Mr. Lucas is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of Main Street Bank, positions he has held since 2000.

He is a founding director and officer of Main Street Bank, the first new Bank started in Ohio County since 1964.

Lucas has been active in the local community in many ways and formerly served on the West Liberty University Foundation Board.

He has also served on the boards of the Wheeling Chapter of CPAs, the Centre Market Commission of the City of Wheeling, the Ohio Valley Industrial Business Development Corporation, and the Seeing Hand Association.

He and his wife Barbara have one son, Brice, who is a sophomore at West Liberty University.

Since 1983, the festival has celebrated everything Italian in the downtown streets of Wheeling. The ribbon cutting ceremony to open the festival on its main stage, located at Wheeling’s Heritage Port, takes place at noon, Friday, July 27 and activities continue throughout the weekend. 

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