United Community in Ohio Hires S&T Executive as New Chief

United Community Financial (UCFC) in Youngstown, Ohio, has hired an outside executive to become its next president and chief executive.

The $1.8 billion-asset company said in a press release Tuesday that Gary Small will take over those roles after Patrick Bevack retires at the end of this month. Small recently served as chief banking officer at S&T Bancorp (STBA) in Indiana, Pa., where he was responsible for the bank's wealth management, retail banking and insurance groups.

Small's background includes serving as chief operating officer for Jackson Hewitt Tax Services' nationwide business unit, which included oversight of 1,000 stores. He has also worked at Sky Financial Group, which sold to Huntington Bancshares (HBAN), and National City.

Small will also become a director, taking a post that will become vacant later this month.

Bevack, who will remain a director, will also serve as an advisor for two years. He has been in his current posts since January 2011.

"I am extremely proud of our management team and all that we have accomplished since my appointment as president and CEO," Bevack said in a press release Tuesday. "While I am retiring, I am excited to begin my new role as an outside director and advisor."

United Community has worked its way out of several regulatory orders in the past year. It was freed from its final regulatory order in January.