Patricia Husic

Patti Husic was skeptical of Twitter at first. Husic, who is in her eighth year as president and chief executive of the $329 million-asset Centric Bank in Harrisburg, Pa., wondered whether social media was worth her time. Once she concluded it was, though, Husic went all in. She has been tweeting for roughly two years and as of late summer had 500 followers.

Husic also makes sure Centric itself is active on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and, for recruiting, LinkedIn. She encourages employees to use their own accounts to show their support for local nonprofits and businesses as well. "We use hyperlocal hashtags to build our influence in our own backyard," she says.

Husic's first leadership role in the industry came in July 2005, when she was named president of Vartan National Bank in Harrisburg. She had joined Vartan less than a year earlier as chief operating officer. The promotion was gratifying but it came with a side of trouble: delinquent loans ballooned to more than 3% of the portfolio less than two years after she moved into the corner office.

Husic's turnaround blueprint was simple and bold. Over a 113-day span in 2007, she put together an investment group that bought and rebranded Vartan. After struggling during the depths of the financial crisis, the bank now known as Centric has posted five consecutive annual profits and is well on its way to a sixth. About 75% of its executive team is female.

As immediate past chair of the Pennsylvania Bankers Association, Husic made advocating for female bankers a priority. Under Husic's leadership, the PBA organized its first Women in Banking conference. The second annual conference, held this past spring, drew 285 attendees and, especially pleasing to Husic, led to more than 350 tweets from participants. Husic, who still chairs the PBA's Women in Banking advisory board, is now busy helping organize the event again for next year.