DBA Names New President and CEO
April 21, 2025 – Dover Delaware – The Delaware Bankers Association (DBA) announces that Karyn Polak will become the new President, CEO, and Treasurer of the Association effective June 2, 2025. Ms. Polak will replace outgoing president Sarah Long, who will retire effective May 30, 2025.
Ms. Polak began her career in corporate law, working with prominent law firms specializing in investment banking, corporate governance, capital markets, and mergers and acquisitions. As an in-house counsel leader and business executive, she worked across the spectrum of institutional finance, from consumer banking to brokerage and wealth management, investment banking, institutional asset management, and insurance and retirement. She first transitioned into financial services at Citigroup, where she served as General Counsel for the Private Bank and later took on a similar role for the Citi interest in the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney joint venture during the financial crisis.
Afterwards, as Deputy General Counsel at PNC Bank, Ms. Polak helped the organization transition into a large bank following its acquisition of National City Bank, leveraging her expertise in big-bank operations, risk management, and compliance. She later moved into the insurance and retirement sectors at Transamerica, serving as Chief Legal Officer. For the last two years, Ms. Polak has served as the Founder of Shift the Prism Advisory, an impact investment consultancy. She is a graduate of Washington University and earned her J.D. from Boston University School of Law.
Ms. Polak was selected from an extensive list of candidates from around the country. The search was conducted by a committee comprised of DBA board members headed by Tarrie Miller, President and COO, County Bank; along with: Christine Davis, EVP, Chief Risk Officer, WSFS Bank; Caroline Horty Dickerson, Chief Executive Officer, Commonwealth Trust Company; Willam LaFond, Wealth Area Executive and Head Of Family Wealth, Wilmington Trust; Don Mell, Executive Director, Site Lead Delaware Market, JPMorgan Chase; Greg Miraglia, SVP, Delaware Market Executive and Wealth Director, PNC Private Bank; and, Katie Wilkinson, SVP, Commercial and Middle Market Banking, Fulton Bank.
“Karyn Polak brings a rare combination of legal expertise, strategic leadership, and a deep commitment to community and policy engagement,” said Tarrie Miller, Head of the Search Committee and Past-Chair of the Delaware Bankers Association. “Her ability to bridge the worlds of finance, regulation, and innovation makes her an outstanding choice to lead the Delaware Bankers Association into its next chapter.”
Ms. Polak is only the fifth administrative director in the 130-year history of the DBA. Ms. Long has served in the position for the past 10 years.