In 1992, Wagner became Northwest’s Executive Vice President and was named Chief Operations Officer in 1996. Since 1998, he has been its President and Chief Executive Officer. He has been Chairman of the Board of Directors since 2003.

It would not be understating things to say he has been at the helm of a company growing the entire course of his 34 years there.

In 2017, Wagner retired as CEO and is now retiring as Executive Chairman of the Board.

On Wednesday, nearly all of the employees of Northwest’s corporate headquarters in downtown Warren gathered in the street to bid farewell to their CEO.

Times Observer photo by Dave Ferry Bill Wagner hugs Northwest’s Kristen Guiher as everyone re-enters after unveiling the newly named William J. Wagner Administration Center.

The big surprise, however, was the official unveiling of the William J. Wagner Administration Center named in his honor.

Lead Director Phillip Tredway announced the unveiling, saying Wagner’s departure was bitter because they will miss him; and sweet because he is sure to “enjoy (a) well-deserved retracement.”

Tredway spoke of the culture Wagner has nurtured among Northwest employees. “(His) guiding principal was to do the right thing for the people who work here, to make their lives better.”

Wagner thanked John Hanna for hiring him in 1984, and said it has been “nice to come to work every day with people I have so much respect for. If someone had told me (back then) to sketch out my ideal career, I couldn’t even come close.”

“It means an awful lot” to be honored this way, he said.

Northwest “has become such an important part of the community,” said Wagner. “When I started, we had maybe 50 employees in Warren County.”

Northwest now has more than 2,000 employees across nearly 200 branches.

After the unveiling, everyone returned inside. Wagner shook hands or hugged everyone as they filed past.