YOUNGSTOWN — Leadership at Premier Financial Corp., holding company for Premier Bank, will transition March 31 to Gary Small, who will become president and CEO.

The timetable is consistent with plans from the September 2019 merger of United Community Financial Corp., the former holding company of Home Savings Bank of Youngstown, and Defiance-based First Federal Bank of the Midwest and its parent company, First Defiance Financial Corp.

Small before the merger was president and CEO of United Community Financial Corp.

He takes over for Donald P. Hileman, who is transitioning to executive director of Premier Financial Corp.’s board of directors. Before the merger, Hileman was president and CEO of First Defiance Financial Corporation.

The holding company Premier Financial Corp. will remain headquartered in Defiance, and Premier Bank will remain headquartered in Youngstown. Premier Bank operates 75 branches and 12 loan offices in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.