Todd D. Brice is the new chief executive officer of S&T Bank, a company he joined fresh out of college 24 years ago as a retail loan officer.

He succeeds James C. Miller, 62, who is retiring to spend more time with his family, but will continue to serve as board chairman and as a director for the bank.

"I have devoted my entire career to serving S&T Bank, and I am honored to be taking on this new and important role as S&T Bank prepares for growth and expansion," said Mr. Brice, who took over as CEO yesterday. The bank's annual shareholders meeting was Monday.

Mr. Brice, 45, is taking the helm of S&T Bancorp as the institution is expanding into Westmoreland and Allegheny counties in a merger with IBT Bancorp of Irwin, a stock and cash deal worth about $171 million. The merger is expected to be completed in the second quarter.

Based in Indiana, Pa., S&T Bancorp operates 46 offices with assets of $3.5 billion. The combined company will have more than $4.1 billion in assets and improve its market share to about 12 percent in Westmoreland County.

"Since its founding more than a century ago, S&T Bank has been serving the banking needs of Western Pennsylvania," Mr. Brice said. "We believe in building relationships based on trust, confidence and performance, and that is something that will remain constant."

Mr. Brice, who had been serving as S&T's president and chief operating officer, also is a member of the board of directors for the Pittsburgh branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.