Good day, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Chemung Financial Corporation Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Our host for today's call is David Dalrymple, Chairman of the Board. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. I would like to now turn the call over to your host. Mr. Dalrymple, you may begin.
Okay, thank you. Well, we appreciate you joining us today for our 191st annual stockholders meeting of Chemung Financial Corporation. We're happy to report on another successful year for your company, and we continue to offer a wide array of products and services that provide value to our customers and do so in a way that demonstrates respect and appreciation for their business. We recognize that providing a positive, rewarding work environment for our employees will be reflected in providing a positive experience for our customers. We live where we do business and provide significant contributions to help maintain and enhance the quality of life in the communities we serve.
We are confident that the community banking model is necessary for a free market economy to function, and I am very privileged and honored to be associated with this bank, which has survived and thrived for almost two centuries. I'm happy to turn over the presentation of this meeting to our President and CEO, Anders Tomson.
Thank you so much, Dave. Good afternoon, everybody. In addition to the formal business matters upon which shareholder action is required, I'm pleased to report on our 2023 financial results today. We appreciate your investments in and support of our company and hope our discussion today meets your expectations. If you're attending today's meeting by phone and wish to view the slides, the formal presentation can be found on the investor relations section of our website at chemungcanal.com. I would like to remind you that some of the remarks today contain forward-looking information and are therefore subject to the risks and uncertainties described in our SEC filings. First, I'd like to introduce you to my fellow directors, identified on slide number 5. I personally appreciate their incredible efforts and steadfast support of our company.
The official proxies for today's meeting are our proxies, Tom Whitaker and Jacob Aquilio, inspectors of election, Catherine Raine and Monica Redosh, SEC counsel, Ben Azoff, Luse Gorman, and our external auditors, Tyler Fines and Jen Gandolfi, Crowe LLP. Now, the principal business of this annual meeting of shareholders is to elect five directors for a term of three years each, to approve on a non-binding advisory basis the compensation of the named executive officers, also referred to as Say-on-Pay , to select and approve on a non-binding advisory basis the frequency of the Say-on-Pay vote, to ratify the appointment of Crowe LLP as the company's independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December thirty-first, 2024. The board of directors set April eighth, 2024, as the date of record for this meeting.
Pursuant to the bylaws, the board of directors has appointed Monica L. Redosh and Catherine S. Raine as the inspectors of election to serve at this meeting of shareholders. The oath of inspectors has been executed by the inspectors and received by the secretary. Therefore, I direct the oath of inspectors be affixed to the minutes of the meeting. At this time, I would ask the corporate secretary of Chemung Financial Corporation, Kathleen S. McKillip, to present the affidavit of mailing of the notice of availability and to report on the existence of a quorum for the meeting.
I present the affidavit of mailing, which states that the notice of availability was mailed beginning April 24, 2024, to shareholders of record as of April 8, 2024, the record date for shareholders entitled to notice of this meeting. In addition, I also present a list of the holders of record of the company's common stock as of the close of business on April 8, 2024. Finally, I have been advised by the inspectors of election that at least a majority of the company's outstanding shares entitled to vote are represented in person or by proxy at today's meeting. Since the majority of the company's shares are represented here today, a quorum is present and the meeting is duly convened.
Thank you so much. The report of the secretary on the existence of a quorum is now accepted. I direct that the affidavit of mailing and a list of shareholders record be filed with the records of this meeting. As in the past, the proxies will make and second a series of motions. I will entertain a motion to dispense with the reading of the minutes of the last meeting of shareholders held on June 6, 2023.
I move to dispense with the reading of the minutes of the meeting of shareholders held on June 6, 2023.
I second the motion.
Okay. You have heard the motion to dispense with the reading of the minutes. All in favor, please say aye. Any opposed, say nay.
Aye.
Any abstentions? This motion has carried. Now, the first item of business is the election of five directors for a three-year term. A plurality of votes cast is required to elect each director nominee. Five of the directors elected today will hold office until the 2027 annual meeting of shareholders, or until their successors are elected and qualified. As indicated in the company's proxy statement, the board of directors has nominated the following individuals for a three-year term: Raimundo C. Archibold Jr., David J. Dalrymple, Denise V. Gonick, Joseph F. Meade IV, and Thomas R. Tyrrell. The second item of business is to approve the compensation of the named executive officers, also known as the Say-on-Pay proposal. The third item of business is to report on the frequency on the Say-on-Pay, also known as Say-When-on-Pay proposal.
The fourth item of business is the ratification of the appointment by the board of directors of Crowe LLP as the company's independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2024. We will now hear the inspector's report of the voting results. Mrs. Raine?
With respect to proposal one, election of directors, each nominee received at least 2,674,138 votes.
Therefore, each nominee named in the proxy statement has been duly elected a director of the company.
With respect to proposal two, approval of compensation of the named executive officers, the Say-on-Pay proposal, the voting results are as follows: For, 3,136,139. Against, 110,289. Abstained, 20,116.
Therefore, proposal two has been approved.
With respect to proposal three, frequency vote on Say-on-Pay, the vote was every year, 2,989,547. Every two years, 71,896. Abstained, 35,852.
Therefore, Proposal 3 has been approved as every year.
With respect to proposal four, the ratification of the appointment of Crowe LLP as the company's independent registered public accounting firm for 2024, the voting results are as follows: for, 3,995,209; against, 40,613; abstained, 4,154.
Thank you. Therefore, proposal 4 has been ratified. The business portion of this meeting is now concluded, and I will now present a summary of the corporation's 2023 results. 2023 was a successful year for Chemung Canal. We continued to refine our focus and execute on our community banking model, delivering strong results for our shareholders. Notably, October 2023 marked Chemung Canal Trust Company's 190th anniversary. Since our doors first opened in 1833, Chemung Canal has crossed many milestones and achieved consistent results. We've endured significant world and domestic events that challenged our organization, but also strengthened our resolve and validated our business model. In the face of these dynamic events, the corporation has consistently met new challenges and remained a reliable financial and community resource for our stakeholders.
Throughout our history, we've evolved to meet the needs of our ever-changing communities. Our footprint has grown and our financial platforms have grown. Our consistent objective continues, meeting the evolving financial needs of our stakeholders and providing long-term, dependable value for our shareholders. 190 years since our founding, we stand proud as the oldest locally owned and managed community bank in New York State. Our bank's journey is truly remarkable, and it is far from complete. 2023 brought a new set of challenges for the bank. In March, financial sector turmoil and rising interest rates contributed to a handful of high-profile bank failures. Although Chemung Canal is a more durable business model than these troubled institutions, our bank was not immune to these same market pressures.
As you will see, financial performance across the entire banking sector was negatively impacted by interest rates, margin compression, bank liquidity, credit concerns, and broad-based inflation. For Chemung Canal, strong balance sheet and liquidity management positioned the bank to withstand these pressures and remain a strong financial partner in our communities. 2023 was indeed a dynamic year. Our company's balance sheet has grown to $2.7 billion, as shown on slide 8. Both total loans and total deposits increased to $2 billion and $2.4 billion, respectively, while total shareholders' equity grew to $195.2 million at year-end. The company achieved strong earnings in 2023, with net income of $25 million or $5.28 per share. This result interrupted our consistent track record of increased earnings.
As the chart on slide 10 depicts, earnings decreased year-over-year in 2023. However, results were strong on a relative basis when compared to the broader market. Slide 11 illustrates the results related to return on average assets and return on average equity. ROA of 0.94% and ROE of 14.11% both decreased slightly over 2022. However, as you can see on slides 12 and 13, these results are in line or better than peers. Asset growth continued its upward trend over the last five years, to end 2023 at $2.71 billion. Retained earnings continue to add to total capital, supporting the corporation's consistent growth and business initiatives.
Despite the negative impact of rising interest rates on the bank's available-for-sale securities in 2022, our key capital ratios improved in 2023 and continue to exceed regulatory standards. The bank's regulators consistently recognize Chemung Financial Corporation as a well-capitalized institution. Chemung Financial stock regained momentum in 2023, increasing 28% and performing well above peers. Total shareholder return was 11.74% in 2023. The corporation continued its tradition of uninterrupted dividend payments, paying approximately $5.9 million or $1.24 per share. Under challenging market conditions, the bank continued to be a reliable lending resource for our constituents. Total loans increased 6% in 2023. Lending in New York's Capital Regio n continues to be an important component of interest earnings for the corporation.
Of note, the company's expansion to Western New York continued to contribute to the bank's loan growth in 2023. At year-end, the bank surpassed $100 million in loans in this important region. Now, despite overall portfolio growth, loan originations decreased slightly. This result was appropriate given the year-over-year increase in interest rates and economic conditions. Commercial lending continues to be the most significant segment of the bank's loan portfolio. This year, market forces dictate a decline in total residential and consumer lending. Loan demand from these sectors have been negatively impacted by rising interest rates. Commercial loan balances grew by 11.1% in 2023, continuing their upward trend over the last five years, as shown on slide number 26.
The market has positively responded to the bank's commercial lending efforts, and we remain focused on being a prudent commercial lending resource for our markets. As you can see on slide 28, non-performing assets retained their low levels over the last 4 years. The bank's long-term focus on credit quality, as measured by the ratio of non-performing assets to total assets, has yielded consistent results year-over-year. The corporation benefits from strong credit quality metrics throughout its loan portfolios. Now, a hallmark of our company is our strong deposit franchise. We provide significant support and a high level of service to our core depository relationships, yielding an enduring business model that provides long-term value. This has again been validated in a year with a challenging interest rate environment. In 2023, deposit balances increased 4.4%.
Total bank deposits exceeded $2.4 billion at year-end. The lion's share of the corporation's deposits continue to reside in the bank's legacy markets. These reliable deposits are the essential catalyst that funds our loan growth and confident expansion into new markets. This year, banks competed for deposits as market liquidity was challenged by elevated interest rates. Chemung Canal executed several retail deposit campaigns to drive new deposits and expand funding capacity for our business initiatives. Today, the bank's deposits are primarily comprised of direct deposit and money market accounts, which make up more than 50% of total deposits. Now, as you can see on Slide 33, our deposit franchise is diversified between consumer, commercial, and public sources. This diversity is an additional component of the bank's durability and stability.
Our traditionally low cost of funds was not immune to 2023's market forces. The corporation's cost of funds, while consistent with peers, increased through the year. The bank utilized a combination of traditional deposits, brokered CDs, and overnight borrowings to fund the aforementioned loan growth. Net interest margin decreased slightly in 2023 from 3.05% to 2.85%, as illustrated on slide 35. Net interest income remained consistent with the prior year. Increased asset sensitivity, balance sheet growth, and disciplined interest rate management helped keep this key benchmark stable. The bank's Wealth Management Group completed another successful year. With $2.2 billion in assets under management, the established reputation of our Wealth Management Group continues to contribute to the corporation's bottom line.
The Wealth Management Group contributed $10.46 million in fee income in 2023. This business is an important differentiator for the corporation and a valued resource in our markets. We look forward to its continued expansion. Inflation pressures remain consistent in the market and impacted financial performance. As a result, non-interest income expense increased in 2023. Despite this 8% increase, the bank's focus on efficiency maintained the important ratio of non-interest expense to average assets.
The outcome of this effort was a standing favorable to peers. Management remains disciplined in maintaining the company's salary and related costs. In spite of demanding market pressures and increasing regulatory demands, we continue to focus on prudently managing our costs and minimizing overall headcount. While total FTEs remained relatively flat in 2023, the corporation's efficiency ratio rose slightly.
This increase was a direct result of margin compression and the impact of inflation on operating costs. Earlier, I mentioned the company's expansion into Western New York. The success of our Clarence office has been encouraging, and I'm pleased to announce our plans to open a regional banking center in Williamsville, New York, is quickly taking shape.
A branch site has been selected, and renovations began just this week. A formal public announcement will take place this summer and will also coincide with other exciting initiatives in this important market. Customer demand for digital services persistently evolves. We continuously refine our service and distribution platforms to meet these ever-changing needs. Now, our traditional branches remain essential to our community bank strategy, and smart investments in our digital bank platform allow customers the freedom to bank when and where it is convenient for them.
Our objective is to provide a secure and frictionless customer experience for our clients, whether they choose to bank in one of our many branch locations or online through our digital banking channels. Chemung Canal continues its long history of supporting our communities, including the expansion of our corporate responsibility statement, to include responsible management of our environmental impact. Measurable results across our footprint are important, and we will continue to be at the forefront of these efforts.
Our colleagues commit countless hours of their personal time, enhancing the quality of life of their fellow citizens. We are proud of the positive impact they have in our communities. Whether through corporate sponsorships and donations or individual participation, the bank supports organizations that are essential to the well-being of our communities. Over our long history, the corporation has adapted to new rule challenges and evolving market conditions.
We are committed to responding to these demands and remain relevant and effective in this constantly changing paradigm. Our bank has confidence to execute in a dynamic environment because of our strong capital base and our commitment to our core principles. This commitment to evolve contributes to our strong track record of results and value creation. Now, these outcomes would not have been possible without the contributions of our executive management team. These individuals on slide number 50 have consistently delivered strong results for our shareholders. They oversee critical components of the corporation, manage major lines of business, and provide guidance and leadership across the enterprise. Their enthusiasm and professionalism are fundamental to the corporation's success, and we appreciate their dedication and their expertise.
Notably, in March 2023, Pam Burns, former Director of Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer, and Karl Krebs, former Executive Vice President, CFO, and Treasurer, officially retired. Monica Redosh was promoted in January 2023 to Director of Human Resources, filling the vacancy created by Pam Burns's retirement. Monica is a valued member of the executive management team and important resource for our colleagues. Dale McKim joined the bank in July 2023, being named CFO and Treasurer upon the re-retirement of Karl Krebs. Dale's vast experience in finance and risk makes him a well-equipped successor. I am confident that his contributions and efforts will support the corporation's continued success. For 190 years, we have served our communities and constituents with pride and purpose. We remain confident in our business model and its ability to provide growth and sustained value.
Our core community banking strategies support the bank, our clients, and our communities, and afford us the ability to act swiftly under changing circumstances. Proper execution of our strategic initiatives drives our success and provides value for our shareholders. As we close this year's annual meeting, 2023 was a year of tremendous activity and positive results. Our success was the direct result of the hard work and commitment of our colleagues, supported by the expert guidance and dedication of the board of directors. I personally appreciate their efforts over the last year. On behalf of the board of directors, executive management, and staff, thank you all for your continued investment and confidence in our company. I will now ask for a motion to adjourn this meeting.
I move that this meeting be adjourned.
I second the motion.
You have heard the motion to adjourn the meeting. All in favor, say aye.
Aye.
Aye.
Is there any opposed? Say no. Any abstentions? The motion is carried. The annual meeting of the corporation is now adjourned. Thank you so much.
This concludes today's Chemung Financial Corporation Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Thank you for attending, and have a wonderful rest of your day.