Business digest

REGION

Zink named senior VP at First National

HERMITAGE, Pa. — Frank Zink has been named senior vice president and chief financial officer of First National Bank of Pennsylvania.

He has more than 20 years of experience in financial services, including the past four years as director of financial institutions and director of finance operations for the Cleveland/Pittsburgh region of Jefferson Wells, which delivers professional services in finance, accounting and related areas. He also has served as director of corporate planning for Transohio Savings Bank and chief financial officer for Liberty Bank.

Zink has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from Xavier University and a master’s degree in business administration from Baldwin Wallace College.

NATION

Spending down in March

WASHINGTON — Americans spent less than expected in March, pulling back after a burst of buying in the first two months of the year. The reversal was tied to a larger-than-anticipated decline in income and is a stark reminder of a fragile economy trying to rise out of a deep recession.

The Commerce Department data released Thursday highlighted one of the big wild cards for the economy: consumers’ appetite to spend in the months ahead.

Consumer spending fell 0.2 percent in March, ending an otherwise strong quarter for spending on a sour note. Americans’ incomes — the fuel for future spending — tumbled 0.3 percent for the month, reflecting wage cuts and layoffs as employers cut costs.

From Vindicator staff and wire reports