‘An honor and a half’: Harding native rings NY Stock Exchange bell on New Year’s Eve

WYNCOTE — Ringing the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) bell is something that happens twice a day on the floor at opening and closing. You may see it on the news from time to time when someone of prominence may start or close the day by ringing the bell.

Andrew Vitek, 59, a native of Harding, had the opportunity to ring the NYSE bell on Dec. 3, 2025, an honor he said he will never forget.

Vitek is the holder of a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and financial planning certification from The Wharton School of Business, has been serving as first vice president/investments, financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with over 33 years in the financial advisory business with Wyncote Wealth Management Group.

“The biggest bang was ringing the bell, and that was an honor and a half,” Vitek said. “That type of thing doesn’t happen often, and you don’t know too many people who have the opportunity that do that.”

Franklin Templeton Investments, which Vitek uses for investments, invited him to join the team to ring the NYSE bell.

“It was incredible because it (NYSE) is the center of the financial world — it truly is,” Vitek added. “It’s mind-boggling, and the coolest part is, the president of Franklin Templeton is a woman, and the president of the New York Stock Exchange is a woman, and they broke right through the glass ceiling; it was incredible.”

In addition to having the honor of ringing the bell at the NYSE in December and a few weeks later, Vitek’s firm was named to Forbes 2026 Best-in-State Wealth Management Team; another great honor.

“We are truly honored to receive this recognition from Forbes,” Vitek remarked. “We want to extend our deepest gratitude to our clients for their trust and partnership. Your success is our success, and we remain committed to helping you achieve your financial goals with care and excellence.”

Vitek, the son of Andrew Sr. and Beatrice Vitek, former owners of The Big 4 Restaurant and Campground in Harding, is a 1984 graduate of Wyoming Area and 1980 graduate of Wyoming Area Catholic (WAC), where he still has close ties.

He and his fellow 1980 classmates of WAC established the Wyoming Area Catholic Kindness Award in 2023 to give back to the school. The award is given to a student who best exemplifies kindness to others. The 2026 award will be announced in February.

Vitek is a car racing enthusiast, racing cars since his teenage years. He continues that passion even today, running his racecars all over the USA. He is currently the proud owner of a racecar formerly owned by the late Paul Newman.

He and his wife, Melissa, who is a Doctor of Optometry, have two sons, Drew and Alex.