Framingham Co-operative Bank

Erickson, Sousa, Vincent and Bilinsky promoted at Framingham Co-operative Bank

Rachel Stewart — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:27:36 GMT

Robert P. Lamprey, CEO of Framingham Co-operative Bank, has announced the promotions of Lawrence E. Erickson, Steven M. Sousa, Joseph M. Vincent, and Michael J. Bilinsky, Jr.

Lawrence Erickson, formerly senior vice president, is now executive vice president. A Framingham resident, he has been with the Bank since January 1990. He is responsible for the strategic expansion and management of the Bank’s commercial and residential loan portfolios.

Steven Sousa has been promoted from vice president to senior vice president. He joined the Bank in 2005 as vice president of retail banking with more than 25 years of community banking experience. His responsibilities include the oversight of retail banking, electronic banking, business development and marketing, and human resources. He is a Dedham resident.

Joseph Vincent, formerly vice president and controller, was promoted to senior vice president. A Dracut resident, he came to the Bank in 1992 with experience gained from positions with COMFED Savings Bank, KPMG Peat Marwick and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). In addition to his role as controller, he oversees the Bank’s technology and security.

Michael Bilinsky was promoted from assistant treasurer to assistant vice president. Bilinsky serves as the Bank’s business development officer, building strategic relationships and partnerships with local enterprises. He also serves as manager of the Bank’s main office, he is responsible for overall branch performance and for maintaining the Bank’s high standards for customer satisfaction. A Framingham native, he is now a Marlborough resident.

Happy Anniversary, Nancy!

Rachel Stewart — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 19:07:24 GMT

A family tradition continues

On June 14th of this year, Vice President Nancy Devine – our longest-term employee — celebrated her 37th anniversary with Framingham Co-operative Bank!

In 1971, to help work her way through college as a liberal arts and sociology major at the University of Southern Maine, Nancy took over a part-time teller’s position at the Bank (at $2.22 an hour) that had been vacated by her sister Linda following Linda’s college graduation. “I saved the Bank money,” Nancy says. “They already had a nameplate saying ‘Miss Devine’ and it wasn’t being used!”

Legacy
The family legacy at the Bank actually goes further back than the Devine sisters. Their great-grandfather James Turner, a Framingham dairy owner, was a member of the Board of Directors from the 1930’s up to the time of his death in 1970.

Her own experience as a Framingham Co-operative Bank employee— coupled with Mr. Turner’s oft-expressed fondness and high regard for the Bank — made quite an impression. Nancy returned home after graduation and took a full-time teller position with the Bank.

“Mr. Atwell, the president at the time, interviewed me for the job,” she recalls. He asked me three questions: Are you honest? Are you good in math? When can you start?”

Of all the bank activities Nancy has been involved in over the years, she says that her time “on the window,” where direct interaction with customers was key, provided perhaps the greatest memories.

Community ties
The significance of that early teller experience may also be rooted in old family values of “treating the customer right.” Nancy’s mother Doris owned Devine’s Card and Gift Shop on Union Avenue in downtown Framingham for nearly 25 years, and worked with customers at the old Gilchrist’s store downtown for several years before that. Dad Harry was a customer service manager for Stop and Shop operations in Norwood, Needham and Marlborough for nearly 46 years. “When I first started at the Bank, he and I used to have discussions about which was the harder job: teller or cashier!”

Memories
Scores of Bank customers have provided Nancy with memories she cherishes.

“I met so many people — many of whom are personal friends now,” she says. “And I watched customers’ families grow through the years, and was excited to have them share their stories with me.

“Many years ago, I was the first new face one particular customer saw when he left Framingham Union Hospital following the birth of his first child: a son named Jeffrey.

“The man shared his pride and excitement with me that morning, and from then on — up to this day — he looks for me when he is in the Bank, to catch me up on Jeffrey’s milestones and accomplishments. ‘Can you believe Jeffrey is a year old today…Jeffrey started school…Jeffrey celebrated his bar mitzvah…Jeffrey is off to college…Jeffrey graduated….Jeffrey got his first job!’

“Jeffrey and his dad became like family to me,” says Nancy. “Where else are you going to find something like that? It was the same way with many of our customers — they become like family to us, and the Bank is also like a family to them.”

Nancy’s own family also gets a fair share of her attention, too, including her mother who still live in the nearby Framingham home near Learned Pond where Nancy grew up, four sisters, three nieces and a nephew.

Go Sox!
If there’s time left over from family, you’ll find Nancy rooting for the Home Team (whether it’s the Sox, Pats or Celtics), tending the vegetable garden at her home in Ashland, golfing or skiing, cooking, or on her weather-permitting three-mile daily walk.

Then there are vacations at the family cottage at Old Orchard Beach in Maine, or time spent at Sunday River or Killington. But the vacation highlight of her life, she says, was the trip to Maui she won at a Jimmy Fund golf tournament ten years ago. And, wouldn’t you know, it was a Bank customer who had invited her to play in the Tournament in the first place!

Today, Nancy’s focus at the Bank includes helping customers open and/or manage their IRAs (individual retirement accounts) and, of course, keeping up with the customer relationships she has established over the years.

No Way!
Would she ever consider leaving her position at Framingham Co-operative Bank?

“Only if I could take all the customers with me,” she says. “We have the best customers.

“They are amazing.”

Nancy Devine — one of the people you can count on at Framingham Co-operative Bank!

Framingham Co-operative Bank Charitable Foundation donates over $46,000 to the community

Rachel Stewart — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 20:56:26 GMT

The Framingham Co-operative Bank Charitable Foundation recently awarded more than $46,000 to a variety of local organizations for programs and services to benefit the community. Announcement of the awards was made today by Robert P. Lamprey, chairman of the Charitable Foundation.

The Foundation’s award of $10,000 to the MetroWest Jewish Day School will help that organization develop a community social justice program for students, families and seniors in need.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of MetroWest was awarded $10,000 to continue the expansion and enhancement of program offerings at the new Framingham Clubhouse at 154 Pearl Street.

A $10,000 gift from the Charitable Foundation to the MetroWest YMCA will contribute to the expansion and renovation of facilities to better support the health, education and recreational needs of children, families and adults living and working in the MetroWest community.

The sum of $10,000 was granted for the Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly’s Shillman House Campaign in Framingham. The project will provide 150 low, moderate and market-level apartments for seniors of all backgrounds. The property is under development on Edmunds Road in Framingham.

The Ashland Education Foundation will receive $3,072 from the Foundation for four classroom computers for students and teachers at the David Mindess School.

A Suitable Image received a $2,500 grant in support of its Clothing Distribution program for low-income men and women, helping them make a successful transition into the workforce.

A $1,000 donation was made to the Association of Small Foundations, an organization that guides small foundations in optimizing their contributions and making a difference with their grant-making activities.

Director Paul Romeo retires after 37 years of service at Framingham Co-operative Bank

Rachel Stewart — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:00:26 GMT

Director Paul R. Romeo of Ashland retired from the Board recently after 37 years of service and countless contributions as a member of several committees during his tenure.

For over 30 years, Paul was the owner and proprietor of Romeo’s Supermarket on Union Street in Ashland, a family business started by his parents. The market closed in 1986.

An Ashland native and Ashland High School graduate, he was a member of the Ashland Finance Committee for 16 years, serving as chairman for six years. He was also Ashland’s treasurer and tax collector for nine years. Devoted to his community, Paul was proud to sponsor local Boy Scout Troop #2 and Little League, Babe Ruth and youth hockey teams in the town.

Paul is a lifetime member of The 100 Club of Massachusetts, an organization founded in 1959 to assist families of law enforcement officers and firefighters who have fallen in the line of duty.

He and his wife, Marie, have seven children, 13 grandchildren and one greatgrandchild. His father-in-law, Nicholas Montal of Framingham, is one of the Bank’s longest-term customers

“The day in 1971 when Mr. O’Brien (Philip R. O’Brien, then chairman of the Board) and Mr. Hickson (Charles W. Hickson, executive vice president at the time, later president and CEO) took me out to lunch and asked me to serve on the Board of Directors was one of the happiest days in my life,” Paul recalls today. “You could have knocked me over with a feather!”

He will become an Honorary Director, along with Charles W. Hickson, Richard D. Karb and Joseph F. Shay.

Current Board members are Robert P. Lamprey, chairman; Susan E. Acton, Paul V. Galvani; Mark R. Haranas; Robert J. Harrington; Clement T. Lambert; James P. Shay; and William R. Swanson.

Framingham Co-operative Bank Essay Contest Wins School Board Praise

Rachel Stewart — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:06:54 GMT

The Framingham School Committee has commended Framingham Co-operative Bank for its second annual sponsorship of a student essay contest in three Framingham elementary schools.

A total of 212 students in 11 fifth-grade classrooms at the McCarthy, Hemenway and Potter Road schools competed for first-place honors for essays reflecting their personal thoughts on: “What Does Patriotism Mean to Me?”

The competition was sponsored by Framingham Co-operative Bank in conjunction with Partners in Education. The contest is incorporated into the classroom curriculum as practice for MCAS testing.

At a recent Framingham School Committee meeting, board members recognized and applauded the students and participating teachers. The board also thanked Partners in Education and the Bank, and specifically Kimberly Sambucci, retail banking analyst, for providing Framingham students with the opportunity to participate.

One winning essay was selected from each participating classroom. Essay winners were awarded $75 Series I Savings Bonds from Framingham Co-operative Bank. All of the contest participants received certificates of appreciation from the Bank, as well.

Framingham Co-operative Bank Charitable Foundation awards $19,000 in scholarships to local graduates

Rachel Stewart — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:32:16 GMT

Robert P. Lamprey, chairman of the Framingham Co-operative Bank Charitable Foundation, announced today the awarding of college scholarships totaling $19,000 to seven 2008 graduates of Framingham’s three high schools.

Three of the scholarships, in the amount of $5,000 each, were established in 2005 to honor the memory of Roland J. Bunnell II, a past trustee of the Framingham Co-operative Bank Charitable Foundation. Mr. Bunnell was also a member of the Framingham Co-operative Bank board of directors and senior vice president at the time of his death in 2004. He had served the Bank for more than 15 years.

The Bunnell Memorial Scholarship recipients were Rajni Salhotra, Framingham High School; Neil Rodrigues, Marian High School; and Francine Garnier, Joseph P. Keefe Technical School.

The Charitable Foundation also funded four $1,000 awards made through the Edwin Alexis Marin Memorial Scholarship program at Framingham High School. The Scholarships are named for a student who died in a car accident following his sophomore year at Framingham High. The program encourages Latino students at the High School to continue on to college, by providing one means of financial support.

Recipients of the Edwin Alexis Marin scholarships were Luis Antonio Alvarez, Jennifer Gonzalez, Jocelyn Morales, and Lucas Nader.

“By investing in the education of today’s youth, we are hopeful that they will be among those who give back in ways that will further strengthen the fabric of our community in years to come,” said Lamprey.

Michael Semizoglou joins Framingham Co-operative Bank

Rachel Stewart — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:06:39 GMT

Robert P. Lamprey, CEO of Framingham Co-operative Bank, announced today that Michael Semizoglou has joined the Bank’s commercial lending team as an assistant vice president.

Semizoglou joins the bank from Metro Credit Union, where he was an assistant vice president and commercial services officer. Previously, he served as business development and sales manager and assistant vice president with TD Banknorth, where he was a President’s Award nominee.

A Brighton resident, he is currently continuing his education at Boston’s Emmanuel College and will earn the bachelor of science degree upon completion of his studies in December.

Semizoglou is a member of the Board of Directors and treasurer of Washington Gateway, a Boston Main Street Program dedicated to the preservation and revitalization of a 1.4 mile district in Boston’s South End/Lower Roxbury neighborhood. The Washington Gateway program — a partnership of volunteers, neighborhood organizations, real estate developers, government and businesses, has brought new businesses, storefront improvements, residential and commercial developments, preservation projects and rejuvenated open space to the community since its work began in 1997.

You’re banking with the best.

Rachel Stewart — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:38:09 GMT

The people have spoken! Readers of the Community Newspapers have voted us the “#1 Community Bank” in Framingham and in the Framingham region which includes Framingham, Natick, Sudbury, Wayland and Weston.
Congratulations to our customers and staff for this honor!

Celebrate Framingham

Rachel Stewart — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:56:24 GMT

It was a great afternoon!

Framingham Co-operative Bank was privileged to be involved in the Town’s first Celebrate Framingham event on June 1st as a Platinum sponsor. Rachel Stewart, assistant vice president, played a major role in planning the day’s Downtown activities as the co-chairperson of the event.

As part of the day’s schedule, we teamed with the Bicycle Patrol Unit of the Framingham Police Department to offer our second annual Bicycle Rodeo, offering local youngsters bicycle safety skills – and free bicycle helmets!

Celebrate Framingham attracted people of all ages, and resulted in a true sense of community for local residents and visitors alike as they shared in a variety of free activities and performances including the arts, music, sports and more.

Mark R. Haranas, Esq. elected as President, Chief Operating Officer at Framingham Co-operative Bank

Rachel Stewart — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:51:56 GMT

The Board of Directors of Framingham Co-operative Bank has elected Mark R. Haranas of Hopkinton as president and chief operating officer, according to an announcement made today by Robert P. Lamprey, chairman of the Board.

Haranas will assume the position on July 1. Lamprey will continue in his role as chief executive officer and Board chairman. As president and chief operating officer, Haranas will work closely with Lamprey in the overall administration of the Bank.

Haranas is a partner in the Framingham law firm of Haranas, Mayer, Jachowicz & Galvani, LLP, and has served as general counsel to the Bank for nearly two decades. The firm, which specializes in areas including real estate financing, zoning issues, workers’ compensation and family law, will continue to represent the Bank. Haranas will relinquish his role with the firm.

A Framingham native, Haranas attended Framingham public schools and Framingham High School and is a 1976 graduate of Framingham State College. He received a juris doctor degree from the New England School of Law in 1983, and was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar that same year. He is a member of the Real Estate Bar Association of Massachusetts.

Elected to the Framingham Co-operative Bank Board of Directors in 2000, Haranas will remain on that Board. He also serves as a trustee of the Framingham Co-operative Bank Charitable Foundation, and is a member of the Board of Directors of Project Just Because, of Hopkinton.

Haranas and his wife, Susan, are the parents of three sons.

Framingham Co-operative Bank Charitable Foundation donates over $45,000 to the community

Rachel Stewart — Wed, 07 May 2008 14:49:41 GMT

FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, May 7, 2008 … The Framingham Co-operative Bank Charitable Foundation recently awarded over $45,000 in support of programs and initiatives sponsored by 11 local organizations. Announcement of the awards was made today by Robert P. Lamprey, chairman of the Charitable Foundation.

A grant of $10,000 was awarded to MetroWest Outreach Connection to support that organization’s mission to prevent homelessness and to assist those who are homeless in their pursuit of permanent housing.

The Charitable Foundation’s donation of $5,000 to the MetroWest ESL Fund will support English as a Second Language classes at Framingham Adult ESL. A $5,000 award to the McAuliffe Regional Charter School will help augment field experience and project-based learning for the school’s 275 students.

A $5,000 grant to South Middlesex Legal Services (SMLS) will assist that organization in providing legal advice and representation to hundreds of residents in the greater MetroWest area who have serious civil legal problems and nowhere else to turn. The funding will also support a new SMLS initiative, The KidsCare Connection Project, designed to identify and create a comprehensive plan for children whose medical, dental and/or mental health needs are not being met.

Marian High School was awarded $5,000 by the Charitable Foundation to help replace student desks that have been in use since the school opened in 1956. Nearly 300 of the original desks have been replaced over the past two years; approximately 200 are still in need of replacement, according to Sr. Catherine Clifford, principal of Marian High.

The sum of $5,000 was contributed to the 14th Annual Big Top Bash, an event underwritten each year by Ken’s Foods of Marlborough in support of Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a nonprofit residential summer camp and year-round center serving children and families coping with cancer and other serious illnesses.

Bethany Hill School in Framingham received a $2,500 grant from the Charitable Foundation to support newsletters produced for residents and for donors. Advocates, Inc. received $2,500 to help send two individuals with developmental disabilities to a national conference on self-empowerment.

The sum of $2,000 was awarded to GreenUp, Inc. of Framingham toward the cost of GreenUp Day activities in the Town on May 3. The Framingham Co-operative Bank parking lot on Route 30 was one of five registration and drop-off locations for the event, designed to eliminate trash from local streets, parks and neighborhoods.

The Charitable Foundation’s donation of $2,000 will help fund the “Happy Birthday Baby” program at Framingham’s First Baptist Church, which distributes baby care packages to local low-income and teen mothers of newborns. Eighth graders at Framingham’s Fuller Middle School were treated to a special performance of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” thanks to a $1,060 grant from the Charitable Foundation.