Framingham Co-operative Bank - Staff News

Sambuchi Will Manage New Electronic Banking Branch

Rachel Stewart — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:05:49 GMT

Mark R. Haranas, president of Framingham Co-operative Bank, has announced the promotion of Kimberly Sambuchi to the position of electronic banking manager.

In this newly created position, Sambuchi will manage the Bank’s “E-Branch,” a new department within the retail banking division headed by Steven Sousa, senior vice president.

Sambuchi’s areas of responsibility will encompass online banking, online bill pay and presentment, mobile banking, and online account opening. Also, ATM/debit card support management, telephone banking, telephone and online live support, and training and personnel development. Electronic banking specialists from within the Bank will support E-Branch activities.

A Framingham resident, Sambuchi joined the Bank in 2002 as a teller. She was promoted to customer service representative the following year and has served as a retail banking analyst since 2007.

She has been actively involved in Ashland High School’s Life Skills student workshops, and was honored by the Framingham School Committee in 2007 for initiating what is now an annual Patriot’s Day Essay Contest held in 10 fifth-grade classrooms in three local schools.

Sambuchi is a graduate of Framingham High School, and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Boston University and a master of arts degree in business from Framingham State College.

Richard Reder promoted at Framingham Co-operative Bank

Rachel Stewart — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:25:48 GMT

Mark R. Haranas, president of Framingham Co-operative Bank, has announced the promotion of Richard M. Reder to credit officer of the commercial loan department. His responsibilities will include assessing credit and credit risk, as well as loan review.

Reder has been with the Bank since 2007 and previously served as a commercial credit analyst. He has over 12 years of experience in lending.

A Belmont resident, he is a graduate of Bentley College and the New England College of Finance.

Bischoff joins Framingham Co-operative Bank as Senior Vice President, Operations/IT

Rachel Stewart — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:10:26 GMT

Mark R. Haranas, president of Framingham Co-operative Bank, announced today that Kurt K. Bischoff, Jr. has joined the Bank as senior vice president, responsible for deposit operations and information technology management.

Bischoff joins the Framingham bank with over a decade of experience from South Shore Co-operative Bank, where he served most recently as senior vice president – operations and information technology. He also served in branch management and technology positions with Massachusetts Cooperative Bank, Summit Bank, and Greater Boston Bank during a career in financial services that spans nearly four decades.

A Norton resident, Bischoff holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Albion College in Michigan, and is a graduate of the New England School of Banking at Williams College. He also completed studies at Robert Morris Associates Commercial Lending at the University of New Hampshire and at the New England Banking Institute in Boston.

Throughout his professional career, he has been an active volunteer with numerous industry, community, charitable and civic organizations.

Habib named HR Manager at Framingham Co-operative Bank

Rachel Stewart — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 14:54:01 GMT

Steven M. Sousa, senior vice president of Framingham Co-operative Bank, has announced the promotion of Rahnuma Habib to the position of human resources manager, responsible for the personnel function and benefits administration throughout the Bank.

Habib, who joined Framingham Co-operative Bank as a teller in 1998, has served as human resources coordinator for the past decade. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in economics from Badrunnessa College in Bangladesh and also a bachelor of science degree in management from the University of Phoenix. An Ashland resident, she is a member of the Human Resource Management Association.

Three promoted at Framingham Co-operative Bank

Rachel Stewart — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:57:13 GMT

Steven M. Sousa, senior vice president of Framingham Co-operative Bank, has announced the promotions of Michael Bilinsky, Yasmine Ouweijan, and Lisa White.

Michael Bilinsky, assistant vice president, has assumed full-time responsibilities as the Bank’s business development officer, responsible for building strategic relationships and working partnerships with local business enterprises.

Bilinsky was previously manager of the Bank’s main office at 828 Concord Street in Framingham. A Framingham native, he graduated from Marian High School and went on to earn a degree in business management. Since joining the Bank in 1990, he has completed additional studies in the field of financial services and banking. He now lives in Marlboro.

Yasmine Ouweijan, formerly assistant manager of the Bank’s Lincoln Street branch in Framingham, has succeeded Bilinsky as manager of the Concord Street office. In this position, she is responsible for overall branch performance and for maintaining the Bank’s high standards for customer satisfaction.

A former teacher in her native Lebanon, Ouweijan joined the Bank in 1999 as a teller, later moving into a customer service role. She was named assistant branch manager in 2007. A North Grafton resident, she recently completed studies at the American Bankers Association’s “Branch Management Development School” in Stamford, CT.

Lisa White, administrative assistant, has assumed the additional role of assistant branch manager of the Concord Street office. White joined the Bank in 1997 as a teller, with previous teller and supervisory experience gained at United Bank in Oklahoma. She has completed financial services courses offered by Rose State College in Oklahoma and by the Massachusetts Bankers Association. A Marlboro resident, White has served in customer service and administrative assistant positions with Framingham Co-operative Bank since 1998.

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!

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.

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.

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.

Brian Ledwith joins Framingham Co-operative Bank

Rachel Stewart — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 20:37:09 GMT

Robert P. Lamprey, president of Framingham Co-operative Bank, announced today that Brian E. Ledwith has joined the Bank as a vice president and member of the commercial lending team.

Ledwith has more than 17 years of experience in commercial and real estate investment lending. Most recently, he was vice president/senior retail lending officer and commercial lending officer at Benjamin Franklin Bank. Previously, he served as vice president/senior loan officer with Medway Cooperative Bank. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston College and graduated with honors from the National School of Banking.

A Franklin resident, Ledwith is active in Franklin youth sports, including hockey, baseball and soccer. He will be located at the Bank’s Loan Center at 160 Cochituate Road in Framingham.

Stewart promoted to AVP at Framingham Co-operative Bank

Rachel Stewart — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 21:17:33 GMT

FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, June, 2007 … Robert P. Lamprey, president and CEO of Framingham Co-operative Bank, has announced the promotion of Rachel Stewart of Milford to assistant vice president.

Stewart will continue with her current responsibilities, which include marketing, public relations and business development, as well as managing the Bank’s active customer relationship program, Club Advantage. She is also administrative director of the Framingham Co-operative Bank Charitable Foundation.

Stewart joined Framingham Co-operative Bank in 1999, with more than two decades of banking experience. Her financial services background includes managing retirement accounts and SBLI Insurance sales, and she holds both Insurance and Long Term Care licenses. During her 13-year association with MetroWest Bank (now TD Banknorth), she managed the Bank’s retirement, insurance, and safe deposit departments and also its relationship banking program.

She is a summa cum laude graduate of Bridgewater State College and high honors graduate of the Banking School of Finance. Early in her career, she was a teacher in the Milford Public School system.

Stewart was a member of the Bankers’ Educational Forum, and has served twice as president of the Worcester Central Chapter and also as president of the state chapter. She has served four terms as president of the Massachusetts Retirement Consortium, and is a three-time president of the New England Safe Deposit Association (NESDA). She has also a member of the Board of ABA Bank Marketing - New England Chapter and currently serves as co-chair of membership.

Framingham Co-operative Bank is a state-chartered institution established in 1889. The Bank has full-service offices in Framingham at 828 Concord Street and One Lincoln Street and a Loan Center at 160 Cochituate Road, and offers online banking services at framinghambank.com. The Bank is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and a member of the Share Insurance Fund (SIF).

Gail Bennett celebrates 30 years with Framingham Co-operative Bank

Rachel Stewart — Tue, 29 May 2007 14:14:59 GMT

FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, May 29, 2007 … In 1976, a local high school graduate accepted a job as a teller at the Howard Street branch of Framingham Co-operative Bank, in downtown Framingham. That branch is no longer there, but Gail Bennett is still a Framingham Co-operative Bank employee, some 30 years later.
Bennett, a lifelong Framingham resident, was honored by the Bank for her three decades of service at its recent Employee Awards Night.

Early in her banking career, Bennett was promoted from teller to Consumer Loan Assistant, and moved to the Bank’s Concord Street office. Over the years, she added training new employees and processing and closing residential mortgages to her resume. Today, she remains with the Loan Department, where she recently took over responsibility for collections.

“Gail is an inspiration for all of our employees,” said Robert P. Lamprey, president and CEO. “I commend and appreciate her dedication and commitment to the Bank, and look forward to working with her in the years to come.”

Framingham Co-operative Bank is a state-chartered institution established in 1889. The Bank has full-service offices in Framingham at 828 Concord Street and One Lincoln Street and a Loan Center at 160 Cochituate Road, and offers online banking services at framinghambank.com. The Bank is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and a member of the Share Insurance Fund (SIF).

Lisa Rohmer Appointed to Framingham’s Fair Housing Committee

Rachel Stewart — Tue, 29 May 2007 13:41:23 GMT

FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, May 29, 2007 Lisa Rohmer of Ashland has been appointed as a member of the Framingham Fair Housing Committee. The appointment by the Framingham Board of Selectmen is effective through June 30, 2007, at which time Rohmer can request reappointment for a three-year term. She was sworn in by Framingham Town Clerk Valerie Mulvey.
Rohmer is vice president of residential lending at Framingham Co-operative Bank. She has more than 23 years of residential and retail lending experience.

The Fair Housing Committee is a town-appointed group of individuals who reside and/or work in Framingham. Its mission is to promote fair and open access to housing opportunities for all segments of the community. The Committee sponsors Framingham’s annual First Time Homebuyer Fair, which Rohmer has helped organize and facilitate for the past three years She also serves as a course instructor for First Time Homebuyer seminars.

A graduate of Trinity College in Washington DC and the Massachusetts Bankers Association management course, Rohmer has also completed a number of banking programs and participated in a variety of financial services workshops and educational sessions.

She has been with Framingham Co-operative Bank since 1994.

Framingham Co-operative Bank is a state-chartered institution established in 1889. The Bank has full-service offices in Framingham at 828 Concord Street and One Lincoln Street and a Loan Center at 160 Cochituate Road, and offers online banking services at framinghambank.com. The Bank is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and a member of the Share Insurance Fund (SIF).

Framingham Town Clerk Valerie Mulvey (left)
and Lisa Rohmer of Framingham Co-operative Bank.