bankESB In The News

The holiday season is a joyous time. Unfortunately, with increased gift-giving and charitable donations come prime opportunities for scammers to defraud you. Here are some common scams and how to protect yourself. Gift Card Scams It’s a popular time for purchasing gift cards—and scammers know it. They also know that gift cards don’t offer the …

bankESB recently promoted Katie Woods (LaValley) to assistant branch manager of its 770 Main St., Agawam office. Woods, of West Springfield, joined bankESB earlier this year as a float teller supervisor. Previously, she was assistant branch manager at PeoplesBank, and before that, store operations manager at CVS Health. In her new role, Woods will assist …

Matthew S. Sosik, president and CEO of bankESB, is kicking off the bank’s 2024 Neighbors Helping Neighbors fundraising drive to help support local food pantries. This marks the fourth year of the bank’s annual appeal, which invites bank customers, employees, and community members to donate money between November 1 and November 30 to help fight …

bankESB announced today that it received three Top Workplaces Culture Excellence awards for employee appreciation, well-being, and professional development. Top Workplaces Culture Excellence awards from Energage celebrate organizations that are dedicated to building an exceptional people-first culture. The Employee Appreciation award celebrates organizations that make employees feel valued for their efforts, thereby motivating employees to …

Scammers love to prey on the kindness and compassion of people. That’s why they are using fake charities to try to defraud victims of Hurricanes Helene and Milton and those willing to help them. They send unsolicited emails, texts, phone calls, and social media messages that may even appear legitimate and from a well-known charity. …

bankESB recently donated $5,000 to the Easthampton Pickleball Fundraising Project, a dedicated group of pickleball enthusiasts who have partnered with the Players Philanthropy Fund to raise money for new pickleball courts. There are currently two pickleball courts located in the picturesque Nonotuck Park that were constructed in 2020. Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in …

Though Halloween gets all the fanfare and excitement, there’s another event that also happens in October. It’s National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, an annual event created to bring government and industry together to help protect American consumers from the scary threat of cybertheft. The theme for this year’s event, Secure Our World, focuses on four key …

Easthampton Public Library and bankESB recently announced that the bank has donated use of its building at 52 Main St. to the library to help expand library programming to the Easthampton community. According to Library Director Katya Schapiro, the library initially intends to use the building as an annex to its primary location at 9 …

What would you do if your Social Security number and other highly personal information were compromised? Unfortunately, that situation could be a harsh reality for hundreds of millions of unsuspecting people who may have been impacted by a massive data breach of National Public Data. The organization, which houses data that employers, investigators, and other …

bankESB invites customers and members of the community to two free Shred Days at local offices. Events will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (or until the truck is full) on the following dates and at the following locations. No appointment is necessary. Saturday, October 5: Amherst office, 253 Triangle St. Saturday, October …

bankESB has received the 2024 Corporate Citizenship Award from Boston Business Journal, recognizing the bank as one of Massachusetts’ top corporate charitable contributors. It’s the tenth year in a row that bankESB has received the honor. The Business Journal annually publishes this list to showcase companies that promote and prioritize giving back to their communities. …

bankESB recently hosted a backpack drive in its King Street, Northampton and Triangle Street, Amherst branches, to support student residents of Valley Community Development. Customers and members of our community donated school supplies, and the bank outfitted 40 backpacks filled with essentials for a successful school year. The yearly expense of a new backpack can …

How romance scams work With romance scams, which can happen to people of all genders, fraudsters create fake online dating or social media profiles to attract and earn the trust of unsuspecting users. Their goal is to trick users into sending money or providing personal information that they can use for nefarious purposes.  Here’s how …

bankESB recently promoted two of their employees to senior assistant branch manager. Denise Clark, of Westfield, has nearly 13 years of banking experience. She joined bankESB in 2011 as a teller, and was most recently assistant branch manager of its 85 Broad St., Westfield office. She earned a bachelor’s degree in art from Westfield State …

Has this happened to you?  You’re on your computer surfing the internet when a pop-up message appears on your screen. The message warns you that your computer has been infected with a serious virus and instructs you to call a phone number immediately to get technical support.  While that pop-up may look official and real, …

bankESB recently announced a commitment of $20,000 to the South Deerfield-based Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) Growing Resilience Campaign, an effort focused on building a stronger, more resilient local food system in western Massachusetts. CISA’s efforts to support a local food economy began more than 30 years ago. Today, more than 250 farms participate …

Join us in welcoming George Michelakis as branch officer of our 253 Triangle St., Amherst office! Michelakis, of Chicopee, has 15 years of banking experience. He was previously a financial center manager at Berkshire Bank, and before that, a branch operations administrator at Peoples United Bank. He brings an extensive background of retail banking leadership …

Congratulations to Melissa LaBonte on her recent promotion to assistant vice president, core systems! LaBonte, of Southampton, has 23 years of banking experience and has unlocked potential in many different areas of the banking industry throughout her career. She joined the bank in 2001 as a teller, and over the past two decades has held …

June is Elder Abuse Awareness Month. And, unfortunately, the number of scams targeting seniors is rising rapidly. That’s because scammers believe those 60 and older have more money, are more willing to trust people, and are less willing to report crimes against them. Here are some common elder scams and how you can stop them …

There’s only one you, and at bankESB, we want to help you keep it that way! Here’s what you need to know about common scams that try to steal your personal info or identity! Phishing: Watch your email With a phishing scam, you may receive an email that appears to be from a company you …

bankESB recently promoted Michelle Raskevitz to vice president, learning and development. Raskevitz, of Easthampton, joined bankESB as a teller in the bank’s College Hwy., Southampton office, and is about to celebrate her 30-year work anniversary at bankESB. She has held various roles, primarily in the realm of training, and was most recently assistant vice president, …

Who doesn’t love a convenient and easy way to move money? That’s why Zelle, the person-to-person payment service offered by bankESB, has become a popular way to send and receive money quickly. Unfortunately, it’s also become popular among scammers who use it to defraud unsuspecting victims. As part of our commitment to helping you protect …

bankESB recently hired Lauren Tabin as assistant vice president, branch officer of its King St., Northampton office. Tabin, of Holyoke, has nearly 30 years of banking experience. Prior to joining bankESB, she was assistant vice president, branch officer at PeoplesBank, and previously held various other positions there including banking center manager, branch officer, trainer, and …

bankESB invites customers and members of the community to two free Shred Days at local offices. Events will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (or until the truck is full) on the following dates and at the following locations. No appointment is necessary. Saturday, June 8: Agawam office, 770 Main St. Saturday, June …

Hometown Financial Group, parent company of bankESB, Abington Bank, and bankHometown, announced today it was named a winner of the 2024 Top Workplaces USA award by Energage. Top Workplaces USA celebrates organizations with 150 or more employees that are dedicated to building an exceptional people-first culture. Winners are chosen based solely on employee feedback gathered …

Tax season is in full swing. For many, it’s time to get a little extra money back as a refund. Unfortunately, it’s also a time that scammers look to steal money and the identities of unsuspecting victims. At bankESB, we want to help protect you. Here’s some info on the latest tax scams and how …

The Chamber of Greater Easthampton is pleased to announce a significant contribution of $25,000 from bankESB towards its ambitious co-workspace project, WorkHub on Union. The donation will support the development of a vibrant and collaborative co-working space, providing valuable resources for entrepreneurs and businesses in the Greater Easthampton region. “This is a tremendous opportunity to …

bankESB recently hired Hector Suarez as assistant vice president, branch officer of their Sargeant St., Holyoke office. Suarez grew up in Holyoke and Puerto Rico and has nearly 30 years of banking experience. He says he is passionate about providing a customer-first experience and brings an extensive background to his new role, where he will …

Congratulations to Seth Clark of our 36 Main St. Easthampton office on his recent promotion to wire transfer officer! Seth lives in Westfield and has 11 years of banking experience. He joined bankESB in 2013 and has held a variety of positions that have helped him unlock the potential of our customers, including wire transfer …

Elan Charitable Giving Program Supports Credit Card Partners’ Communities bankESB has made a $12,500 donation to the Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts in partnership with the Elan Charitable Giving Program. Elan Financial Services, bankESB’s credit card solutions partner, launched their charitable giving program in 2022 and has donated over $1.7 million to charities on behalf …

Matthew S. Sosik, president and CEO of bankESB, announced that the bank’s third annual Neighbors Helping Neighbors fundraising drive raised $35,000 for local food pantries. This brings the program’s three-year total to nearly $110,000. The appeal is part of bankESB’s charitable giving program, The Giving Tree, which reflects the bank’s commitment to making a difference …

bankESB and its employees recently made donations of $50,000 to the United Way of the Franklin & Hampshire Region. Employees pledged nearly $23,000 of their own funds in the bank’s United Way workplace campaign. Combined with the bank’s dollar-for-dollar match and additional corporate contribution, the campaign total of $50,000 will be donated to the United …

bankESB recently promoted Stephanie Vincelette to assistant vice president, human resources operations. Vincelette, of Granby, has 11 years of banking experience. She was previously human resources operations officer, and before that, payroll manager, and began her career in banking as payroll specialist. Before joining bankESB in 2012, she had 5 years of previous payroll & …

bankESB recently promoted Erica Gomes to assistant vice president, customer care, based at their Northampton Street, Easthampton office. Gomes, of Chicopee, has 24 years of banking experience. She joined the Hometown Financial Group family of banks at bankHometown in 2013 as branch manager of the Killingly office, after spending more than 14 years in retail …

bankESB recently promoted Jessica West to assistant vice president, branch officer of their 36 Main St., Easthampton office. West, of Hadley, has 31 years of banking experience. She was previously assistant vice president, branch manager in Amherst. Before that, she was branch manager at the Northampton St., Easthampton office, and before that, assistant branch manager …

bankESB recently promoted Trevor McCarthy to float retail manager. McCarthy, of Chicopee, has three years of banking experience, and joined bankESB in 2020 as a teller. In his new role, he will manage the float staff at bankESB. He will be based in Easthampton but will float to all bankESB branches to support with supervisory …

bankESB has been named one of The Boston Globe’s Top Places to Work in Massachusetts. “We’re so proud to be named one of the Commonwealth’s ‘Top Places to Work’ and humbled that it’s the direct result of positive feedback by our own employees,” said bankESB President and CEO Matthew S. Sosik. “I’m inspired every day …

bankESB recently promoted Tiffany Raines to vice president, retail administration. Raines, of Belchertown, joined bankESB in 2018 as assistant vice president, branch officer of the Holyoke branch and was promoted to vice president, branch officer in 2021. She has nearly 25 years of banking experience, including her previous roles as assistant vice president and banking …

This marks the third year of the bank’s annual appeal, which invites bank customers, employees, and community members to donate money between November 1 and November 30 to help fight food insecurity. All donations up to $2,500 per customer will be matched dollar for dollar by bankESB and the total raised will be divided among …

bankESB has received the 2023 Corporate Citizenship Award from Boston Business Journal, recognizing the bank as one of Massachusetts’ top corporate charitable contributors. It’s the ninth year in a row that bankESB has received the honor. The Business Journal annually publishes this list to showcase companies that promote and prioritize giving back to their communities. …

bankESB invites customers and members of the community to two free Shred Days at local offices. Events will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (on until the truck is full) on the following dates and at the following locations. No appointment is necessary. Saturday, September 23: Easthampton office, 241 Northampton St. Saturday, October …

Hometown Financial Group, parent company of bankESB, announced today that it was named a 2023 Financial Services Industry Top Workplaces national award winner. This award is based solely on feedback from employees of participating workplaces, gathered through an anonymous, third-party survey administered by Energage, LLC, a leading provider of technology-based employee engagement tools. Top Workplaces …

Matthew Sosik, president and CEO of bankESB, announced that the bank is awarding up to $25,000 in a matching challenge grant to support the Amherst Hurricanes Boosters’ Transformative Uses for Regional Fields (T.U.R.F). Project. Alongside the support of parents and community members, the total could reach as much as $50,000. The Amherst Hurricane Athletic Boosters …

bankESB recently awarded $5,000 to the Belchertown Pickleball Community and Belchertown Orioles Athletic Association to support the initiative of building two new community pickleball courts at 59 State Street in Belchertown. The Belchertown Pickleball Community ​is a volunteer run, not for profit organization, created to better the Pickleball experience in Belchertown. The two new State …

bankESB recently promoted Peter Gilbert to assistant branch manager of its 241 Northampton Street branch in Easthampton, MA. Gilbert, of Westhampton, started as a teller at bankESB’s Hadley branch in 2018, was promoted to teller supervisor in 2019, and moved to a float retail supervisor in 2021. He holds an associate degree in liberal arts …

bankESB recently promoted Tim Czerniejewski to assistant vice president, commercial lending. Czerniejewski, of Westfield, has 16 years of experience in banking. He joined bankESB in 2016 as a credit analyst, and was promoted in 2018 to assistant vice president, portfolio manager. In his new role, he will be responsible for developing, structuring and closing commercial …

Hometown Mortgage is hosting three first-time home buyer seminars on June 6, June 7, and June 13 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at 7 Campus Lane in Easthampton, MA. Join Jeff Hutchins, mortgage loan originator at Hometown Mortgage, along with other real estate professionals, in this certified course recognized by the Massachusetts Housing Partnership …

bankESB recently announced that Joe Williams has been hired as vice president, commercial lender. Williams, of East Longmeadow, has twelve years of banking experience including his most recent roles as AVP, business banking officer at People’s Bank, and AVP, credit officer at United Bank. Williams holds a master’s degree in communication from Bay Path University, …

bankESB recently promoted Brenna Breeding to digital marketing officer. Breeding, of West Springfield, joined bankESB in 2020 as digital marketing manager. In her new role, Breeding will be responsible for digital marketing content strategy and development, corporate website management, and will serve as the relationship manager for 3rd party vendors. She earned a bachelor’s degree …

bankESB recently announced that Gary Turku has been named senior vice president, retail banking officer for bankESB, succeeding Nancy Lapointe who recently retired. Turku, of Amherst, joined bankESB in May 2021 as the vice president, branch officer of the bank’s former Locust St., Northampton office, later transitioning to the 36 Main St., Easthampton, main office. …