June 2020—Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank recently held its Annual Meeting of the Corporation via Zoom. Thirty-four Corporators, members of the Board of Trustees, and four senior officers were in attendance. Two new corporators were elected for their upcoming fiscal year, they are Amy Ferris, owner of Life Simple Solutions and Curtis Springer, who is retired from Harvard University.
In his President’s Message, Rick Wallis spoke about the Bank’s new status as a B Corporation and its designation as a “Best For The World Honoree” in the Workers category for 2019. He said, “Our corporate culture is reflected in the sixteen employees who all celebrated ten or more years with the Bank during 2019. These long-tenured employees have great institutional and product knowledge that translates to exemplary customer service. After all, happy employees make for happy customers. And no one knows what the world will look like on the other side of this pandemic, but one thing is certain: Piscataqua Savings Bank will continue to be there for its customers, staff, and the community.”
Eight members of the Board of Trustees were also re-elected, and they include: Joseph Almeida, Christopher Brown, Margot Doering, Jay Gibson, Philip Pettis, Alan Robinson, Elisabeth Robinson, and Richard Wallis.
In his Financial Report, David H. Bryan, Vice President/Treasurer, noted that the Bank remains fiscally strong and said, “The Bank’s model of delivering personal service with a landmark local presence still resonates in the Port City and surrounding towns.” And Debra Perry, Vice President/Senior Loan Officer said that, “Despite fierce local competition, we ranked 4th overall for the number of loans originated in Portsmouth in 2019.”
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized banks in the state. The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. More information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
The Governor has authorized the allocation and expenditure of $35 million from the CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund (“flex funds”) to support families or individuals in need of housing assistance as a result of COVID-19. Of the allocated $35 million, $20 million will be initially expended, with $15 million being held in reserve, for rent stabilization and housing support.
According to New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority estimates, renters are twice as likely as homeowners to have lost their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This would result in many of the approximately 152,000 renter households in New Hampshire lacking the ability to pay some or all of their rent. These Granite Staters could face possible eviction after the expiration of the emergency order prohibiting evictions for non-payment of rent.
The impact of significant numbers of households unable to pay rent due to the COVID-19 pandemic goes beyond the risk to their housing security. Small landlords and other property owners that are unable to collect rent are also disadvantaged and may be unable to meet their obligations to lenders and to their communities. Almost 90% of all rental units in New Hampshire are owned by small landlords, meaning those who own 10 or fewer apartments.
The Governor’s Office of Emergency Relief and Recovery (GOFERR) will provide the funds to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) which will then make an initial disbursement of funds to New Hampshire’s five Community Action Program (CAP) agencies, with additional funding provided based on use and need. The CAP agencies have experience administering other emergency housing funds, and their experience working with renters and property owners throughout the communities they serve will allow the Housing Relief Program funds to quickly reach people who are struggling to pay their rent. They are also well-positioned to connect renters with other resources and services they may need.
The New Hampshire Housing Relief Program is designed to keep people from losing their housing and to secure or maintain permanent housing. The program has two components: onetime assistance grants; and a short-term rental assistance program.
The one-time assistance grants can be used to assist households with:
* Past-due rent from April 2020 forward for households that fell behind on rent due to either increased household expenses or lost household revenue as a result to COVID-19;
*Past-due housing/household related expenses that may impact an individual’s/families’ ability to remain housed; and/or
* Other housing related one-time expenses that if not paid impact the ability to maintain housing.
The grant is not to exceed $2,500, and is conditioned on COVID-19 related loss of household income or increased household expenses. This grant program is targeted to those households who will be able to maintain their housing without assistance after the one-time assistance payment.
*Past-due rent that was not paid due to a COVID-19 related inability to pay and ongoing rental assistance on a short term basis using progressive engagement. The rental assistance will decrease over time as households regain stability; or
*First month’s rent and ongoing short-term rental assistance to assist with initial costs to facilitate the transition of working households from shelters into permanent housing.
Both the one-time grants and the short-term rental assistance will be coupled with regional case management services to help connect households to appropriate services as defined by the household and the agency. Program payments will be made directly to the landlord or provider, and this program will end by December 30, 2020.
May 28, 2020—Portsmouth, NH – By Paul Briand – seacoastonline.com
How people manage their money in the post-pandemic economy depends as much on people’s psyches as it does on the COVID-19 contagion itself, according to a local banker, insurer, accountant and money manager.
Even if the spread of the virus is contained, each of these financial industry representatives has an expectation of what the consumer might be doing differently compared to six months ago.
As it was during a stay-at-home economy, expect online interaction to continue as a primary way of conducting business like banking, said Rick Wallis, our president and CEO of Piscataqua Savings Bank.
“Customer relationship building is very important; you can’t just do it online,” Wallis said. “I think we try to blend the two together – electronically, but at the same time individually. Call, talk to, come in and see us – I don’t think that’s going to go away; I’m hoping it won’t.”
Photo by Suzanne Laurent
The lobby of Piscataqua Savings Bank on Pleasant Street in Portsmouth currently is closed to the public. Outside walk-up and drive-through services are available to customers. Rick envisions what he called a “tip-toe” approach to re-establishing the economy by re-opening businesses like his slowly and with safeguards such as sanitizing and plastic shields between employees and customers.
“There’s a lot of material that we’re trying to bring into place so that we can do it and do it safely,” Wallis said. “I would love to have us by end of summer being fully open again, but I think it’s really going to depend on where the virus goes from here.”
One important effort cited by Wallis to help get the community and its economy back on its feet is the bank’s participation in tax credit programs for non-profits backed by the N.H. Community Development Finance Authority. New Hampshire businesses, such as his bank, support selected projects by purchasing tax credits, resulting in the nonprofit receiving a donation and the company receiving a 75% New Hampshire state tax credit against that contribution.
“It’s a scary time,” Wallis said. “We don’t know what’s going to happen down the road, but we want to be supportive.”
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized banks in the state. The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. More information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
September 2019—Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank, located at 15 Pleasant Street, received the Best For The World 2019 Honoree in the “Workers” category from the B Corporations’ annual Impact Assessment. The award recognizes that the bank places in the top 10 percent of all B Corporations worldwide in this category.
Certified B Corporations are leaders of a global movement
using business as a force for good. They meet the highest standards of overall
social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability and
aspire to use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.
The qualifications for becoming a B Corporation are rigorous and comparable to
a Fair-Trade certification but for whole business.
There were approximately 1,000 B Corporations from 44
countries that received the award this year, including well-known brands such
as Patagonia, Dr. Bronner’s, and TOMS. All Best for the World 2019 honorees
were grouped in Community, Environment, Customers, Workers, Governance or Changemakers
impact categories.
The Workers section of the B Impact Assessment reviews a
company’s relationship with its workforce. It measures how the company treats
its workers through compensation, benefits, training and ownership
opportunities. It also focuses on the overall work environment within the
company, and evaluates management/worker communication, job flexibility,
corporate culture and worker and safety practices.
There are more than 3,000 Certified B Corporations in
over 150 industries worldwide in 64 countries. Only 90 corporations in the U.S.
were recognized, and Piscataqua Savings Bank was one of 212 “Worker” Award
Recipients worldwide.
“Piscataqua Savings Bank has been a special place to
work, but this incredible honor validates what we’ve felt all along,” said Rick
Wallis, President & CEO of Piscataqua Savings Bank.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is the tenth business and the
second bank to become a certified B Corporation in the state of New Hampshire .
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized
banks in the state. The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today,
Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families
and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. More
information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
Seacoastonline.com / Posted Aug 20, 2019 at 2:54 PM
To the Editor:
We wish to thank Piscataqua Savings Bank’s recent contribution of $1,000.
At Connections Peer Support Center, we serve those living in the Seacoast region, with programming at our Portsmouth location at 544 Islington St., community outreach, and through our peer-run 5 to 10 p.m. Warm Line phone support service.
Mental health challenges affect everyone. Those experiencing them are our family members, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and even ourselves. For many, peer support is an essential ingredient for overcoming those challenges and for living engaged and fulfilling lives in our communities. To be sure, the recovery process has its twists and turns, but our members are there to share both the challenges and successes of each others’ personal recovery.
“Fiscally, Piscataqua Savings Bank’s investment in Connections is a sound one: the cost of providing services is $15 per day/per person (there is no charge to our members), while hospitalization for one day can exceed $1,500. Our regularly participating members report fewer hospitalizations, fewer mental health crises, and improved quality of life, thanks to their involvement in our peer support community.
Our sincerest thanks to Piscataqua Savings Bank for their long tradition of supporting the community and for their generous support of Connections Peer Support Center.
Greg Burdwood
Executive director
Connections Peer Support Center
Portsmouth
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized banks in the state. The only mutual savings bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. More information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
Contact: Rick Wallis, President/CEO Piscataqua Savings Bank 603.436.5250 rwallis@piscataqua.com
June 26, 2019—Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank, located at 15 Pleasant Street, will hold their Grand Re-Opening on Wednesday, June 26 beginning at 10 am.
The Bank is inviting customers and the community to attend the event, which will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony performed by Mayor Jack Blalock. Afterward, tours of the newly renovated space, refreshments and giveaways will be offered.
The renovation was a decade in the making, after the Board of Trustees at Piscataqua Savings Bank determined that their four buildings required substantial updates to improve customer access to services and create space for current and future growth. The construction process took 20 months and a series of phases, with the final stages recently completed this month.
President and CEO of Piscataqua Savings Bank, Rick Wallis said the renovation balances 21st century architectural and technological innovation with 19th century tradition. He said he’s excited to share the results of renovations with the community.
“Though we’ve improved our ability to deliver services and meet the needs of people today and in the future, we still share the traditions we were founded on more than 140 years ago,” said Wallis.
To attend the Grand Re-Opening, no RSVPs are required but more information on Portsmouth’s bank can be found at piscataqua.com.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized
banks in the state. The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today,
Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families
and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. More
information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
By Ian Lenahan news@seacoastonline.com Posted Jun 26, 2019 at 4:50 PM Updated Jun 26, 2019 at 4:50 P
PORTSMOUTH — Twenty-one months after beginning renovations, Piscataqua Savings Bank held its re-opening ceremony Wednesday.
A crowd of nearly 100 people, comprised of corporators, customers and staff members, came out to see the renovations to one of Portsmouth’s most famed buildings. Guests mingled before the ribbon-cutting ceremony performed by Piscataqua’s President and CEO Rick Wallis and Mayor Jack Blalock.
Noting the team effort among Piscataqua staff, design teams and construction members to ensure the process was seamless, Wallis took pride in celebrating the success of the collaboration.
“It really was a skilled process and took a lot of individual artistry,” he said.
With the process beginning in 2014, Wallis said plans were drawn out to “create the foundation for the renovation design.” In 2015, Piscataqua Savings held a town hall-style meeting with corporators, board members and staff, who gave “input to what we have today.” The following year, the bank selected DeStefano Architects and Pine Brook Construction to help construct the most important aspects of the process.
Much of the major renovations involved opening up the main lobby and reconstructing the back entrance to make both more accessible. The back entrance more formally referred to as the “conservatory,” is now connected to the main lobby. The conservatory now features a plant wall above the teller stations in reference to the garden outside – a staple of the bank for years. A glass ceiling was also constructed for more natural light to complement the greenery in the space.
In keeping with the desire to be more accessible, Wallis said an elevator is being completed. The bank, which occupies four buildings acquired over its 142-year history, has seven stops in the building that the elevator will service.
Wallis highlighted Piscataqua Savings’ achievement of becoming a certified B Corporation, which aims to base decisions on clientele and staff members’ needs and the well-being of their immediate environment. Calling it
an easy decision, seeing as how Piscataqua Savings serves as a mutual savings bank, Wallis spoke about the principles Piscataqua follows.
“We’re focusing on transparency, environmental protection and accountability,” he said. “We are reaffirming our commitment to our customers as a mutual savings bank. It’s always been our mission to support our community, customers and staff.”
Before assisting Wallis with the ribbon cutting, Mayor Blalock praised the renovations.
“It’s my bank,” he said. “I’ve been coming here since I was a kid. We have a beautiful collection of old buildings that we take care of and this all looks so great.”
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized
banks in the state. The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today,
Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families
and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. More
information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
By Suzanne Laurent business@seacoastonline.com
Posted Jun 16, 2019 at 6:00 PM Updated Jun 16, 2019 at 6:00 PM
PORTSMOUTH — Piscataqua Savings Bank recently announced its new status as a certified benefit corporation.
B corps are leaders of a global movement by meeting the highest standards of overall performance, transparency and accountability in their communities.
Piscataqua Savings is the second bank in the state to receive the prestigious status and joins well-known businesses such as Stonyfield Farms, Cabot Creamery, Ben & Jerry’s, King Arthur’s Flour and Patagonia.
“I had attended a conference presentation about B Corporations about a year ago, and it struck a chord with me,” said President and CEO Rick Wallis. “Last August, we began strengthening our documents for future generations and became a benefit corporation.”
To become a benefit corporation under New Hampshire law, Wallis said the bank needed to amend its articles of agreement stating it is a B corp. That amendment requires approval by the N.H. Banking Department and is a condition of B Lab Certification. Qualifications for becoming a B corporation are rigorous and comparable to a Fair Trade certification but for the whole business. Wallis had to answer 200 questions and have all the information verified by B Lab. This was finished by February and then voted on by the bank’s board of corporators.
Piscataqua Savings differs from other banks in that it is strictly retail, with no commercial services. And the corporators are bank customers.
“It goes back to right when we were established (in 1877),” Wallis said. “There were a number of citizens within the Portsmouth area that wanted to establish a mutual savings bank, so it was a very philanthropic endeavor that they took on because they got no return for it because they didn’t have any shares in it.
“When you start a bank today, you go and issue shares and you get capital and so forth. They started the bank as actually a window within the First National Bank of Portsmouth, and then broke out and established its own corporation here right in these buildings.”
The corporators are made up of customers of the bank who are active in the community and willing to advocate for and support the bank’s success. Today, there are 63 corporators and from that pool, a board of nine trustees is elected.
“We don’t have directors, we have trustees with a chairperson, Barbara Shea-Smucker,” Wallis said.
The corporators also live within the bank’s market area – about a 25-mile radius – including southern York County in Maine. The bank currently has 10,000 customers.
“There weren’t a lot of things that I had to do or change right up front,” Wallis said. “Being a mutual savings bank, we felt like we were a B Corporation since day one. Our missions and goals are very much in line with what a B Corporation is.”
Wallis said banking is a very much a homogenous industry each providing deposits and loans. He said he wanted Piscataqua Savings to stand out by becoming a B Corporation.
“What I like about it is that it kind of keeps our feet to the fire a little bit,” he said. “We can rest on our laurels that we’re a mutual savings bank and we do well for the community. But this way, it’s kind of a measurement for us. We have to be held to that higher standard of a B Corporation.”
Wallis said the bank will have to be recertified every three years, adding, “I’m already working on the next recertification.”
The bank is undergoing expansion and renovation with elements to become environmentally efficient. Work includes insulating the bank’s Exchange Block buildings that were built in the 1800s, using LED lights and energy-efficient HVAC units. Wallis said he is also looking into renewable energy credits.
“Coming back to why it was important to become a B Corporation is that we want to have customers that align with those same values,” he said. “You hear a lot about social investing and I think that more and more people are being more cognizant of where their money is going and who they’re doing business with. So, we want to make sure that we stay viable, and this is one way that we can try to connect with customers that have equal or like-minded values.”
Wallis also said it’s important to have employees who believe in what they are doing.
“It’s tough in this job market to get and retain people,” he said.
Piscataqua Savings has 46 employees and more than half have been with the bank for more than 10 years.
“We do well by doing well in the community,” Wallis said.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized
banks in the state. The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today,
Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families
and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. More
information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
May 29, 2019—Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank recently announced the election of a new corporator and trustee for their upcoming fiscal year at the Annual Meeting of the Corporation on May 15th.
New corporator, Christopher Snow is from Rye, New Hampshire, where he lives with his wife and family. Snow is President of Property Tax Advisors, Inc. in Dover, New Hampshire, and a licensed New Hampshire real estate broker. He has successfully helped commercial property owners in the area since 1993, and has a wealth of knowledge on this region’s economic situation, commercial real estate market, and the assessment process. Snow will join the Board of Corporators as a representative of Piscataqua Savings Bank’s customers and members of the Seacoast community. Board members are chosen to uphold the Bank’s mission of helping individuals and families achieve their financial goals while supporting the community.
Joining the Trustees for the upcoming fiscal year is Margot Doering of Portsmouth; the owner of Cerulean Consulting. Doering worked at Bank of Boston for many years in operations, administration, and eventually commercial lending. Her experience there included business analysis, loan underwriting, portfolio management, international lending and distressed loan management. She then moved to the Seacoast as a small business owner, and added human resources, property management, sales and marketing to her skillset. Doering currently combines her experience in her consulting practice to assist other small business owners with their finance and administrative challenges. She also serves on the city’s Historic District Commission as an alternate member.
“Chris’s and Margot’s experience will make valuable additions to our Board of Corporators and Board of Trustees,” said Piscataqua Savings Bank President and CEO, Rick Wallis. “We’re proud to have Chris and Margot representing us,” said Wallis.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized
banks in the state. The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today,
Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families
and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. More
information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
By Staff reports / sports@seacoastonline.com
Posted Mar 24, 2019 at 9:00 AM
PORTSMOUTH — Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce, a 10-time All-Star and MVP of the 2008 NBA Finals, will be the featured guest speaker at the third annual Seacoast All-Star Sports Awards, which is returning to The Music Hall in downtown Portsmouth on Tuesday, June 18.
Pierce will help Seacoast Media Group honor its top local high school athletes at the live event, following previous speakers Danny Amendola in 2017 and Pedro Martinez summer.
“We’re thrilled to host Boston Celtics All-Star Paul Pierce as the keynote speaker and to help honor the Seacoast sports All-Stars,” said Howard Altschiller, Seacoast Media Group executive editor. “He’s not just a Celtics great, but also a great person with an inspiring story to tell.”
The 2019 Seacoast All-Star Sports Awards show is presented by SMG in partnership with the Center for Orthopedics and Movement at Exeter Hospital, and Piscataqua Savings Bank. Player of the Year awards for 25 high school sports will be presented at the event, for which the SMG sports team will be nominating hundreds of local athletes from its Portsmouth Herald and Foster’s Daily Democrat coverage areas. Coach of the Year, Male Athlete of the Year, Female Athlete of the Year and Team of the Year will also be announced along with some special awards, presentations and videos.
All award winners will be granted a personal meet-and-greet and photo opportunity with Pierce, and every nominated athlete will receive free admission. The event is open to family, friends and the general public, with tickets on sale now online.
“We’re very excited to once again be a sponsor of the Seacoast All-Star Sports Awards,” said Rick Wallis, President/CEO of Piscataqua Savings Bank. “As a community bank, we support local youth athletic programs throughout the year and we look forward to recognizing the accomplishments of the athletes.”
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized
banks in the state. The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today,
Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families
and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. More
information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
June 6, 2018 – Portsmouth, NH — Piscataqua Savings Bank recently announced the election of three new corporators and a new trustee for their upcoming fiscal year at the Annual Meeting of the Corporation.
The new corporators are Penelope (Phelps) Craig, owner of BRGR Bar from Rye, NH; David J. (D.J.) Haskins, Director of Strategy at Vital Design from Greenland, NH; and Paula Wellde, Clinical Nurse Educator at Eliot Hospital from Rye, NH.
They will join the Board of Corporators as a representative group of Piscataqua Savings Bank’s customers and members of the Portsmouth community. They’re chosen to uphold the Bank’s mission of helping individuals and families achieve their financial goals while supporting the communities in the Seacoast area.
Joining the Trustees for the upcoming fiscal year is Alan Robinson of Kittery, ME. Robinson retired from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard as a Strategic Planning Manager. He is a member of the St. John’s Masonic Lodge of Portsmouth and the Mechanic Fire Society, and serves on the Board of Wentworth Senior Living. Robinson lives with his wife Melissa and they have two sons, Matthew and Peter.
“Alan’s strategic planning experience, as well as being a representative from Maine, will make him a valued addition to the Board of Trustees,” said President and CEO, Richard Wallis.
“We’re proud to have our new corporators and trustee representing us,” said Wallis.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized banks in the state. The only mutual savings bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. More information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
Contact: Rick Wallis, President/CEO Piscataqua Savings Bank 603.436.5250 rwallis@piscataqua.com
May 22, 2018 – Portsmouth, NH — Laurie Siergiewicz has joined Piscataqua Savings Bank Trust and Investment Department as Trust Officer. The Trust and Investment team offers comprehensive services to individuals, families, and nonprofits seeking a long-term relationship to manage their assets.
Siergiewicz brings a wealth of experience to Piscataqua Savings Bank. Her professional certifications include Registered Investment Advisor, Registered Principle, and New Hampshire Life Insurance Producer. She has spent the past thirty years managing institutional investment relationships and working with high net worth clients in retirement planning, income planning and risk management. In addition, Laurie has an in-depth knowledge of employer sponsored retirement plans and individual retirement arrangements.
“I’m very pleased to have Laurie join our Trust and Investment team,” said President and CEO of the Bank, Rick Wallis. “Her enthusiasm and extensive experience will benefit our team and clientsimmensely.”
Laurie has been involved with the Big Sister association of Greater Boston and volunteers for various non-profit organizations in the New Hampshire Seacoast area.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized banks in the state. The only mutual savings bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. More information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
Contact: Rick Wallis, President/CEO Piscataqua Savings Bank 603.436.5250 rwallis@piscataqua.com
May 14, 2018 at 5:07 PM – Portsmouth, NH — Before I begin my statements about credit union taxation, I would like to say that credit unions are part of a unique and diverse financial system in the United States. The banking and credit union systems are like no other in the world and are large contributors to the country’s strong economy.
With that said, there are a number of inaccuracies stated in a May 8, 2018 opinion to the editor, “OP-ed writer might understand banking, but not credit unions” by Paul Gentile, President and CEO of the Cooperative Credit Union Association. First, Mr. Gentile states that “The U.S. credit union system is the purest example of a cooperative financial model anywhere in the world”. Actually, the purest and first cooperative financial models are mutual and cooperative savings banks. The first mutual savings bank was incorporated in 1816 in Massachusetts while the first credit union was established in New Hampshire in 1909, almost a century later. Mutual and cooperative savings banks originated as philanthropic endeavors to assist the working class by teaching the values of thrift and helping people save for future financial security. This form of banking still exists today under those same principles.
Mr. Gentile continues to describe credit unions as “not-for-profit”; however, I disagree with that claim, they are tax exempt. The four largest credit unions in the state of New Hampshire made a profit of $35,492,086 in 2016 based upon their IRS 990 reports. Mr. Gentile stated that, “The only tax credit unions do not pay is federal income tax, and rightfully so”. Based upon the 2016 corporate income tax rate of 34 percent the tax exemption totaled over $12 million for 2016. That is a very large “only”.
Before 1951, mutual and cooperative savings banks were tax exempt like credit unions. At that time, Congress voted to eliminate the exemption because mutual and cooperative banks were acting very similar to other banks, despite being depositor owned.
Credit unions were formed to serve a common bond of membership. Since their formation, some credit unions have expanded their field of membership to basically… anyone that works or lives in a particular area, like the whole state of New Hampshire. Sounds like a bank, doesn’t it?
There are those even in the credit union industry that also feel large credit unions, which have gone beyond their congressional mandate, should pay federal income taxes. Robert Taylor, President/CEO of Idaho State University Credit Union, stated , “…that many larger credit unions operate in the same manner as taxable banks, and I believe it’s time for them to convert to bank charters and be taxed like the “big boys”, because the credit union movement doesn’t need them”.
I believe our financial system is stronger when it includes tax exempt credit unions that stay true to their common bond of membership, and I believe, as Mr. Taylor, that it’s time large credit unions, that operate like banks, pay their fair share of federal income taxes, “and rightfully so”.
Rick Wallis is president and CEO of Piscataqua Savings Bank a state chartered mutual savings bank since 1877
Piscataqua Savings Bank in downtown Portsmouth restored its landmark marquee above its main entrance at 15 Pleasant St. earlier this month as part of ongoing renovations of the building.
May 10, 2018 at 3:44 PM – Portsmouth, NH — Piscataqua Savings Bank restored its landmark marquee above its main entrance at 15 Pleasant St. earlier this month.
The marquee has welcomed visitors into its doors for decades, and bank CEO Rick Wallis said restoring the marquee helps “celebrate the bank’s 141-year history while at the same time building for the bank’s future.” To complete the marquee restoration, Piscataqua Savings Bank worked with many local businesses and professionals.
A local metalsmith and craftsman repaired and replaced the years of wear and tear of the marquee’s statue grade bronze. The replacement bronze had to go through an aging process to match the original bronze. Glass Pro, Inc. provided replacement glass pieces that are fitted around the skirt of the canopy. Powder Coat Alternatives sandblasted and applied a clear powder coat. Pine Brook Corporation oversaw the whole project and hand-polished the metal for the perfect patina.
The Piscataqua Savings Bank board of trustees decided updating the building was necessary to improve customer access to services and create space for future growth. Piscataqua Savings is in first phase of the renovation to provide improved access to the upper floors and expand work space. Future plans include enhanced teller stations designed for an improved one-on-one customer experience.
Piscataqua Savings Bank, founded in 1877, is among the highest capitalized banks in the state. Visit www.piscataqua.com.
May, 2018 – Portsmouth, NH — Piscataqua Savings Bank recently held its Annual Meeting of the Corporation at the Atlantic Grill, attended by members of the Board of Corporators, members of the Board of Trustees, Bank officers, and staff.
Chairman of the Board Michael J. Asselin welcomed all in attendance to the meeting.
Mr. Asselin acknowledged five employees who had special anniversaries in 2017. The anniversaries range from 15 to 40 years with a combined work tenure of 120 years. “These individuals provide a unique strength for the Bank with their strong institutional and product knowledge”.
President/CEO Richard M. Wallis led a business session. “It has been a long and slow economic recovery since the financial crisis of 2007-2008, but we did see some improvements during 2017,” said Wallis. Deposits grew at a 3.47% rate, the loan portfolio grew at a 14.33% rate, despite a low housing inventory on the Seacoast and the market value of the Trust & Investment Department increased 13.29% from the year before.
Piscataqua Savings Bank introduced a number of new products in 2017, in an effort to continue to make banking for their customers easier. One of those new products was Instant Issue Debit Cards which enables customers to have a temporary card when opening a new account or for those who need an instant replacement for a lost, stolen, or compromised card. Mobile banking became the fastest growing delivery channel Piscataqua Savings Bank offers, with monthly usage of the eMobile app having increased by 73% over the year and a 36% increase in deposits.
The Bank formed a Historic Committee in 2017 to collect and chronicle the Bank’s 141 year history. The Committee presented at the meeting the history of banking in Portsmouth including the formation of Piscataqua Savings Bank in 1877.
Vice President/ IT Officer, Antone Cabral provided a progress report on the building renovation that kicked off in July.
Mr. Wallis said while the renovations will change the customer experience, one thing Piscataqua Savings Bank will never change is delivering great customer service.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized banks in the state. The only mutual savings bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. More information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
Contact: Rick Wallis, President/CEO Piscataqua Savings Bank 603.436.5250 rwallis@piscataqua.com
Akshay, right, and Tim, third-graders in Jen Marden’s class at Little Harbour School, work in the school garden, which is part of the city schools’ Farm to School program.
By Robert Levey news@seacoastonline.com
April 29, 2018 at 7:21 PM – Portsmouth, NH — A program implemented at all city schools, Farm to School educates students about the nature of food and provides unique opportunities for teachers to engage them in unique ways.
“I have been taking my students to the garden as well as to our outdoor classroom for the past three years,” said Faith Masterson, who teaches kindergarten at Dondero Elementary School.
“When we are in the garden, we treat it like another learning space. We have a meeting about what our job will be for the day – it could be anything from planting to weeding to harvesting.” Masterson’s kindergarten students love the program, too.
“I get to play and have fun and we plant stuff,” said Annie Martin.
Darilyn Scardina said she enjoys digging in the garden and finding worms. “We also found potatoes and got to make soup,” she said.
For Masterson, the ability for students to help prepare and taste what they have literally sown is a critical program component. “I noticed all students taking a risk and trying the soup even if they initially said they didn’t want to,” she said. “Because of their involvement, they were intrigued in tasting the final product.”
Aside from the fun aspect of the program, Program Manager Kate Mitchell said its deeper purpose is to yield specific learning outcomes.
“By the end of their schooling in Portsmouth, all students should know where food comes from and have had experiences with our local food system, including access to eating local food through the school meals program,” she said. “We want students to be empowered with the knowledge of how to grow their own food and to be educated in making confident decisions about their food choices.” Akshay, right, and Tim, third-graders in Jen Marden’s class at Little Harbour School, work in the school garden, which is part of the city schools’ Farm to School program.
Mitchell said the program’s success stems from strong support from teachers and administration, as well as outside collaborators. She cited Three River Farmers Alliance as one of several special contributors to the program.
“The Farm to School program is creating an entry opportunity for farmers to serve the institutional market, which has tremendous power to impact the local food system with their purchasing strategies,” said Three River’s Erin Tooch. “For students, it is creating a solid foundation of knowledge for a lifetime of healthy food choices and community engagement.”
Three River is a network of more than 20 local farms and food producers that collectively market, aggregate and distribute exclusively locally produced, in-season products. Aside from working with the Portsmouth School District, it sells produce to approximately 150 restaurants, including about 30 in Portsmouth.
Aside from program collaborators, funders continue to make investments in the program, including Piscataqua Savings Bank.
“We sincerely hope that local communities see the value of such a great program and that it will continue for the next generation of students,” said President and CEO Rick Wallis.
Mitchell said the school district has long supported the program and previously related efforts.
Stephen Zadravec, superintendent of Portsmouth schools, said Farm to School has been “called out specifically in School Board goals over the last few years.”
“In terms of the upcoming vote, it would be accurate to say the School Board voted to request funding from the City Council to sustain this program as part of the FY19 budget,” he said.
Expressing gratitude for past and current support, Mitchell said the future looks “big, vibrant, connected and impactful” for Farm to School.
“We have a rooftop garden en route for the middle school, a permaculture greenhouse for the high school, additional dreams at Robert J. Lister Academy, equipment purchases for the kitchens and strengthening community connections in the mix,” she said. “We’re keeping our sleeves rolled up and can’t wait to keep digging deeper.”
Piscataqua Savings Bank has begun a 15-month renovation that will modernize its space on Pleasant Street in downtown Portsmouth.
By Robert Leavy
Editor’s note: This is the second in a 2-part story on the renovation project at Piscataqua Savings Bank.
November 1, 2017 – Portsmouth, NH — With improving customer access and creating space for current and future growth the primary objectives, the 15-month renovation project at Piscataqua Savings Bank is underway, which is a development that excites the entire staff.
“It is the result of a conversation that began a decade ago,” said CEO Rick Wallis, who is just the 11th president of Piscataqua Savings Bank since its founding in 1877. “We are very pleased with the final design and look forward to seeing the project develop in the coming months.”
Joe Almeida, commercial studio manager at DeStefano Architects, said the design is “respectful to the bank’s history and past while still providing the necessary changes for modern-day banking.” As an example, he said they recognized the importance of the gardens at the bank, which he described as one of its most appreciated features.
“We designed a conservatory that allows the gardens to come inside as a perfect transition into the main lobby from the parking lot,” Almeida said. “I often describe it as capturing a bit of summer in a glass box for the customers to enjoy during the long months of February and March.”
Echoing sentiments expressed by Wallis and other senior officers at Piscataqua Savings Bank on Pleasant Street, he said the new design also makes it much more accessible with the direct entrance from the parking lot into the main lobby.
“Our goal is that longtime customers of the bank will still recognize the environment that they have known for years but will appreciate the new layout and updated finishes,” he said.
Upon completion, the bank will feature an elevator, a new rear entrance with a conservatory that opens directly into the lobby, and enhanced teller stations designed for privacy and one-on-one customer service. There will also be a community gathering room with a separate entrance for use by area nonprofit organizations as meeting space.
Joan Gile, executive vice president/operations officer, said the project also enhances employees’ workspace in the approximately 200-year-old building and three other adjacent connected structures.
“We talked with staff and wanted this renovation to improve their work environment,” Gile said. “We looked at adjacencies related to office and department locations. The renovation will create spaces where staff can more easily share knowledge and tasks – it’s simply more efficient.”
Acknowledging he will reserve his final judgment on the project once it is completed, longtime customer Alan Higginbotham, owner of New England Printing, said it makes sense on a conceptual level.
“Any business – whether a bank or my business – needs a facelift from time to time,” he said. “I’m sure the finished product will be great and first-class like everything they do.”
In further defining “first-class” as it pertains to Piscataqua Savings Bank, Higginbotham referred to “their people.”
“It’s about the people,” he said. “When you call and have a question, you get a person – you don’t get a machine. When you have an issue or problem, you don’t wait – it’s all about the people at Piscataqua Savings Bank.”
According to Wallis and Gile, “the people” approach will not change nor will the bank’s attention to personalized customer service.
“The project will enhance our ability to meet the banking needs of our customers, many of whom opened their first account as a child here,” Wallis said.
Tony Cabral, vice president/information technology officer, said the renovations underscore an important characteristic of the bank.
“We don’t answer to stockholders – we’re here to serve our customers and this project will significantly improve our ability to do that,” he said. “Our objective is to be here tomorrow and well into the future to serve our customers, too.”
October 31, 2017 – Portsmouth, NH — Piscataqua Savings Bank’s annual charity drive, called the Spirit of Giving Campaign, is now underway in downtown Portsmouth. This year, the Bank will collect donated items to support the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NHSPCA) of Stratham, an organization that nurtures animals through rescue, rehabilitation and adoption in the face of animal cruelty.
The Bank has provided drop boxes to collect donations inside their lobby on Pleasant Street. Included on the NHSPCA’s Wish List are items for cats, dogs, rabbits, small mammals and birds, horses and farm animals, and miscellaneous office supplies for the organization. The NHSPCA is also accepting gift cards to Pet Life, Amazon, PetCo and Market Basket. For a full list of accepted donations, visit www.piscataqua.com.
“We are so proud of Spirit of Giving and the many community members who contribute to it,” said Wanda Fontaine, Assistant Vice President and Assistant Operations Officer at the Bank. She serves as the Chair of the holiday giving campaign. “We look forward to making the holiday season a little brighter for a different group each year, and it warms our hearts to support the NHSPCA and help provide safe and loving homes for animals.”
Piscataqua’s drop boxes are filled and delivered over the holiday season. Your donations are welcome anytime during the Bank’s main lobby hours: Monday-Friday 9:00am to 4:00pm, and Saturday 9:00am to 12:30pm.
The only mutual savings bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
From left Piscataqua Savings Bank Vice President/Information Technology Officer Tony Cabral, Executive Vice President/Operations Joan Gile and CEO Rick Wallis. The bank is embarking on extensive renovations.
By Robert Levey
Editor’s note: In part 1 of this two-part series, leaders at Piscataqua Savings Bank discusses their upcoming renovation project and their history, which extends back to 1877 in Portsmouth.
October 9, 2017 – Portsmouth, NH — Roughly a decade ago, the board of trustees at Piscataqua Savings Bank began a discussion about their four buildings, which required substantial updates to improve customer access to services and create space for current and future growth.
Ten years later, the future is now for the bank, which will soon break ground on a construction project that will include an elevator and new rear entrance featuring a conservatory that opens directly into the lobby. Upon project completion, the bank will additionally feature enhanced teller stations designed for privacy and one-on-one customer service and a community gathering room with a separate entrance for use by area nonprofit organizations as meeting space.
CEO Rick Wallis said the vision behind the renovation is the culmination of input from many sources.
“We held a town hall-style meeting two years ago that included trustees, corporators and staff to find out what should change and what should be kept,” he said. “It was very important to receive this feedback and incorporate it into the final design.”
Noting it will take roughly 15 months to complete through six to seven phases during which there will be no service interruptions, Wallis said the project balances 21st century technological innovation with 19th century tradition.
“We are creating a place where people will feel comfortable and welcomed,” he said. “It will be easier for customers to get to the services they want while staying true to our traditions.”
According to Joan Gile, executive vice president/operations officer, these traditions include easy access to senior staff, including herself, Wallis and others — all of whom will remain on the main floor and in plain sight of customers.
“When you come in here, you will find Rick, me and other decision makers in the building,” she said. “We are right here.”
Wallis said it is essential that he personally remain accessible by both the public and staff.
“It’s my job to be available and to make sure needs are being met,” he said. “If I’m far removed from customers, I cannot hear about their financial needs.”
In addition to keeping senior staff accessible to the general public as well as staff, Gile said the project will also retain several key architectural and design elements. These elements include the “River of Time,” a wall sculpture created by local blacksmith Peter Happny with hand-blown glass inserts by David Bellantone, and a mural of Portsmouth by Robert Charles Haun.
“It doesn’t look like a bank here,” she said. ‘It’s not cold and sterile with shiny counters and a bland atmosphere — and that is not going to change with this renovation…It will have a lot of character.”
According to Wallis and Gile, some of this character will be retained in the new teller counters themselves as well as some office flooring, which will both feature reclaimed boards from the building’s upper levels.
Employed by the Bank for 16 years, Tony Cabral, vice president/information technology officer, said the project also reflects a need to respond to and anticipate changing technologies.
“Technology is booming, which has led to new services and new positions here in recent years,” he said. “It requires a different use of space that allows us to grow, but still provides that personalized service in a comfortable atmosphere that defines the customer experience here.”
According to Wallis, the new elevator, Trust Department space and community gathering room should be complete in the spring of 2018. He said they are also restoring the old bank marquee to help “bridge the 21st and 19th centuries.”
“We are not moving away from the traditions that have made us who we are for 140 years,” he said. “We are improving our ability to deliver our services and meet the needs of people today and in the future.”
For those unfamiliar with what makes the bank unique, Wallis likened the customer experience as one akin to what one might find in “Cheers.”
“We are like a family here and treat our customers like family,” he said. “Everybody knows your name here.”
“We probably knew your father’s name, your mother’s and your grandparents’ names, too,” Gile added. “We know the people who bank here.”
In part 2 of this two-part series, staff and those involved in the renovation project at Piscataqua Savings Bank will discuss some of its more technical aspects, while customers also provide their thoughts.
Piscataqua Savings Bank won the 2017 Best of the Seacoast award for “Best Bank”
By Karen Dandurant
August 25, 2017 – Portsmouth, NH — In the first of what will become an annual event, business owners of all types gathered at the Portsmouth Harbor Events and Conference Center Thursday night to find out if readers voted them the 2017 Best of the Seacoast.
John Tabor, publisher of Seacoast Media Group, said a record 156,000 readers cast votes in support of their favorite businesses. All types of businesses vied in categories that included arts and culture, beauty, drink places, education, entertainment and recreation, food and dining, health and merchants and retailers.
The top three vote getters in every category were invited to attend and 150 first-place awards were handed out. All who attended were the best of the best in their fields, as chosen by SMG readers.
“All these businesses are the best of the best,” said Tabor. “It is difficult for small business owners, who have to hire and train employees. They pay their taxes. What they all have is the true entrepreneurial spirit and that’s what we are celebrating tonight.”
Miss New Hampshire Lauren Percy announced the winners. In September she will compete for the title of Miss America.
The best place to see a theatrical production was awarded to the Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine. Bradford Kenney, artistic director for the historic venue, said they are also getting the accolade during its 85th anniversary season.
“We are thrilled to be part of this and to be recognized,” said Kenney. “We are overwhelmed. I am happy we are standing here alongside the Music Hall as we have been spending our holidays with them for several years now. We collaborate on the Christmas show there and we love it.”
The Seacoast is home to many local craft brewers, and many of those beers can be found at the Revolution Taproom and Grill in Rochester, voted as having the best beer selection on the Seacoast.
“I want to thanks all of our local vendors, farms and brewers,” said owner Mark Marchionni. “Without them, this could not happen.”
Mark Bowen, who has owned Dover Bowl for 30 years, said he thinks people voted for his business as best place to bowl because he offers something for everyone, for all ages.
“We have bowling, of course,” said Bowen. “We also have indoor bumper cars, laser tag, a big arcade, and a full bar. Last year we added charity bingo.” Country View Restaurant in Greenland won for best diner. Manager Joseph Smith said they appreciate their customers and it is nice to be appreciated by them.
Liberty Lane Catering of Hampton has been in business for 20 years. Owner Kevin Sullivan said they appreciate and thank the people who voted for them.
“We will keep up the hard work,” said Sullivan. “We want our customers to be happy with our services.” Village Veterinary Clinic of Rollinsford won in the category of best vet on the Seacoast. Before they knew of the award, Tammy Poole, a longtime worker there, said she felt her boss, Dr. Michael Narzemetz, deserved to win.
“We are the best,” said Poole. “My boss is the best vet around in our opinion. He is very caring and very passionate about his work.”
Before the announcements, Emily Loscocco and Ilya Burov, new owners of the Portsmouth School of Ballet, said they were thrilled by the nomination. They didn’t win, but both said just to be at the event was amazing to them as both are new to the city.
“We have danced all over the world,” said Burov. “We have been in Europe, Russia, Alaska and many more places. It has been our dream to own our own studio. We are so happy to be making Portsmouth our home.” Win or lose, Loscocco said they feel the past few weeks have been magical. “We are meant to be here,” she said.
Best of the Seacoast winners will receive a special logo from SMG, one they can incorporate into their own business advertising.
August 21, 2017 – Portsmouth, NH — Michael Rodier has joined Piscataqua Savings Bank’s Trust & Investment Department as Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager. The Trust & Investment team offers comprehensive services to individuals, families and nonprofits seeking a long-term relationship to manage their assets and trusts.
Rodier brings a wealth of experience to Piscataqua Savings Bank. His 30 years of investment experience includes working at Wellington Management Company in Boston providing portfolio management, analysis and advisory services to pension funds, endowments and private client groups, as well as independent advisory services for high net worth clients and trust departments.
“I’m very pleased to have Mike join our Trust and Investment team,” said President and CEO of the Bank, Rick Wallis. “He is a great fit organizationally and our clients will benefit from his extensive investment experience.”
Rodier holds the Certified Financial Planner® designation and is a member of the Boston Security Analysts Society/CFA Society Boston. He is active in several nonprofit and civic organizations.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized banks in the state. The only mutual savings bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
Contact: Rick Wallis, President/CEO Piscataqua Savings Bank 603.436.5250 rwallis@piscataqua.com
June 24, 2017 – Portsmouth, NH — We’re here today to thank the stars of the inaugural Seacoast All–Star Sports Awards — our local student-athletes — for making Thursday’s event a big success before a packed house at The Music Hall in Portsmouth.
We were proud to invite hundreds of high school athletes and their families to celebrate a full school year of amazing accomplishments on the fields, tracks, ice rinks and courts of the Seacoast. We also owe big thanks to the parents and families of the athletes, the coaches, special guest Danny Amendola of the New England Patriots, lead sponsors Piscataqua Savings Bank, the Center for Orthopedics & Movement of Exeter Hospital and Core Physicians and the Little Harbour Charitable Foundation and numerous other sponsors, The Music Hall staff, the volunteers from our own staff and many more people. Amendola was gracious to everyone he met, signing autographs and posing for photos. He also shared insights into the Super Bowl and his life and career in a memorable on-stage interview with our own Ryan O’Leary and John Doyle, the hosts of the show.
The teenage athletes, of course, were the reason for the event. You have amazed us all year, winning many state titles, setting records and competing at an extremely high level. We know the hours and hours of training it takes to succeed, and you have exemplified it.
There were so many great moments in the night. Let’s name a few
• Trevor Salema, a Traip athlete who battles cystic fibrosis, was the winner of the Courage Award and the recipient of one of the loudest standing ovations of the night after a video documenting his work ethic and perseverance played. We definitely noticed a few tears shed as the video featured Trevor’s parents talking about what he has to go through each day to be able to go to school and play sports.
• Comedian Juston McKinney, host of the “Small Town Famous” edgeradio.com show and podcast, warmed up the audience, poking fun at the few people he noticed in the crowd wearing the jersey of Julian Edelman, Amendola’s teammate with the Patriots. “That’s like wearing a Katy Perry T-shirt to a Taylor Swift concert,” he said. “You wouldn’t do that.”
• Kyle Ball, the winner as the Seacoast’s top football players, wasn’t in attendance. His little brother Aiden Bly, 8, accepted the award on his behalf and nearly stole the show. He got to meet Amendola and got the audience laughing. “He’s so cute,” was heard many times.
• Boys lacrosse award winner Dom Silverio of Dover High School gave Amendola a huge bear hug. “I love Danny Amendola. I love the Patriots,” he said. “That is one of the best moments of my life.”
We hope the night was as memorable and enjoyable for the audience as it was for us. We are proud of all the nominees for representing their schools and the community with class and setting a good example on how hard work pays off. High school sports are a joy to watch and the athletes come away with memories that are among the most important of their lives.
June 2, 2017 – Portsmouth, NH — Piscataqua Savings Bank recently held its Annual Meeting of the Corporation at the Elks Lodge, attended by members of the Board of Corporators, members of the Board of Trustees, senior Bank officers and staff.
Chairman of the Board Kenneth R. Clark welcomed all in attendance to the meeting. President/CEO Richard M. Wallis led a business session and presented the slate of new Corporators. This year’s slate of new Corporators included Kevin Adams, owner of Kittery Trading Post; Margot Doering, Principal of Cerulean Consulting; and Margot Thompson, Executive of Little Big Farm Foods.
The focus of this year’s Annual Meeting was on the upcoming renovations planned for the Bank’s downtown Portsmouth, Pleasant Street location. The team has been engaged with plans to create a more customer accessible, productive space while maintaining the one-to-one personal banking experience that has long been a signature of this local community Bank.
Executive VP, Joan Gile, Antone Cabral, VP/Information Technology Officer and Joseph Almeida, Trustee and Commercial Design Studio Manager for DeStefano Architects, all presented various aspects of the upcoming renovation to the downtown Pleasant Street facilities. Mr. Almeida said, “In the early conversations it was Ken Clark who emphasized ‘how different this Bank is,’ and we wanted to ensure the new design concept doubled down on the value of the personal experience customers have when they come into Piscataqua Savings Bank.”
Past President/CEO and current Board Trustee for the Bank, Jay Gibson commented after the presentation, “I appreciate the proactive effort the team has had in shaping the renovation. The thoughtfulness as to what we can offer our customers is phenomenal. The personal banking experience is going to be met with the new design and I believe our customers are going to be very comfortable.
Mr. Wallis then drew the meeting to a close, commending the Board’s forward-looking focus and thanking the Corporators for their support.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized banks in the state. The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. More information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
May 19, 2017 – Rye, NH — Lilia Potter-Schwartz had such a success with her fundraising project last year that she decided to hold a second annual Race to Educate triathlon.
Lilia, 13, a seventh-grader at Rye Junior High School, organized the first Race to Educate last year as part of her bat mitzvah charitable contribution.
“Mitzvah means good deed,” Lilia said. “I wanted to do something that meant something to people, but something that is also meaningful to me.”
After researching many charities while preparing for her bat mitzvah, Lilia chose to work with the local organization Education for all Children, founded in Rye, which currently funds 355 students in secondary and post-secondary schools in Kenya.
Lilia is currently sponsoring two girls, Cecilia and Sadia, through four years of high school.
EFAC creates opportunities for vulnerable youth in Kenya through education, life skills workshops and mentoring. Only 40 percent of children in Kenya are able to attend secondary (high) school.
“I chose this charity because I am so grateful to have a good public education here,” Lilia said. “Both Cecilia and Sadia are from modest families who struggle to pay rent and put food on the table. They are now doing well in secondary school and hope to attend university in three years.”
Lilia’s face lights up when she talks about the two young women who will be able to attend four years of high school as a result of her efforts last year.
“We write back and forth,” she said. “It’s always fun to hear from them.”
Adding to the money she made from the first triathlon, Lilia busked in Market Square playing her violin, held bake sales and sought donations. In total she raised more than $8,000. It cost $4,000 to send one child through high school in Kenya.
In addition to organizing the triathlon, which takes place Sunday, May 28, Lilia had to approach sponsors for donations, ask businesses for prize items and get permits from the towns of Portsmouth, New Castle and Rye.
She began preparations in December to get a website up and then began looking for sponsors. Kumon Reading and Math Center of Portsmouth is the event sponsor. Runners Alley and Piscataqua Savings Bank are the corporate sponsors and there are nine other smaller sponsors, Lilia said.
The triathlon starts and finishes at Portsmouth High School, with a 275-meter swim in the Portsmouth Indoor Pool, a 7.36-mile ride and a 2.5-mile run.
“It’s very family-friendly,” Lilia said. “I’m hoping to recruit 100 participants and to raise $4,000 this year, enough to sponsor one more Kenyan student.”
Lilia, the daughter of Mike Schwartz and Sharyn Potter, said she is an avid swimmer and enjoys biking and running.
“This event is not competitive at all,” she said. “It’s really about having fun and helping Education For All Children. “Visit http://tinyurl.com/RaceToEducate2 to sign up.
May 08, 2017 – New Castle, NH — The Seacoast Women’s Giving Circle gathered to celebrate the six recipients of its annual grants at a May 4 event that attracted more than 100 members and guests to the Portsmouth Yacht Club.
The group was founded in 2006 with the mission of spreading grassroots philanthropy through collective giving and has directed more than $500,000 to local nonprofit organizations. This year, SWGC chose to support the arts, recognizing that the arts play a major role in the Seacoast area and contribute greatly to its economy and well-being.
SWGC Chairwomen Jane Lannon and Erika Taylor introduced the six nonprofit organizations selected for their offierings in the areas of artist recognition, arts education, arts in healthcare, access to the arts, collaboration and community engagement.
“Thriving arts organizations are critical to the vitality of our community,” Lannon said. “We are thrilled to be gifting over $60,000 in grants to these six organizations. Together we strive to make a significant, long-lasting impact on the quality of life on the Seacoast.”
Kirsten Mahoney, SWGC Give chairwoman, talked about the difficulty in selecting six organizations from a large pool of very compelling applications.
“The selection committee was inspired and humbled by the many organizations on the Seacoast doing tremendous work to support artists and engage the community in appreciation of the arts,” Mahoney said. “While many of these applications were worthy of funding, ultimately we focused on the mission of the SWGC to help us make these difficult decisions.”
The SWGC thanked Piscataqua Savings Bank for its generous support in sponsoring the event. Representatives from two of the recipient organizations, Zach Lange and Stu Dias, who are frequent performers at The Dance Hall, and the PMAC Teen Jazz Band performed during the event.
The SWGC 2017 grant recipients, the amounts of the grants are:
The Dance Hall, $15,000: It will utilize the grant to hire a part-time outreach coordinator to expand the artistic program, broaden collaboration and increase organizational capacity. This will also assist in Dance Hall programs becoming more accessible to school-aged children, low-income families, senior citizens and military families.
3S Artspace, $15,000: The nonprofit multifaceted arts organization is dedicated to presenting and supporting bold, emerging art and entertainment and cultivating an informal space for the exchange of ideas and creativity. In its flexible performance space and large gallery, 3S offers lectures, films, art exhibits, concerts and everything in between. 3S puts a strong emphasis on collaboration, and has partnered with an extensive list of organizations, artists, businesses and schools. This grant will go toward operational support of the organization with an emphasis on community engagement.
Portsmouth Music and Arts Center, $15,000: It will use the grant for operational support to strengthen and sustain its fiscal stability in order to meet the need of every financial aid application.
Seacoast Mental Health, $5,000: It will use the grant to support two art therapy program for clients with severe and persistent mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression and anxiety. Funds from the grant will provide stipends for professional artists to teach SMH clients and for the purchase of art supplies. Clients will partner with professional artists to create artwork that will then be sold in a silent auction, supporting SMH and empowering their clients.
New Hampshire Theatre Project, $5,000: Grant proceeds will be used to partially fund the first year of “The Elephant Series,” four play readings on social issues that are often ignored. Through each event NHTP will partner with an organization associated with the topic.
Arts In Reach (AIR), $5,000: AIR’s mission is to empower at-risk teenage girls through mentoring and the arts. AIR provides free art-based afterschool and summer programs to teenage girls. The grant will provide operational support for AIR’s mentoring and art programs. For more information, visit http://www.seacoastwomengive.org
April 29, 2017 – Portsmouth, NH — Two-time Super Bowl champion Danny Amendola of the New England Patriots will be the featured guest speaker of the inaugural Seacoast All-Star Sports Awards event on June 22 in downtown Portsmouth.
Seacoast Media Group will be honoring its top local high school athletes in a live show at The Music Hall located on 28 Chestnut Street.
“I am very honored to help recognize the student-athletes for their achievements,” Amendola said in a statement, “and look forward to a special evening celebrating their accomplishments.”
Player of the Year awards for 25 sports will be presented at the awards show, for which the SMG sports team will nominating hundreds of local athletes from its Portsmouth Herald and Foster’s Daily Democrat coverage areas. Coach of the Year, Male Athlete of the Year, Female Athlete of the Year and Team of the Year will also be announced along with some specialty awards.
All award winners will enjoy a personal meet and greet and photo opportunity with Amendola, and every nominated athlete will receive free admission. The event is open to family, friends and the general public. Tickets – which will be available for purchase starting Sunday, April 30 – are $25 for adults and $5 for students.
“As we’ve gotten to know the character and accomplishments of our local athletes, we chose to take the celebration of what they achieve beyond the page and into the community,” said John Tabor, president and publisher of Seacoast Media Group. “Our Seacoast High School All-Star Awards will be a gala night to celebrate our high school athletes with awards, videos, testimonials, all capped off with an on-stage interview with our special guest ‘champion’ – Danny Amendola of the Super-Bowl winning Patriots.
“We hope this will become an annual event the whole Seacoast anticipates from the first training day in the August heat to the last week of spring sports.”
The event will also include a special appearance by professional snowboarder and Olympic medalist Scotty Lago. On the night of the event, a pre-show party with food vendors and photo opportunities will take place on Chestnut Street. Doors open for the main event at 6 p.m. and seating for the show will begin immediately. The event is scheduled to start at 6:35 p.m. and will end at approximately 9 p.m.
The inaugural event is being sponsored by Piscataqua Savings Bank and Exeter Hospital’s Center for Orthopedics and Movement.
“We are very pleased to be a sponsor of the 2017 Seacoast All-Star Sports Awards,” said Rick Wallis, President and CEO of Piscataqua Savings Bank. “As a local business, we’re excited to be able to show our pride in the accomplishments of local high school athletes.”
“We’re pleased to be a part of this exciting new event supporting our local sports teams,” said Debra Vasapolli, Exeter Hospital’s director of community relations, “and the youth of our communities.”
Amendola, 31, joined the Patriots as a free agent wide receiver in March of 2013 and has been part of the franchise’s past two Super Bowl championships: XLIX and LI. Amendola made several critical plays in the Patriots’ 34-28 win over the Atlanta Falcons in overtime on Feb. 5, 2017. He caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady with 6 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to narrow what had been a 25-point Falcons’ lead. Later in regulation, he caught the game-tying 2-point conversion pass with less a minute to go as New England tied the game, 28–28, to force the first overtime game in Super Bowl history.
Amendola recently took a pay reduction for the third straight year to remain a Patriot in 2017, carving his maximum earning capacity to $1.7 million for this season and saving the team $4.75 million in salary cap space.”In his four years in New England, Danny Amendola has projected himself as nothing but a first-class teammate,” Seacoast Media Group sports editor Ryan O’Leary said. “He’s a tremendous example for our local athletes, and I hope they’ll be excited as I am to have Danny at the Music Hall on June 22 to help us celebrate their accomplishments during the 2016-17 school year. This is going to be a blast.”Find out more information about the event, including how to purchase tickets, online at http://seacoastonline.com/seacoastallstars. Nominated athletes for the fall and winter seasons will be receiving a letter within the next few weeks with instructions on how to claim their free ticket to the event. Spring nominees will receive their letters soon after.
To learn about sponsorship opportunities, contact Andrew Chernoff at 603-570-2118 or achernoff@seacoastonline.com.
April 22, 2017 – Portsmouth, NH – To the Editor: — Our Portsmouth community made a big impact on hunger at the first annual Empty Bowls Fundraiser held at Portsmouth Middle School on March 31. Over 300 families came out to raise awareness of hunger in our community and spend a night giving back! It was great to see so many families enjoying a simple meal, treasuring their handmade ceramic bowls, and participating in an event that helps our neighbors in need.
The amount of support seen throughout the course of making this event happen was overwhelming and made it clear to see why Portsmouth is such a wonderful city and community to be part of.
Thank you to the Portsmouth School Department, the Portsmouth Middle School Community Builders, Student Council, Parents Advisory Council, and food service team for hosting the event in the beautiful Portsmouth Middle School Stokel Commons, and for providing our youth with the important lesson of giving back – our future certainly looks bright!
Thank you to the Portsmouth Herald/Seacoast Media Group and iHeart Media Group for providing exceptional advertising through newspaper articles and radio spotlights. Thank you to Ambrosia Gardens for making our tables beautiful and Infinite Imaging for a beautifully printed graphic. Thank you to the Blue Mermaid, Thirsty Moose, Dos Amigos, Tj’s, Old Ferry Landing, What a Crock, The Green Bean, Beach Pea Baking Company, and NH Distribution for donating delicious soup, bread, and drinks for our event – it’s no wonder why our restaurant scene is incredible!
Thank you to the St. John’s Youth Ministry and Girl Scout Troop 10854 for baking and donating over 400 cookies – we think you’re pretty sweet! Thank you to the over 30 local businesses and supporters who donated auction items to add another element of fun to the event. Thank you to Piscataqua Savings Bank, Federal Savings Bank, and Ben’s Auto Body for participating as part of our corporate sponsors.
And finally, thank you to the community for recognizing the importance of helping our neighbors in need and the many residents who are food insecure right here in Portsmouth. Through the support of our community we were able to raise over $10,000 dollars at our first annual Empty Bowls. All of the proceeds will support the Seacoast Family Food Pantry and their continued goal of providing assistance to food insecure residents and families in Portsmouth and surrounding Seacoast communities! Watch for the second annual Empty Bowls next year as we look forward to bringing more of our community together to fight hunger.
Six individuals were recognized for their efforts to ensure the safety, health and wellbeing of children in the community as part of the Child Advocacy Center of Rockingham County’s 6th annual Champion Awards Thursday at the Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel. Champion recipients from left to right include: Kimberly Pelchat, Child Protective Service Worker, Paul Curtis, HAVEN volunteer advocate, Newmarket Police Chief Kyle True, Lt. Rick Beaudet, Newmarket Police Department, Stephanie Johnson, Rockingham County Attorneys’ Office prosecutor, and Rick Wallis, president and CEO of Piscataqua Savings Bank.
April 6, 2017 – Portsmouth, NH — Six exemplary individuals were recognized at the sixth annual Champions for Children Awards Ceremony at the Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel Thursday morning.
The Child Advocacy Center of Rockingham County presented the awards in recognition of April being Child Abuse Prevention Month
Last year, there were 2,400 cases of child abuse investigated in the state. Three hundred of them were investigated by a staff of just three at the CAC of Rockingham County, with 200 more cases screened.
This year’s recipients were Rick Wallis, president of Piscataqua Savings Bank; Kim Pelchat, a child protective service worker for the N.H. Department Health and Human Services’ Division of Children, Youth and Families; Paul Curtis, a victim advocate with Haven; Stephanie Johnson, an attorney with Rockingham County Attorney’s Office; and Chief Kyle True and Lt. Rick Beaudet of the Newmarket Police Department.
Maureen Sullivan, executive director of CAC, which has offices in Portsmouth and Derry, introduced the guest speaker, Lt. Joseph Ebert, director of the N.H. Department of Safety’s Fusion Center.
Ebert talked about his getting a 2 a.m. call as a young state trooper to investigate a homicide case for a 2-year-old child.
“It caught me off guard,” he recalled. “The witness was a 5-year-old and the suspect was the mother. I was preoccupied driving to the hospital about how I was going to get a statement from a 5-year-old.”
Ebert said someone met him at the hospital from the CAC.
“This was a new concept to me,” he said. “I had always worked as an individual in investigations, but now I was part of a team. The forensic interviewer was able to get a statement useable in court.”
Saying survivors deserve anonymity, Ebert talked about a high-profile kidnapping case of a 14-year-old.
“She was emotionally and sexually abused daily and shown videos on police interrogation,” Ebert said. “She was indoctrinated to think law enforcement is bad.”
With the help of a CAC forensic interviewer alone in the room with the victim, Ebert and his team were able to get a pure version of a statement on a video feed that gave them the power and leverage to get a conviction and a plea.
Ebert said this insured the survivor did not have to get up on the stand.
He ended with a message of hope.
“There are some days in my job when it’s really horrible … days that will never leave my memory,” Ebert said. “I look at it and say, those are the bad days for me, but those are every day for the folks at the CAC. And that really gives me a healthy respect for what they do.”
He said he sees some of the survivors and stays in touch with their families because for him, personally, he needs to know they made it through and that they’re thriving, because “otherwise, it is just doom and gloom.”
“So the silver lining in this is what the CAC provides to these children. It provides them with a chance to survive and thrive,” Ebert concluded.
This year’s award recipients were treated to two things. One was a slideshow comparing each to a movie screen champion. The other was that Nico Zaino, 12, one of last year’s award recipients helped to present the awards.
Nico of Hampton, with the help of his football teammates, started the “Little Warriors for a Big Difference.” They collect money and items like stuffed animals and snacks for the CAC forensic investigators to give to children during interviews, as well as purchase small office supplies like batteries or pens.
Sullivan said Wallis was “fiercely committed to a partnership between the public and private sector,” as president of Piscataqua Savings Bank.
“While there are many individual and corporate donors who are responsible for the CACs success, none have been as supportive as Rick Wallis,” she said. “He has been described by his staff as mentor, by his clients as respectful and by leadership as a man of integrity, but my favorite description is ‘arm candy’ by his wife Karene.”
Wallis’s movie match? “Braveheart,” as a photo of Mel Gibson appeared on the screen.
CAC program coordinator and forensic interviewer Jillian Burns presented the award to Pelchat, whose movie double was Kristen Bell.
“She, usually being the first responder to the types of cases that eventually make their way to the CAC, does the grunt work,” Burns said. “Kim and I are no strangers to reaching each other on our cellphones, even after hours, to triage cases … child protection can be a thankless job, but today I’m here, we’re here to say thank you.”
Curtis, a victim advocate for Haven, was praised by Sullivan for his calm, caring and lighthearted demeanor.
“I’ve peeked into the waiting room many times only to see you bonding with a child over a game or story,” she said. “At Christmastime, there was one boy who looked up at you and truly believed he had an exclusive audience with Santa Claus.”
It was only fitting that Curtis’s doppelganger was Kris Kringle.
Burns introduced attorney Stephanie Johnson comparing her to the heroes from “Star Wars,” who have won over Johnson’s sons’ hearts.
“Being a Jedi requires patience, trusting your instincts, devotion to a mission, acknowledging the dark side but refusing to dwell on it, and most importantly, protecting and defending the helpless. You, my friend, are a Jedi,” Burns said, as a photo of Princess Leia popped up on the screen.
Sullivan presented True and Beaudet, as “Turner & Hooch” appeared on the screen.
“For Chief Kyle True and Lt. Rick Beaudet, the constant shifting dynamic between the two proves countless laughs and surprisingly sweet moments,” Sullivan said.
She talked about the case of a Newmarket father who broke multiple bones in his infant son’s body.
“As family men and as investigators, no doubt this case had an effect on them,” Sullivan said. “For a police officer, there is no other crime more reprehensible than those committed against a child.”
True acknowledged Nico as he accepted his award.
“You’re going places my friend,” he said. “What is really humbling are the forensic interviews that Jillian and Megan (Donahue) do. You are the true champions.”
Donahue is CAC’s intake coordinator and a forensic interviewer. Rounding out the staff is Loree Sullivan, an interim interviewer, filling in for Burns, who is on maternity leave, but came to the awards ceremony.
January 10, 2017 – Portsmouth, NH — Piscataqua Savings Bank wrapped up its 12th annual Spirit of Giving charity drive, a campaign that began Oct. 31 and ran through the holidays.
The bank chooses two community service organizations each year to help through community donations. This year’s recipients were the Rockingham Meals on Wheels Center and the Senior Activity Center at the Community Campus in Portsmouth.
Two carloads of household supplies were donated to Meals on Wheels. Items were collected from the bank’s customers and staff and community members. The bank also collected donations Meals on Wheels, totaling $519, which will help seniors and disabled residents across the county.
Donations for the Senior Activity Center totaled $219, while donated items included 95 blankets, which were wrapped and delivered as gifts to members at the Senior Center holiday luncheon. The Spirit of Giving team also helped serve the holiday luncheon Dec. 22.
October 31, 2016 – Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank in downtown Portsmouth will launch their annual Spirit of Giving campaign on October 31st. The Bank has provided drop boxes to collect donations for two important community service organizations for twelve consecutive years. This year, the recipients of the Bank’s annual charity drive are the Rockingham Meals on Wheels and the Senior Activity Center at Community Campus.
Wanda Fontaine, Assistant Vice President/Assistant Operations Officer at the Bank, is chair of the holiday giving campaign again this year. Fontaine said, “We are so proud of our Spirit of Giving campaign. Each year our Piscataqua family wants to do more for the community. We look forward to making the holiday season a little brighter for local seniors and we are so appreciative of the way our customers, and even people who are not our customers, contribute to our annual giving campaign each year.”
Drop boxes for the organizations are available inside the Bank lobby on Pleasant Street in Portsmouth. You can help make this year a happier holiday for countless Seacoast seniors by bringing your donations into Piscataqua Savings Bank.
The Wish List includes: monetary donations, toilet paper, bath soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes, shampoo, laundry detergent, trash bags, Kleenex boxes, and others. Visit www.piscataqua.com for a complete listing of wished-for donations from both organizations. Drop boxes are filled and delivered to the appropriate agency as needed. Your donations are welcome anytime during the Bank’s Main Lobby hours: Monday-Friday 9:00am to 4:00pm, and Saturday 9:00am to 12:30pm.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. More information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
September 9, 2016 – Portsmouth, NH – Gregory Doolittle has recently joined Piscataqua Savings Bank as Assistant Vice President/Assistant Compliance Officer. Assuming this position, Doolittle will assist with the oversight of the Bank’s policies and procedures to ensure compliance with all banking regulations.
Doolittle offers fifteen years of banking expertise as a recognized top performer in the profession, with a record of consistently improving operations, customer service, and staff performance.
“It’s a pleasure to welcome Greg aboard our team of highly experienced professionals,” said President and CEO of the Bank, Rick Wallis. “His knowledge of the industry and expertise in management will serve us well in maintaining a high standard of regulatory compliance and banking excellence.”
Doolittle is a previous Treasurer of the Rotary Club of Boston, Board Member of International Institute of New England (Employment Advisory), Member of the Boston and South Shore Chambers of Commerce, Member of Downtown Boston Business Improvement District, and has been a Group Coordinator for Project Bread – Walk for Hunger. He received a degree in Business Administration from Charter Oak State College in Connecticut.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized banks in the state. The only mutual savings bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
Contact: Rick Wallis, President/CEO Piscataqua Savings Bank 603.436.5250 rwallis@piscataqua.com
July 5, 2016 – Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank recently announced the election of six new Corporators for the upcoming fiscal year, as follows: Karen Adler, Shannon Harrison, John McCune Jr., Francie Osgood, John Ricci, and Maureen Semprini.
The Board of Corporators is a representative group of Piscataqua Savings Bank’s customers and members of the Portsmouth community. Chosen to uphold the Bank’s vision, this group is dedicated to helping individuals and families achieve their financial goals while supporting the communities in which we live and work.
Karen Adler, DVM is a graduate of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and currently practices at the Great Bay Animal Hospital in Durham. Karen also received a Master’s Degree in Environmental Health Sciences from Harvard University. She lives in Portsmouth with her husband Steve, two children, and several dogs and cats.
Shannon Harrison is the owner of the Children’s Garden Preschool, one of the oldest preschools in Portsmouth. She feels honored to carry on the school’s legacy. Shannon lives in her hometown of Portsmouth with her husband Kyle and their two children, Shea and Ryen.
John McCune Jr. has more than 15 years of experience as a financial planner, and founded Gulfstream Financial Group in 2005. He is a member and past President of the Seacoast Rotary Club, where he received recognition as a Paul Harris Fellow for his outstanding service to the community. John and his wife, Renee reside in Rye.
Frances “Francie” Osgood is a self-employed graphic designer, as well as a member and past Co-Chair of the Seacoast Women’s Giving Circle, a philanthropic organization founded in 2006 that has awarded $500,000 in grants to local non-profits. She also serves on the Executive Board of the Berwick Academy Parent Community. Francie lives in Portsmouth with her husband, Scott and their two children, Matthew and Luke.
John Ricci is the President and a third-generation owner of Ricci Construction. He is Chairman of the Portsmouth Planning Board and Board member of The Music Hall and The Chase Home for Children. John lives in Portsmouth with his wife, Heidi, where they raised their two children, Lexie and Joe.
Maureen Semprini works as an administrative assistant for Cole Haan in Greenland, NH, a manufacturer of shoes and apparel. She currently lives in Portsmouth with her husband, Kevin, where they raised their two children, Danielle and David.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized banks in the state. The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings Bank has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Visit www.piscataqua.com to learn more.
May 12, 2016 – Portsmouth, NH – Thomas Queeney has joined Piscataqua Savings Bank’s Trust & Investment Department as Vice President and Trust Officer. The Trust & Investment team offers comprehensive services to individuals, families and non-profits seeking a long-term relationship to manage their assets.
Tom brings a wealth of experience to Piscataqua Savings Bank. His professional designations include Certified Trust and Financial Advisor (CTFA), Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and Accredited Estate Planner (AEP), in addition to seventeen years of experience encompassing various aspects of personalized client services, networking, training, compliance and trust operations support.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Tom to our Trust & Investment Department,” said Rick Wallis, President and CEO of the Bank. “His extensive background and skills will complement our already strong team and provide added value for our clients.”
Tom is a member of the Estate Planning Council and volunteers for the Money Management Program at SeniorCare Inc. and other non-profit organizations.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized banks in the state. The only mutual savings bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
Contact: Rick Wallis, President/CEO Piscataqua Savings Bank 603.436.5250 rwallis@piscataqua.com
April 19, 2016 – Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank recently promoted Stephanie Nagel to Loan Officer. Ms. Nagel’s 14 year career at Piscataqua Savings began as a Bank Teller, she also worked in Deposit Operations, as well as the Loan Department, where she gained mortgage industry knowledge and experience. Ms. Nagel attended the Northern New England School of Banking, where she graduated in 2009.
“Stephanie excels in customer service and has demonstrated commitment and loyalty to Piscataqua Savings Bank and our customers since she started with us,” said President and CEO Rick Wallis. “Her promotion to the Loan Department is well deserved.”
The Bank also announced that Paul Alix has joined the team as a Loan Officer. With twenty one years of experience in the industry, Mr. Alix spent twelve years as a wholesale mortgage Account Executive and nine years as a Loan Officer. His understanding of the lending process will serve him well in the Loan Department at Piscataqua Savings Bank – one of the Seacoast’s leading home mortgage lenders.
“We are excited to have Paul join our loan team. We look forward to utilizing Paul’s strong background in lending and building new customer relationships,” said Debbie Perry, Vice President and Senior Loan Officer.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized banks in the state. The only mutual savings bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
Contact: Rick Wallis, President/CEO Piscataqua Savings Bank 603.436.5250 rwallis@piscataqua.com
April 7, 2016 – Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank is pleased to announce that Paul Alix has joined their Loan Department as a Loan Officer. With twenty one years of mortgage industry knowledge and experience, Alix spent twelve years as a wholesale mortgage Account Executive and nine years as a Loan Officer. His customer service expertise and understanding of the lending process will serve him well on the Loan Department at Piscataqua Savings Bank – one of the Seacoast’s leading home mortgage lenders.
“We’re excited to have Paul aboard the Loan team,” said President and CEO Rick Wallis. “His proficiency in the execution of the entire mortgage process, from beginning to end, will be a great asset to the Bank and its customers.”
Alix received a Bachelor of Science from Plymouth State University, where he studied Marketing and Accounting. He now resides in Londonderry, NH with his wife and children.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized banks in the state. The only mutual savings bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
Contact: Rick Wallis, President/CEO Piscataqua Savings Bank 603.436.5250 rwallis@piscataqua.com
January 26, 2016 – Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank is pleased to announce that Brianna Adams has joined their Trust & Investment Department as a Trust Officer. With more than ten years of fiduciary experience in estate and trust administration, Adams brings additional expertise to their comprehensive fiduciary administration group. She formerly served as a Regional Fiduciary Officer for a Boston trust company, where she facilitated successful solutions for her clients. Piscataqua Savings Bank’s Trust & Investment Department excels at assisting families with managing accumulated wealth and planning carefully for the future needs of all family members.
Rick Wallis, President/CEO of Piscataqua Savings Bank said, “Brianna Adams brings a great deal of experience and knowledge to our Trust team. Her skill set is going to be a tremendous asset to our clients and the level of service we provide.”
Adams obtained a Master of Laws degree in Estate Planning and Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law, as well as a Bachelor of Arts from Bates College.
She is a member of the Maine, New Hampshire and Florida Bar Associations. Adams has been a wish grantor and fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate, representing the interests of abused, neglected and abandoned children.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized banks in the state. The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings Bank has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
Contact: Rick Wallis, President/CEO Piscataqua Savings Bank 603.436.5250 rwallis@piscataqua.com
November 20, 2015 – Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank is pleased to announce its newest member to their Loan Department. Susan G. Jonis joins the team as Loan Officer, bringing over twenty years of achievements managing all aspects of loan portfolios and lending operations.
Jonis has experience across diverse areas of organizational management, including marketing, compliance, technology, legal, and retail. She is a former member of the Eastern Massachusetts Compliance Network, Mortgage Committee with the NH Bankers Association, Membership Committee of the Amesbury Chamber of Commerce, and Board Member of Community Home Solutions. She was also a regular speaker with Coastal Homebuyers Program, LLC and other first-time homebuyer programs.
Jonis received her B.A. in Economics and Political Science from the University of New Hampshire in Durham. She is a NH Licensed Real Estate Broker and has participated in professional development through Fannie Mae, Massachusetts Bankers, and NH Associations on a variety of lending topics.
As Loan Officer for the Bank, Jonis will guide customers through the lending process, from initial application throughout the approval and closing process. She is currently Treasurer of the Women’s Golf Association at Wentworth by the Sea and lives in North Hampton with her husband, Michael.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized banks in the state. The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings Bank has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
Contact: Rick Wallis, President/CEO Piscataqua Savings Bank 603.436.5250 rwallis@piscataqua.com
November, 20, 2015 – Portsmouth, NH – This September, Piscataqua Savings Bank of Portsmouth was honored with the “Best of Bauer status” from Bauer Financial, a rating agency based in Coral Gables, Florida. The prestigious award recognizes banks and credit unions across the country that have achieved 100 consecutive quarters of operational excellence, reflected by Bauer’s 5-star rating.
Fewer than five percent of the nation’s banks have earned Bauer’s top rating for 25 years in a row, an honorary group of which Piscataqua Savings Bank is now a part. Criteria used to determine the star rating system include, but are not limited to: capital ratio, profitability, level of delinquent loans, investment portfolio quality, regulatory supervisory agreements, community investment and liquidity.
“We are so proud and appreciative of this special recognition,” said Rick Wallis, President and CEO of the Bank. “At Piscataqua Savings Bank, we strive to provide exemplary service to our customers, and we are always looking for ways to make the Portsmouth community a better place to live and work. This acknowledgement means a lot to us.”
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized banks in the state. The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings Bank has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
Contact: Rick Wallis, President/CEO Piscataqua Savings Bank 603.436.5250 rwallis@piscataqua.com
October 23, 2015 – Portsmouth, NH – With the theme, “Be someone’s Angel this year,” Piscataqua Savings Bank in downtown Portsmouth will launch their annual “Spirit of Giving” campaign on October 31st. The Bank has provided drop boxes to collect donations for two important community service organizations for eleven consecutive years. This year, the recipients of the Bank’s annual charity drive will be Seacoast Family Food Pantry and Families First.
Wanda Fontaine, Assistant Vice President/Assistant Operations Officer at the Bank, is chair of the holiday giving campaign this year. Fontaine said, “We are so proud of our Spirit of Giving campaign. Each year our Piscataqua family wants to do more for the community. We look forward to making the holiday season a little brighter for local families and we are so appreciative of the way our customers, and even people who are not our customers, contribute to our annual giving campaign each year.”
Drop boxes for the organizations are available inside the Bank lobby on Pleasant Street in Portsmouth. You can help make this year a happier holiday for countless Seacoast families by bringing your donations into Piscataqua Savings Bank.
The Wish List includes:
Monetary donations
Hard warmers
Hats, gloves, and mittens
Warm coats
Non-perishable foods
Visit www.piscataqua.com for a complete listing of wished-for donations from both organizations. Drop boxes are filled and delivered to the appropriate agency as needed. Your donations are welcomed anytime during the Bank’s Main Lobby hours which are Monday – Friday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and Saturday 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. More information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
July 15, 2015 – Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank is proud to recognize the accomplishments of its Vice President and Information Technology Officer, Antone “Tony” Cabral. An employee of the Bank since 2001, Cabral recently completed his third and final year at the American Bankers Stonier School at the University of Pennsylvania, a prestigious program for today’s banking leaders.
Celebrating 80 years of excellence in banking education, the Stonier Graduate School of Banking has earned a reputation as the industry’s preeminent graduate school, and the only banking school affiliated with the American Bankers Association. Rick Wallis, President and CEO of Piscataqua Savings Bank, said, “We could not be more proud of Tony for receiving his Stonier diploma. Our support of his endeavors is very reflective of the commitment to staff development we strive for at the Bank.”
As VP/IT Officer at Piscataqua Savings, Cabral’s role is focused on the administration and maintenance of its entire computer system, as well as oversight of all other IT needs. Prior to his career at the Bank, Cabral was a computer consultant. He has also served as a board member and past president for Southeast NH Habitat for Humanity. Cabral lives in Dover with his wife and children.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized banks in the state. The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
Contact: Rick Wallis, President/CEO Piscataqua Savings Bank 603.436.5250 rwallis@piscataqua.com
It is not their products and services staff describe when talking about what makes Piscataqua Savings Bank unique, but rather the value they place on building relationships with customers that last for generations. Their emphasis on relationship building, however, does not begin with people at the age of 18 when they are considered adults. It in fact begins with babies and small children too young to sign their names at the Kids’ Bank at Piscataqua Savings Bank.
“We will even open an account for babies before they are born,” said CEO Rick Wallis, who is only the 11th president of Piscataqua Savings Bank since it was founded in 1877.
Celebrating its 25th year in operation, the idea behind the Kids’ Bank is to provide children of all ages, especially younger ones, with the opportunity to bank, save their money (with no fees), and earn interest just like any adult. It is more than a concept, though, as kids can actually conduct their banking business during regular business hours or at their very own separate teller window every Saturday morning.
“Saturday mornings can get very busy,” said Deposit Operations’ Michelle Jenkins, who worked at the Kids’ Bank when it first opened. “In the beginning, there would often be a line of kids and a lot of loose coins—it was and still is a lot of fun.”
Kids can not only bank there, they can work side-by-side with staff. “Those are some of my favorite memories,” Jenkins added. “The Kids’ Bank is such a special and fun experience for kids.”
While the Kids’ Bank is fun for kids—they especially love the nearly 100-year old antique coin counting machine—it reflects perhaps the most important core value at Piscataqua Savings Bank. “We are like a family here and treat our customers like family,” said Wallis, whose own son Ben had an account as well as worked with Jenkins at the Kids’ Bank as a child. “It’s almost a little like ‘Cheers’ here where ‘everybody knows your name.'”
He said it is this sense of familiarity he and the entire staff at Piscataqua Savings Bank want to cultivate within all their customers—whether they are 9 or 90 years old. “For children, it is important they learn the value of saving as well as the value of creating relationships in the community with a financial institution,” he said. “Kids really do not learn about financial responsibility in school, so we are filling a void.”
In addition to the specially designated teller window, the Kids’ Bank provides kids with gifts and their very own printed passbooks to help them keep track of balances. It also features a variety of interactive activities on Piscataqua Savings Banks’ website.
“Kids have fun, but they are learning about money without even realizing it,” added Wallis.
According to Joan Gile, executive vice president/operations officer, staff take pride in customizing what they offer growing children (and parents). “Teens need checking accounts and debit cards, while parents need assurances everything is going to be okay when their kids go off to college,” she said. “Wherever kids go to school or may be visiting for a semester, they can still bank at Piscataqua Savings Bank anywhere around the world—that provides parents with peace of mind.”
For younger children, however, the entire Kids’ Bank experience may be defined by a massive stuffed bear known as B.A. Saver, who sits right next to their designated teller area. Serving as mascot for the Kids’ Bank, B.A. Saver ‘protects’ all the money invested by the kids.
“We actually had a real stuffed bear in the lobby of the bank back in the 1950s,” said Pat Elkins, executive assistant to the president, who has enrolled all her grandchildren at the Kids’ Bank. “We are not sure where the idea of a bear came from, but it is an image that has helped shape our caring and concern for children for many decades.”
This institutional caring and concern can be traced back to a communication found in the archives at Piscataqua Savings Bank that is dated January 28, 1925. In the letter, which is addressed to a child in Newcastle, NH who had been born, E. Curtis Matthews, vice president and treasurer, wrote:
Greetings:
Your parents will find enclosed a Savings Bank Book which is presented to you with compliments of the Officers and Trustees of the Piscataqua Savings Bank. As the pass book shows, the sum of $1.00 has been credited to your account with us in commemoration of the joyful occasion of your coming into the world. It is not so much the idea of our giving you the one dollar as it is in the belief that in starting your Bank Account now we are putting you on the right road for success in years to come.
“The Kids’ Bank may have started in 1990, but families have been our focus for generations,” said Wallis, who in part attributes this singular focus on Piscataqua Savings Banks’ mutuality. “We are not stock held, so we do not answer to the needs of shareholders.”
Citing herself and Jenkins as but two examples, Gile said another differentiating factor in how Piscataqua Savings Bank conducts business is the longevity of its staff, many of whom have worked there for decades.
“We know the people who bank here—their kids, their kids’ kids—and they know us,” said Gile, who also provides tours of Piscataqua Savings Bank for middle school age kids. “We know who these people are and we’ve known their families for generations. We are unlike any other bank. We are different.”
In describing the future of the Kids’ Bank where more than 1,000 kids currently conduct business, Wallis said he envisions adding more resources for parents, especially for those with teens who want to save money for college.
“It speaks to our mission, which is to help individuals and families achieve their financial goals, while supporting the communities where we live and work,” he said. “The Kids’ Bank is important, because it helps us develop relationships with kids we hope last for the rest of their lives.”
The Bank celebrates their 138th anniversary this year, which marks the 25th anniversary of the Kids’ Bank. Many customers have been with this unique institution for generations—seems like Piscataqua Savings Bank has a pretty good handle on the relationship thing.
Contact: Rick Wallis, President/CEO Piscataqua Savings Bank 603.436.5250 rwallis@piscataqua.com
July 16, 2015 – Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank of Portsmouth held an Ice Cream Truck event on Saturday, July 11th concluding its successful Kids’ Bank Challenge called the “Yoyo Giveaway Challenge.” The initiative encouraged young savers to earn deposits through chores, helpful jobs around the house or gifts from special events.
The five-week challenge was launched on June 6th during a book signing event for the children’s book, The Yoyo and the Piggy Bank. Savers that earned and deposited $5 or more into their account between June 6th and July 11th would each receive a yoyo, a teddy bear and ice cream from the Bank. Those who entered the challenge were entered into a raffle for an additional prize as well and the Bank also donated $5 to a charity of their choosing. The non-profits selected by challenge participants included the NHSPCA, Cocheco Valley Humane Society, Paws with a Cause, the Salvation Army, the Krempels Center and CHaD.
Among the children to participate were James and Luke Peavey. The boys were pleased to receive their yoyos, teddy bear and an ice cream treat from the Ice Cream Truck for their hard-earned savings.
“James and Luke love going to the Kids’ Bank on Saturday mornings and saving their money,” said their mother, Pam Peavey. “They chose the NHSPCA and the Salvation Army to donate to as part of the challenge. It’s great to be able to contribute to the community, while also watching my kids have a blast learning about savings.”
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized banks in the state. The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings Bank has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
Contact: Rick Wallis, President/CEO Piscataqua Savings Bank 603.436.5250 rwallis@piscataqua.com
Piscataqua Savings Bank prides itself on being unlike any other bank. Since its inception in 1877, it has dedicated itself to building lasting relationships among the community, including ones with small children. This year, Piscataqua Savings celebrates the 25th anniversary of its Kids’ Bank, a place for children to learn about financial responsibility while getting a head start on a sound savings plan for the future.
Here are 8 great tips for money-savvy parents raising money-smart kids:
Set the example of a responsible money manager by paying bills on time, being a conscientious spender and an active saver. Children tend to emulate their parents’ personal finance habits.
Talk openly about money with your kids. Communicate your values and experiences with money. Encourage them to ask you questions, and be prepared to answer them — even the tough ones.
Explain the difference between needs and wants, the value of saving and budgeting, and the consequences of not doing so.
Open a savings account for your children and take them with you to make deposits, so they can learn how to be hands-on in their money management.
Let friends and family know about your child’s savings goal. They’ll be more likely to give cash for special occasions, which means more trips to the bank.
Provide opportunities for your children to earn money to deposit into their account. Attaining financial goals is more meaningful when children work towards them.
Engage your community. Many schools, banks and community organizations share your commitment to creating a money-savvy generation. Engage a coalition of support to provide youth with the education they need to succeed.
Kids who save are more likely to go to college and graduate. With as little as $500 in college savings, children from families with modest means are 3 times more likely to enroll in college and 4 times more likely to graduate than those without college savings. Children with a savings account also have lower stress and a greater sense of hope for the future, according to the SEED Initiative. *
Teaching your child to be a financially responsible young person can be a very gratifying experience. Help them create a savings plan today — it’s an investment that will pay off down the road.
*The Savings for Education, Entrepreneurship and Downpayment Initiative.( SEED) is an integrated, multifaceted effort, which develops, tests, informs, and promotes matched savings accounts and financial education for children and youth.
The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. This year marks the 25th anniversary of its Kids’ Bank, a place for children to learn about financial responsibility while getting a head start on a sound savings plan for the future. Visit www.piscataqua.com for more information.
Contact: Rick Wallis, President/CEO Piscataqua Savings Bank 603.436.5250 rwallis@piscataqua.com
June 25, 2015 – Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank recently announced the election of six new Corporators, as follows: Timothy J. Durkin, Richard D. Jenkinson, Terri L. Golter, Evan T. Mullen, Michael J. Murphy, and Alan M. Robinson.
The Board of Corporators is a representative group of Piscataqua Savings Bank’s customers and members of the Seacoast community. Chosen to uphold the Bank’s vision, this group is dedicated to helping individuals and families achieve their financial goals while supporting the communities in which we live and work. The newly elected Corporators include the following members:
Timothy J. Durkin is a Business Consultant with over 25 years of experience in finance, private equity and general management. He is accomplished in growing and managing companies in manufacturing industrial products, distribution, and business services, with cross border experience in Europe and China. Durkin currently lives in Rye with his wife, Liz and their family.
Richard D. Jenkinson is Senior Advisor for Government Relations and Public Affairs at Thermo Fisher Scientific. Before joining the company in 2003, he was Vice President of Public Relations at AT&T Broadband, where he had over 15 years of regional and national responsibilities. In his current role, Jenkinson provides government relations and public affairs consultation for Thermo Fisher’s business leaders globally. He and his wife, Vickie live in Portsmouth and are active hikers and skiers.
Terri L. Golter is a Real Estate Agent for RE/MAX By The Bay, Portsmouth, and has been a top-producing agent in the Seacoast area for over 30 years. A member of the New Castle Fire Rescue, she is currently an EMS Captain, as well as a CPR instructor. Born and raised in New Castle, Golter now lives there with husband, Tom and their family.
Evan T. Mullen is an Architectural Designer and Project Manager at Port One Architects in Portsmouth. A New Hampshire native, he is involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of NH, where he is a founding member of the Young Philanthropists for Mentoring Board. Mullen currently lives in Portsmouth with his wife, Jenny where he enjoys working on their 200 year-old home.
Michael J. Murphy is a CPA/Shareholder for Murphy, Powers and Wilson Certified Public Accountants, P.C. His active role in the community is demonstrated through titles such as: New Hampshire High School Football Official, Trustee of the City of Dover Trust Funds, Treasurer of the Joan G. Lovering Health Center, Treasurer of the New Hampshire Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (NHSPCA), Treasurer of Rain for the Sahel and Sahara in Portsmouth, and member of the Board of Directors at Dover Children’s Home. Murphy currently lives in Dover with his wife, Mary.
Alan M. Robinson is Strategic Planning Manager at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Born in Portsmouth, Robinson earned a BS in Physics at the University of New Hampshire, and has held positions in the Shipyard’s Nuclear Engineering and Planning Department, Public Affairs Office, and Business and Strategic Planning Office. Currently, Robinson is involved in long-range strategic planning and technology transfer at the Shipyard. He lives in Kittery with his wife, Melissa and their family.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized banks in the state. The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings Bank has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
Contact: Rick Wallis, President/CEO Piscataqua Savings Bank 603.436.5250 rwallis@piscataqua.com
June 3, 2015 – Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank recently held its Annual Meeting of the Corporation at the Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel. In attendance were members of the Corporation, the Board of Trustees, and Bank officers.
Chairman of the Board Kenneth R. Clark presided over the meeting and welcomed all in attendance. Clark then welcomed the newly appointed Corporators from last year’s meeting who were in attendance: Jennifer Gray, Charles Lassen, Robert Lister, Steve Marchand, Peter Neuffer, and Nancy Notis.
President and CEO Richard M. Wallis called the business session of the Annual Meeting to order. Mr. Wallis listed the names of the Slate of Corporators to be appointed: Timothy J. Durkin, Richard D. Jenkinson, Terri L. Golter Lamontagne, Evan T. Mullen, Michael J. Murphy, and Alan M. Robinson. Wallis then announced the re-election of current Trustees Joseph J. Almeida, Michael J. Asselin, Kenneth R. Clark, Jay S. Gibson, Elisabeth Robinson, Barbara Shea-Smucker, and Richard M. Wallis. Joining the Slate of Trustees this year is Christopher H. Brown.
This year, Piscataqua Savings Bank celebrates the 25th anniversary of its Kids’ Bank and the 20th anniversary of their Trust Department. Wallis noted the milestone Kids’ Bank anniversary, and said, “In celebration of the anniversary, the Bank is hosting events throughout the spring and summer months, including our recent participation in Pro Portsmouth’s Children’s Day. Our Kids’ Bank is a fun and interactive way to teach children important fiscal lessons that will last a lifetime, and we’re really proud to be celebrating our twenty-fifth year.”
Mr. Wallis spoke about the Bank’s strong support of the community and shared a presentation listing a number of non-profit organizations that the Bank supported in 2014. He noted that the Bank financially supported 99 non-profit organizations. The types of organizations supported ranged from PTOs and youth sports teams to major capital campaigns.
Drawing the meeting to a close, Mr. Wallis thanked the Corporators for their interest and support.
The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
To take a left off State Street into the parking lot of Piscataqua Savings Bank is to enter a secret garden. For the past 10 years, it has been my province. Actually, I’ve frequented that garden for more than 30 years if one figures my presence in it from the time I opened a business account at the bank in 1982. But it was in 2002 that I inquired of then president Jay Gibson about a part-time opening.
Nothing unusual about a depositor making an inquiry of the bank president at Piscataqua. The bank comports itself as a family, treats the businesses and depositors it serves as extended family, and even non-account holders as perhaps distant relatives to whom it opens its downtown parking lot after banking hours and from whom it exacts a minimal charge for the use of its ATM. Call the bank between the hours of 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., and chances are a human being will answer. I know every member of the bank’s board of directors, and not one of them ever passes me without asking how I am. They don’t have to do that.
Courtesy is one thing that’s free in this life, and there’s plenty of it to go around in the parking lot of Piscataqua Savings Bank. Fundamentals of socialization are taught daily there. Holding the door invariably elicits a smile, and often a quickened step so as not to unduly delay the holder. I can’t count the cups of tea and cocoa customers have brought to my booth in the winter, or the cookies brought back by those who’ve asked if they can park for five minutes to run to the card store, the Post Office, or the coffee shop.
The Kids Bank, with that wonderful stuffed bear and steps up to the window to enable the youngest account holders to make their own deposits, is a logical extension of the bank’s genuine family theme. It affords young children exposure to the practice of saving, and a sense of appreciation for the deposits parents and grandparents make on their behalf.
I’ve never had time or need to read or text as I sit on the stool in the lot. Someone is always passing through — customers, the landscapers whose talents keep the perimeter lush and bursting with a profusion of colors, and people crossing the lot on their way to work, their place of business, or simply on a stroll. Most are disposed to talk. I’ve listened, sympathetically, to news of deaths and divorces; gladly to news of births, marriages and graduations. And I’ve bent an ear on occasion myself. The daily mail run, too, is seldom without a conversation or two with people encountered en route or the always-pleasant folks at the Post Office.
Pleasantness, in fact, pretty much sums up my years at Piscataqua Savings Bank. Maybe it’s schmaltzy, but now I think of it, it’s kind of appropriate that the bank’s is a Pleasant Street address (number 15, Suite 1, if you’re looking for it). Within a couple of years, Jay upgraded my job, but from the day I made my initial deposit I’ve enjoyed the same treatment I’ve seen everyone accorded at the bank. If ever there was a place where all were treated equally, it’s this bank. Customers’ treatment doesn’t reflect the size of their accounts, and the staff, who greet them, eye to eye, and strive to meet their every need, treat one another with the same solicitude and respect.
Piscataqua Savings Bank opened its doors in 1877. I wasn’t there. Really, I wasn’t. But despite all the changes in the world — all the challenges to kindness, gratitude, sincerity and mutual respect; the seeming falling out of favor of gentleness, good will and optimism — this bank remains a local institution with a positive outlook that’s manifested in the flowers that bloom around it, in the faces and demeanor of those who work for it, and reflected back by the customers they serve and even passersby, locals and strangers alike.
It’s this — this, it turns out, not so secret garden — to which I’m saying goodbye after 10 years. Oh, I’ll still be an occasional visitor; my money remains in this bank. But I’ll miss the daily give and take, the acquaintanceships and friendships, the greetings and news, the exchanges of pleasantries. I’ve been here a respectable time, though, and am ready to bid structure adieu and indulge in a little rest and recreation. So a tentative farewell to my colleagues and friends, tentative because an occasional encounter is still, thankfully, likely. It’s been a wonderful 10 years.
June 30, 2014 – Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank recently announced the election of seven new Corporators for the upcoming fiscal year, they are as follows: Jennifer Gray, Charles Lassen, Robert Lister, Steve Marchand, Mark McNabb, Peter Neuffer, and Nancy Notis.
As a mutually owned bank, Piscataqua Savings Bank has long maintained its mission as a community institution dedicated to helping area residents achieve their long-term goals. With this vision in mind, new members of the Corporation are chosen to be representative of the Bank’s customers, as well as the community at large.
The newly elected Corporators include the following individuals:
Jennifer Gray is the founder and President of Market Street Talent located in Portsmouth, NH. The company specializes in IT staff recruitment needs. She founded the recruitment company in 2008. Ms. Gray owns property in New Castle.
Charles Lassen is a retired engineer and entrepreneur and lifetime explorer and developer. Mr. Lassen lives in Portsmouth.
Robert Lister is a retired educator and he is currently serving as Mayor of Portsmouth. Mr. Lister and his family reside in Portsmouth.
Steve Marchand owns his own consulting firm, SRM Consulting, LLC, and does work for No Labels, a 501(c)(4) social welfare advocacy organization. Mr. Marchand and his family are residents of Portsmouth.
Mark McNabb is the President and owner of McNabb Properties, a real estate development, general contracting and property management firm. Mr. McNabb resides in Portsmouth.
Peter Neuffer was raised on Prince Edward Island and moved to Portsmouth in 1995 from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Mr. Neuffer is a shareholder of Lepage Millworks, a window and door manufacturing company. He lives in Rye, NH.
Nancy Notis is the Associate Director of Marketing and Public Affairs at HCA New Hampshire-Portsmouth Regional Hospital, Parkland Medical Center, and Appledore Medical Group. She is a resident of Rye, NH.
The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
May 13, 2014 – Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank recently held its Annual Meeting of the Corporation at Breakfast Hill Golf Club. In attendance were members of the Board of Corporators, members of the Board of Trustees, senior Bank officers and special guest, Christiana Thornton, President of the New Hampshire Bankers Association.
Rick Wallis, President/CEO for the Bank, stated that the Bank relies on management and staff who are instilled with deep institutional and customer knowledge to provide the highest level of customer service. Wallis noted that, “Currently, more than half of the Bank’s thirty-nine employees have worked at Piscataqua Savings for ten years or more. By cultivating and developing the next leadership pool, Piscataqua Savings Bank will continue to serve Seacoast communities as a mutual savings bank for many years to come.”
Members of the audience learned that 2013 was another strong year with respect to Piscataqua Saving Bank’s financial performance. Wallis said, “Piscataqua Savings Bank had a strong year and was able to grow its capital ratio to 17%, an increase from 16.27% the previous year.” The group also learned that the Bank has received several key outside ratings, including being listed by Real Data Corp as the 5th highest volume lender for 2013, out of hundreds of lenders in eight Seacoast towns that make up the Bank’s primary market area. And, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Deposit Market Share Report, the Bank is listed as the 2nd largest holder of deposits out of 15 banks with offices in Portsmouth, NH.
Joan Gile, EVP/Operations Officer gave a technology presentation to the audience along with Antone Cabral, AVP/IT Officer. Highlights of the presentation focused on the Bank’s diligence to ensure safety and security on any new technologies delivered to its customers. “We are not early adopters,” said Gile, “we take our time and are very thorough with our staff training so that everyone is involved and knows how it affects our customers. This, we believe, is in keeping with our core values and makes a difference in our customer experience.”
Cabral spoke to the rapidly changing landscape of mobile banking and noted that, “In 2009 there were 1.2 billion transactions nationally using mobile devices. In 2013 there were 14 billion transactions – just four years later.” Cabral went on to say that the Bank wanted to offer a mobile banking product that could be used across diverse platforms so that all customers could take advantage of the array of technology offerings: eStatements, eMobile, and eAlerts. Gile wrapped up the presentation with a glimpse of what the Bank will be offering customers in the near future, including mobile deposit capture or eDeposit, EMV chip cards for added debit card security, online account opening and instant issue debit cards.
Following the technology presentation, the organization re-elected each of its current Trustees: Joseph J. Almeida, Michael J. Asselin, Kenneth R. Clark, Jay S. Gibson, Elisabeth Robinson, Barbara Shea-Smucker, and Richard M. Wallis.
The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
May 2, 2014 – Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank has announced that long-time VP/Senior Trust Officer, Dick Kaiser is retiring at the end of June. Kaiser began his career at Piscataqua Savings Bank on April 13, 1995 and was one of two co-founders of the Trust & Investment Department at the Bank. He became head of the Department in November of 2002 and has served in that capacity ever since.
Kaiser recalls his first day at the Bank, “We had just received our Charter to create a Trust & Investment Management Department and were renovating the second floor to house the new Department. My first office here was a small conference room on the first floor over near the safe deposit area. It’s very rewarding to see how much we’ve grown and today we assist hundreds of families with their trust, estate planning and investment management needs. I’m proud to have played a role and I’m confident that our ongoing commitment to be and remain local and to serve our clients from the heart of downtown Portsmouth will continue to serve our customers very well. I’m leaving with an outstanding team in place. It has been an honor and a privilege to work so closely with client families and the exceptional staff here at Piscataqua Savings Bank over the past nineteen years.”
Kaiser’s successor, Kathy Donovan, CTFA, VP/Trust Officer will lead the Trust Department team as of the end of June as VP/Senior Trust Officer. Donovan is highly qualified and has been providing personalized services in all aspects of trusts, estate settlement and probate for over twelve years at Piscataqua Savings Bank, and has over thirty years of experience in her field. Donovan will be leading a team of nine seasoned trust and investment management professionals and staff with more than seven decades of combined knowledge and trust experience.
Donovan said, “As Dick looks toward his well-deserved retirement, he can proudly say that the Trust Department now manages assets in excess of $230 million, all the while maintaining a client-focused culture. I think he can be proud of the team that will now carry forward this same tradition and I’m honored to help carry the torch for our little bank that gives back in so many ways.”
Rick Wallis, President/CEO of Piscataqua Savings Bank, said, “We wish Dick all the best in his retirement and are very pleased to have Kathy Donovan step in and carry on our tradition of personalized, individualized attention as our Trust & Investment Department continues to grow. Kathy has been very involved with the strategic vision and administrative oversight functions for the Department over the past few years so this is a natural evolution.”
When asked how he plans to spend his retirement, Dick Kaiser said he plans to spend a lot more time with family and friends, helping his wife to set up beekeeping and working in their organic vegetable and flower gardens. The couple also has plans to travel to Europe, South Africa and Turkey.
The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877.
June 17, 2013 – Portsmouth, NH – Each year Piscataqua Savings Bank honors four high school students who have demonstrated a strong commitment to community service and high character. In recognition of these outstanding qualities, this year the Bank awarded a $1,000 college scholarship to each of these students.
The recipients of this year’s awards are Isabella Cotrupi and Allison McDevitt of Portsmouth High School; Alexis D’Amour of Robert W. Traip Academy in Kittery; and Anna Lietz of Marshwood High School in Eliot, Maine.
In the fall, Isabella Cotrupi will be attending American University, Allison McDevitt will be attending Simmons College. Both of these Portsmouth High School recipients have demonstrated excellent character through a significant amount of community service. Alexis D’Amour will attend the University of Tampa, majoring in Biology and Anna Lietz (one of the Top Ten for 2013 at Marshwood High) will be attending Skidmore College and majoring in Biology/Pre-med.
“Here at Piscataqua Savings Bank we have a long tradition of focusing resources on children and young adults,” said Rick Wallis, President/CEO of Piscataqua Savings Bank. “We congratulate all four scholarship recipients for their outstanding high school accomplishments and wish them the greatest success as they pursue their college careers.”
The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877.
June 10, 2013 – Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank recently announced the election of eight new Corporators for the upcoming fiscal year. As Portsmouth’s only mutually owned bank, Piscataqua Savings has long maintained its mission as a community institution dedicated to helping area residents achieve their long-term goals. With this vision in mind, new members of the Board of Corporators are chosen to be representative of the Bank’s customers and the community at large. The newly elected Corporators are as follows:
Victoria Auger is an entrepreneur who has managed and owned a variety of businesses. Currently, she is creating an online business while co-owning her family’s business, Auger Building Company, Inc. She and her family live in Greenland, NH.
Timothy Barnhorst is Assistant Vice President at Willis MountainGuard Insurance. Prior to Willis, Tim was General Manager of Strolz Ski Boots North America and has skied all over the world. He lives in Rye with his family.
Penelope “Penny” Brewster owns Ceres Bakery in Portsmouth. She started the business in 1980 on Ceres Street until moving to its current location on Penhallow Street. Ceres is well known for its home cooked meals and wide variety of baked goods, much of which Penny crafts herself. She lives in York with her husband.
Diane Giese served on the Board of Seacoast Family Food Pantry before stepping into the role as its Executive Director in 2008. Prior to her current position she served as Grants and Business Manager for Sexual Assault Support Services. Diane is a resident of Portsmouth.
Dexter Legg was appointed Chief of Staff to the CEO at Liberty Mutual Holding Company in 1998 and then elected to serve as Vice President and Corporate Secretary in 2000. His career with Liberty Mutual spans over 35 years and he has served on numerous community boards and organizations including being a member of the Portsmouth School Board. He lives in Portsmouth with his wife.
Jeffrey Mountjoy is currently co-owner of Olde Port Properties in Portsmouth and has consistently ranked in the top of 25 Realtors in NH since transitioning his career to real estate in 2000. He serves on The Music Hall board. He lives in Portsmouth with his wife and children.
John Sacramone is a Master Electrician who was born and raised in Portsmouth. He has been operating Sacramone Electric since 1996. John resides in Greenland with his wife and two children.
Beth Simpson owns Rolling Green Nursery with her husband Rick who began the business as a landscape construction company in 1976. Beth serves on the board of the Wentworth Coolidge Commission. She lives in Greenland with her family.
The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877.
June 7, 2013 – Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank recently held its Annual Meeting of the Corporation at Breakfast Hill Golf Course. In attendance were members of the Board of Corporators, members of the Board of Trustees and senior Bank officers and President of the New Hampshire Bankers Association (NHBA), Christiana Thornton who was the featured speaker.
Ms. Thornton spoke to the group about current challenges in banking and stated that New Hampshire has not seen the bank failures that other parts of the country have experienced. She said, “There are a growing number of banks moving into the state and a significant number of new banks are moving into the Seacoast. This presents challenges and hyper competition and I encourage each of you to become advocates for Piscataqua Savings and its important, historic role within this community.”
Members of the audience were informed that 2012 was another strong year with respect to Piscataqua Saving Bank’s financial performance. President and CEO, Rick Wallis, said, “Piscataqua Savings Bank had another strong earnings year last year, this combined with controlled growth enabled us to maintain a Capital ratio of 16.27%, an increase from 15.91% the previous year. This is good news since Capital is our foundation and is what allow us to be a vibrant and productive force in the community.”
The Bank also reports a new benchmark has been set with the Trust Department breaking $200 million in assets under management.
In addition to Thornton’s presentation, the organization elected two new Trustees to replace outgoing Trustees Charles Griffin and Vincent Taccetta. Newly elected Trustees are Joseph Almeida and Elisabeth Robinson. Mr. Almeida currently serves as the Chairman of the City of Portsmouth Historic District Commission and works as Project Manager at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. He lives with his wife and their two daughters in Portsmouth.
Elisabeth Robinson is a Family Nurse Practitioner with Whole Life Health Care in Newington, NH. She is a certified infant massage instructor, and instructor of neonatal resuscitation and perinatal continuing education. Ms. Robinson is the founder and owner of Pear Tree Herbals and lives with her husband and three children in New Castle, NH.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized banks in the state.
The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877.
January 15, 2013- Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank is pleased to announce that John P. Fredette, CFA has joined the Bank’s Trust Department as a Trust Investment Officer. John earned his undergraduate degree in Accounting from Plymouth State University and his graduate degree in Finance from Southern New Hampshire University. John was awarded the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in September 2012. His responsibilities will include managing new and existing Trust client investment portfolios. Prior to joining the Bank, John was employed by Fidelity Investments as an Assistant Portfolio Manager in the Global Asset Allocation Division. John will be residing in the Portsmouth area with his wife Lisa.
Rick Wallis, President/CEO of the Bank said, “The need for our Trust & Investment services has grown and we want to provide the highest level of attention to those clients who are seeking our unique brand of local, personalized service. John will be a great asset to our team and we’re thrilled to have him on board.”
The Trust & Investment Department at Piscataqua Savings was established in 1995 and has become known for providing results-oriented, risk-controlled services for clients whose investment goals extend for generations.
The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com
October 30, 2012- Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank in downtown Portsmouth has officially launched its annual “Spirit of Giving” campaign. For the eighth consecutive year the Bank has provided drop boxes to collect donations for two important community service organizations. This year, they are Seacoast Family Promise, which serves homeless families and the Seacoast Family Food Pantry.
Kathleen Donovan, Vice President and Trust Officer at the Bank, chairs the holiday giving campaign. Donovan said, “We are so proud of our Spirit of Giving campaign. It grows stronger each year and there have been so many touching stories as a result. We had a successful Halloween party to kick off the campaign; hopefully we’ll continue to gather a nice amount of donations for these non-profits.”
Drop boxes for the organizations are available inside the Bank lobby on Pleasant Street in Portsmouth. You can help make this year a happier holiday for countless Seacoast families by bringing your donations in to Piscataqua Savings Bank.
Top Three Items on Seacoast Family Promise’s Wish List:
Outerwear, boots & shoes
Diapers & wipes
New socks, underwear & pj’s
Top Three Items on Seacoast Family Food Pantry’s Wish List:
Non-perishable protein: canned tuna or chicken, beef stew, peanut butter, etc.
Personal care items: toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, razors, deodorant, etc.
Canned fruits
Additionally, both organizations are in need of cash or gift card donations, which can be turned in at any of the teller windows for collection.
Drop boxes are filled and delivered to the appropriate agency as needed. Your donations are welcomed anytime during the Bank’s Main Lobby hours which are Monday – Thursday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Friday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Saturday 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. More information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
June 14, 2012 – Portsmouth, NH – Each year Piscataqua Savings Bank honors four high school students who have demonstrated a strong commitment to community service and high character. In recognition of these outstanding qualities, the Bank awards a $1,500 college scholarship to these students.
The recipients of this year’s awards are Elizabeth Walsh Boynton and Kathleen J. Fitzgerald of Portsmouth High School; Michael Noble of Robert W. Traip Academy in Kittery; and Rebecca Dodier of Marshwood High School in Eliot.
In the fall, Elizabeth Walsh Boynton and Kathleen J. Fitzgerald will both be matriculating to the University of New Hampshire, Michael Noble will be attending the University of Maine at Orono and Rebecca Dodier will be attending Northeastern University.
“As a local bank, Piscataqua Savings Bank has a long tradition of focusing its resources on children and young adults,” said Rick Wallis, President/CEO of Piscataqua Savings Bank. “We congratulate Elizabeth, Kathleen, Michael, and Rebecca for their outstanding high school accomplishments, and hope these scholarships will serve as a helping hand to these impressive students’ future success.”
The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
June 5, 2012 – Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank recently held its Annual Meeting of the Corporation at the Wentworth by the Sea Hotel. This year’s meeting also celebrated the 40 years of service to the Bank performed by outgoing President/CEO Jay S. Gibson. In attendance were senior Bank officers, members of the Board of Trustees, members of the Board of Corporators, staff, friends and family.
Several prominent citizens paid tribute to retiring President/CEO, Jay Gibson during the dinner celebration. Speakers included Joan Gile, Piscataqua Savings Bank Executive VP/Operations Officer; Charlie Griffin, Vice Chairman of the Board; NH Governor John Lynch; Jerry Little, Retired NH Bankers President; Ken Clark, Chairman of the Board; Rick Wallis, incoming President/CEO; Ron Wilbur, NH Banking Commissioner; Ann H. Peters, Chief Executive Director of Lamprey Health Care; and closing remarks were from Gibson’s wife, Mary Pat Gibson.
David H. Bryan, Treasurer/Financial Officer conveyed financial results in the 2011 Piscataqua Savings Bank Annual Report. Bryan stated, “Another strong earnings year combined with controlled growth has enabled the Bank to maintain a Capital ratio in excess of 16%. Most financial institutions operate with more leverage, or a lower Capital ratio, for the benefit of shareholder returns. At Piscataqua Savings Bank, the Capital accounts are viewed as the foundation of the financial base that enables the Bank to continue being a vibrant and productive force in the community.”
Incoming President/CEO Rick Wallis said, “Although Jay is stepping down as President and CEO, his impact on the organization will remain for years to come. Jay has been a mentor and a friend to everyone who has worked alongside him over the past 40 years. Thanks to his leadership the Bank is on solid footing; an institution that is financially strong and a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community.”
And so a new chapter in the Bank’s 135-year history begins.
The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
I am both excited and proud to have stepped into my new role as President/CEO of this exceptional institution. I will continue to nurture the Bank’s special brand of personal attention while upholding a commitment to our customers, our staff and the greater community. It’s what we’ve always referred to as the “Piscataqua Difference.”
This difference is one you can continue to count on as a valued customer and member of the Piscataqua Savings Bank family. In fact, the Board, our community focus, and our staff’s commitment to you will continue on unchanged, just as you’ve come to expect.
Many of you know me from my 30 years of service in the Loan Department; and now, I look forward to meeting more of you. Please stop by my office and introduce yourselves, anytime.
I know you will be pleased to see that our transition is founded on a management team who embrace the culture, mission, and values that are at the core of the Bank’s long history and success as a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community.
Stepping in where Jay Gibson has left off is indeed an honor. Having served as his right hand over these past 8 years has been a privilege. All of us at the Bank have learned from him and grown under his professional guidance. We are very pleased that Jay will continue to serve on the Board of Trustees, providing continuity during his time of transition.
I thank you for being a loyal customer of Piscataqua Savings Bank. It will be my honor to continue to uphold the Piscataqua Difference for all our long-standing customers as well as introduce to new customers what makes us special. I look forward to seeing you at the Bank!
April 25, 2012 – Portsmouth, NH Piscataqua Savings Bank is pleased to announce three new positions at the Bank. Jeannine Santosuosso has joined the staff as Benefits/Payroll/HR Administrator. Prior to her new role at Piscataqua Savings Bank she worked at Medtronic Advanced Energy; her career includes in-depth experience in payroll, benefits administration and business management.
Ms. Santosuosso fills the position previously held by Elaine Hansberry who recently retired as Payroll and Benefits Administrator after having been at the Bank for twenty-one years. Ms. Hansberry began her career at Piscataqua Savings Bank in 1991 as Secretary to the President. Her tenure reflects the Bank’s commitment to promoting from within and retaining long-term employees; she said, “There was never a day when I didn’t look forward to coming to work.”
Laura Griswold has been promoted to Loan Department Assistant after having served as a Teller at the Bank since 2008. Griswold received her Associates of Business Administration from New Hampshire College, and a BA in Theater from UNH, which led to an internship and Assistant Manager position at Prescott Park Arts Festival prior to her job with the Bank.
Sarah Boutin has filled the Teller position made vacant by Griswold’s promotion. Boutin is a graduate of Dover High School and worked at Healthcare Administrative Partners and TD Bank prior to her new role at Piscataqua Savings Bank.
The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
February 28, 2012 – Portsmouth, NH Jay Gibson, President/CEO of Piscataqua Savings Bank, is preparing for retirement. Gibson will officially step down in May to be succeeded by current Executive VP/Senior Loan Officer Rick Wallis. Gibson has served in numerous capacities at the Bank since he graduated from UNH in 1972, serving as President/CEO for the past 12 of his 40-year tenure. Wallis has been with the Bank for 30 years, also since graduating from UNH. This succession celebrates a long-standing tradition of promoting from within.
Several other longtime employees are moving into new positions, as well. Joan Gile will succeed Wallis as the Bank’s second in command. Senior Vice President Gile brings 25 years of experience and dedication to her role at the Bank. Vice President Debbie Perry will take on the role of Senior Loan Officer and assume all responsibilities of managing the Bank’s Mortgage Department. Perry has also been with the Bank for 25 years.
This year marks the 135th Anniversary of Piscataqua Savings Bank and it’s place as a cornerstone in the Portsmouth Community. When asked to comment on his departure, Jay Gibson said, “I look forward to remaining actively involved as a member of the Bank’s Board of Trustees and enjoying more time with my family. This is an institution that has served me well both professionally and personally. It’s been my privilege and an honor to lead a company where mutual respect is embedded in the culture.”
The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
November 22, 2011 – Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank is pleased to announce that David H. Bryan has joined the staff as Treasurer and Financial Officer. Mr. Bryan brings strong skills of funds management practices and asset liability management to the Bank as a result of his 22-year career in finance. His previous roles include Controller for New Hampshire Federal Credit Union, Compliance & Risk Management Officer for Charter Trust Company, and Bank & Trust Examiner for the New Hampshire Banking Department, all based in Concord, NH.
He noted that current trends are leading to a large influx of deposits which requires a focus on strategic planning in the years ahead, and that part of his new responsibilities with Piscataqua Savings will be looking at ways to deploy those funds while balancing solid risk management practices.
David Bryan began his career as a Bank Examiner during the financial upheaval of 1989 when five of the big banks in the State closed, then dubbed as ‘Nightmare on Elm Street.’ Through those years he worked with State Chartered Banks including Piscataqua Savings Bank so he was familiar with its commitment to the community and to sound banking practices when seeking the position.
Mr. Bryan, who has recently moved to Portsmouth, said, “The timing is great on a personal level. I’m enthusiastic to be able to share the Bank’s upcoming 135th anniversary as a real pillar in this community. I’m just happy to be part of it.” He has three sons, has volunteered for the NH Master Gardener Association at the UNH Cooperative Extension, has volunteered as coach and mentor for the Special Olympics, and served as a coach and official for the Concord Recreation Department.
The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
Contact: Jay S. Gibson, President/CEO 603.436.5250
November 18, 2011- Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank in downtown Portsmouth has officially launched its annual “Spirit of Giving” campaign. For the seventh consecutive year the Bank has provided drop boxes to collect donations for two important community service organizations. This year, they are Seacoast Family Promise, which serves homeless families and the Seacoast Family Food Pantry.
Kathleen Donovan, Vice President and Trust Officer at the Bank, chairs the holiday giving campaign. Donovan said, “We are so proud of our Spirit of Giving campaign. It grows stronger each year and there have been so many touching stories as a result. This is the kind of effort that reinforces our commitment to the community and makes us feel great about what we do here every day.”
Drop boxes for the organizations are available inside the Bank lobby on Pleasant Street in Portsmouth. You can help make this year a happier holiday for countless seacoast families by bringing your donations into Piscataqua Savings Bank.
Top Three Items on Seacoast Family Promise’s Wish List:
Outerwear
Gloves & Mittens
Personal Care Items
Top Three Items on Seacoast Family Food Pantry’s Wish List:
Non-perishable Protein: Canned Tuna or Chicken, Beef Stew, Peanut Butter, etc.
Personal Care Items: Toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, razors, deodorant, etc.
Canned Fruits
Drop boxes are filled and delivered to the appropriate agency as needed. Your donations are welcomed anytime during the Bank’s Main Lobby hours which are Monday – Thursday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Friday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Saturday 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. More information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
June 14, 2011 – Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank recently held its Annual Meeting of the Corporation at Breakfast Hill Golf Course. In attendance were members of the Board of Corporators, members of the Board of Trustees and senior Bank officers.
The Corporators represent individuals from the community asked to serve in an oversight capacity. They annually elect the Board of Trustees and ensure that the Bank operates in the best interest of its customers and the community. Newly elected Corporators for 2011 are: Joseph J. Almeida, Maryellen Burke, Joan W. Gile, and Kathleen M. Robinson.
Bank President and CEO, Jay S. Gibson reported on the results of 2010, noting continued growth in total assets, capital, deposits and loans. One particular statistic highlighted by Gibson was that assets under management by the Bank’s Trust and Investment Management Department reached a new high of $167 million as of 12/31/10.
After announcing continued growth in all areas of the Bank, including its Trust & Investment Department, Mr. Gibson said, “Our goal continues to be the same. Conduct business based upon strong values, keep a focus on providing exceptional service to our customers, and keep our business truly local so that we can have a very positive impact on the community we serve.”
Following the Corporate meeting, the Bank’s Board of Trustees convened for its annual meeting at which time the group re-elected Retired Major General Kenneth R. Clark as Chairman, and Attorney Charles A. Griffin as Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized banks in the state. The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
Contact: Jay S. Gibson, President/CEO 603.436.5250
May 11, 2011 – Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank is pleased to announce Denise B. Magnant has been promoted to Loan Officer/Loan Administrator. Denise has been with the Bank for over 30 years, working primarily in loan operations throughout that time. Her new responsibilities include working closely with new and existing loan customers to assist with their financial needs throughout the loan process. She lives in Portsmouth with her husband and daughter.
President/CEO, Jay Gibson said, “Denise represents the loyalty we’re proud to foster among our staff here at Piscataqua Savings Bank. Because of dedicated employees like Denise, we’re able to promote from within which helps to preserve the long-established values and heritage of the Bank.”
The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877.
Contact: Jay S. Gibson, President/CEO 603.436.5250
November 15, 2010- Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank in downtown Portsmouth has officially launched its annual “Spirit of Giving” campaign. For the sixth consecutive year the bank has provided drop boxes to collect donations for two important community service organizations: Families First Health and Support Center, and the Seacoast Family Food Pantry.
Kathleen Donovan, Vice President and Trust Officer at the Bank, Chairs this holiday giving campaign. Donovan said, “We are so proud of our Spirit of Giving campaign. It grows stronger each year and there have been so many touching stories as a result. This is the kind of effort that reinforces our commitment to the community and makes us feel great about what we do here every day.”
Drop boxes for each organization are available inside the bank lobby on Pleasant Street in Portsmouth. You can help make this year a happier holiday for countless seacoast families by bringing your donations into Piscataqua Savings Bank.
Top Three Items on Families First Wish List:
Diapers and Baby Wipes
Clothing
School Supplies
Top Three Items on Seacoast Family Food Pantry’s Wish List:
Non-perishable Protein: Canned Tuna or Chicken, Beef Stew, Peanut Butter, etc.
Personal Care Items: Toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, razors, deodorant, etc.
Canned Fruits
Drop boxes are filled and delivered to the appropriate agency several times a week. Your donations are welcomed anytime during the Bank’s Main Lobby hours which are Monday – Thursday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Friday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Saturday 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. More information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. – September 14, 2010 – Kate McManus has recently joined Piscataqua Savings Bank as Finance Administrator. McManus has been active in her banking career over the past ten years; she has held roles in bookkeeping, accounting, teller and ACH deposit operations. Additionally, she earned the designation of Accredited ACH Professional (AAP) in 2005, a distinction that approximately only 2800 banking professionals hold in the country. The AAP professional certification recognizes payments professionals having a specialized level of expertise in electronic payments. Ms. McManus is also actively involved in the Rochester community where she currently resides. She has served on the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life Planning Committee for the past five years. She is also a Chair for Advocacy with the Cancer Action Network.
Troy Neff, Treasurer/Financial Officer for Piscataqua Savings, said, “Kate takes a genuine interest in servicing our customers’ needs with a smile. She has demonstrated the ability to work well on both individual and team assignments and is a welcome addition to the Piscataqua family.”
Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. For more information visit www.piscataqua.com.
Contact: Jay S. Gibson, President/CEO Piscataqua Savings Bank 603.436.5250
Congress recently passed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. This is considered the most significant piece of banking legislation since the Glass-Steagall Act was passed in 1932, more than seventy-five years ago. It’s true, the magnitude and scope of this 2,300+ page Act is immense and was intended to address the broad abusive practices made apparent in 2008 – and to prevent such a crisis from occurring again in the future. However, many agree that traditional banks did not cause the crisis and have been crucial to supporting our economy in the aftermath.
During the past two years, traditional community bankers have been supportive of financial industry reform and the core issues that needed to be addressed. However, while it was evident to us all that reform was needed, when the implications for community banks became clear, Piscataqua Savings Bank, and all NH banks, joined our state and national banking trade associations (NH Bankers Association and the American Bankers Association) in strongly opposing much of the final outcome of this legislation. This law directly hits community banks with onerous new regulatory burdens and restrictions. Despite ongoing rhetoric by Congress and the Administration about their concerns for traditional community banks, I believe the end result will be very negative for us and our communities; here’s why:
Legislative Intent #1:
In the words of President Obama…”we’ll crack down on abusive practices in the mortgage industry. We’ll make sure that contracts are simpler – putting an end to many hidden penalties and fees in complex mortgages – so folks know what they’re signing.”
Consequence/Reality:
If supervision of those less regulated remains inadequate, the “shadow banking” industry will resume its “business as usual” approach which was not in the best interests of consumers. So even though we never engaged in such malpractices, we are directly targeted to receive the most severe impact on our limited staff and financial resources.
For the big banks, life will become a little more complicated. Some of their past activities will be limited or banned, such as proprietary trading. They will seek new avenues to generate income. The impact of increased expenditures for adding teams of lawyers and compliance specialists will be somewhat inconsequential to these large institutions due to economies of scale while the effect upon small banks will be significant.
Legislative Intent #2:
Fix “too big to fail.” Again, in the President’s words…”the American people will never again be asked to foot the bill for Wall Street’s mistakes. There will be no more taxpayer-funded bailouts. If a large financial institution should ever fail, this reform gives us the ability to wind it down without endangering the broader economy…no firm is somehow protected because it is ‘too big to fail’, so that we don’t have another AIG.”
Consequence/Reality:
The law doesn’t really fix the “too big to fail” problem. A handful of mega-banks still dominate the industry. Such banks could never be allowed to fail for fear of inciting public panic. Ultimately, banks such as ours and taxpayers could remain on the hook.
Despite the intent to prevent future bailouts, some of the same practices that contributed to the mortgage crisis are still in effect. For example, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) continues to actively promote mortgage programs with little or no downpayment as well as modification of existing loans without verification of the borrowers’ capacity to repay. These strike me as the type of practices that got our country into this mess.
The greatest financial scandal was the collapse of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in September of 2008. Yet, Fannie and Freddie were not even addressed in the Dodd-Frank financial reform, as their problems were considered “too complicated.” In the meantime Fannie and Freddie continue to exist with liabilities in excess of $5 trillion shored up by more than $150 billion of taxpayer dollars. Losses are continuing each quarter. Ironically, as Congress continues to use Fannie and Freddie as an instrument to gain traction in the home-buying market, these mortgage giants have again become our biggest competitors by flooding the market with 30 year fixed rate loans at artificially low interest rates.
The automobile industry was exempted from the supervision of the newly created Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It seems a further contradiction that on the day after the Dodd-Frank bill was signed into law by the President that the government allowed General Motors (US taxpayers own 61% of GM) to purchase the major sub-prime auto lending company, AmeriCredit. While perhaps a profitable strategy for GM, doesn’t offering sub-prime auto rates averaging 17% fly in the face of what reform of the financial industry was supposed to accomplish? I can’t imagine the legislative and media outrage if banks were offering car loans at an interest rate in the teens to 20% or more!
Legislative Intent #3:
Legislation that will benefit and protect the consumer.
Consequence/Reality:
However, the Dodd-Frank Act, increases costs for regulatory compliance and reporting the additional cost of higher insurance limits, and reduces the income that banks receive from debit transactions. These costs and decreases in income will likely lead to higher fees to consumers.
Much of this legislation does not take effect immediately. Establishment of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will take at least another year. It will take months for regulators to draft and promulgate rules for the multitude of issues addressed in the law.
It’s important to understand that community banks are essential to our customers, our staff, and our community. I remain confident that Piscataqua Savings Bank, and other strong-willed community banks, will find solutions to these challenges in the months ahead. In the meantime, our financial results are strong and our customer base continues to grow. Our resolve to work in the best interests of our customers is unwavering.
Jay S. Gibson President/CEO – Piscataqua Savings Bank, Portsmouth Board Chairman – New Hampshire Bankers Association
July 27, 2010 – Portsmouth, NH – DARCI Creative and client, Piscataqua Savings Bank, have joined forces along with other sponsors: KDPaine & Partners, Kennedy Gallery and Custom Framing and Salmon Falls Architecture to underwrite the artwork of Bill Paarlberg in his show “Illustrating Portsmouth.” The exhibit, organized by the Portsmouth Historical Society, will open at the Discover Portsmouth Center on August 6, 2010 and will run through September 10, 2010.
Bill Paarlberg: Illustrating Portsmouth is a 30-year retrospective of well known local illustrator Bill Paarlberg. Paarlberg is best known for his Portsmouth drawings, paintings and graphic design, illustrating local architectural and historical themes. The show opens August 6th and will occupy the main gallery at the Center and include some 40 or 50 pieces, many of which can be viewed on Mr. Paarlberg’s blog “Illustrating Portsmouth.”
A native of Hampton, New Hampshire, Paarlberg became a Portsmouth-based illustrator, publisher, and graphic designer in the late 1970s. His popular arts and entertainment weekly “re:Ports. Magazine” and annual calendar “The Portsmouth History Calendar” were staples of the 1980’s Portsmouth arts scene. More recently local galleries have displayed his watercolors of the North Church steeple and other local scenes.
More information about the show and several scheduled artist talks is available at www.portsmouthhistory.org.
June 16, 2010 – Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank has been actively involved with the Portsmouth Relay for Life, sponsored by the American Cancer Society, since 2007. This year, nearly the entire staff participated and the team placed fourth among 49 teams, contributing over $5,000 to cancer research.
Wanda Fontaine, Assistant VP & Assistant Operations Officer for the Bank, originally founded the Piscataqua team. Fontaine who lost her father to the disease and whose mother is a four-time cancer survivor says it’s become a family event and next year her teenage daughter plans to lead her own team. Customer Service Representative, Christine Bibeau, led the Piscataqua Savings Bank team this year and Fontaine served as co-captain.
About her experience, Christine Bibeau said, “It all comes together during the Luminaria ceremony where all participants gather to pay tribute to the survivors and to those who have passed. It’s just a wonderful feeling; it means so much to so many people in a lot of different ways. We really hope our part plays a role in finding a cure someday.”
The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
Contact: Jay S. Gibson, President/CEO Piscataqua Savings Bank 603.436.5250
June 1, 2010 – Portsmouth, NH – Two local organizations have joined together to enable more families to enjoy the festivities at this year’s Prescott Part Arts Festival. The Family-in-Need membership program was designed by Prescott Park as a way to support their mission to make the entire community feel welcome at their events.
Prescott Park Arts Festival has a history of partnering with local organizations like Families First to distribute family memberships to those without the means to purchase their own. And, Piscataqua Savings Bank has a history of supporting local cultural and non-profit organizations. Together they hope to provide even more families with quality experiences and memories from the full season of events and activities in the park.
Piscataqua Savings has pledged matching funds to support the program. So, when you sign up to become a member and add a Family-in-Need membership to your order, you’ll be ensuring that two local families will receive memberships for the 2010 season. For more information on memberships and the Family-in-Need program, visit www.prescottpark.org.
According to Jay Gibson, “This is a very worthy program and as long time supporters of both Prescott Park and Families First, we’re very enthusiastic about our involvement. In fact, as the Festival celebrates its thirty-sixth anniversary we can say that we’ve supported Prescott Park each year, since its inception in 1974.”
Ben Anderson, Executive Director of Prescott Park Arts Festival, said, “We’re thrilled to have the generous support of Piscataqua Savings Bank. With their matching funds we’ll be sharing the magic with even more families this season. Our theme for the Family-in-Need program is ‘Spread the Joy’ and Piscataqua Savings is really helping us do more of that this year!”
The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
Prescott Park Arts Festival celebrates its 36th anniversary of presenting music, art, theater and dance on the banks of the Piscataqua River. The primary objective of the Festival is to provide quality family entertainment, promote artistic excellence in the community and maintain quality presentations of both entertainment and educational events. For more information and a schedule of events, go to www.prescottpark.org.
Contact: Jay S. Gibson, President/CEO Piscataqua Savings Bank 603.436.5250
April 21, 2010 – Portsmouth, NH –Good Morning Strawbery Banke is a delightful tale that chronicles a day in the life of JD, a real-life local black cat who makes Strawbery Banke Museum his home during the day. The story idea was hatched in August of 2009 when Strawbery Banke President, Larry Yerdon, approached local artist Wickie Rowland with a request for her to illustrate a children’s book for the Museum. The project evolved and Mrs. Rowland has both authored and illustrated a colorful book with JD the cat as tour guide. As children turn the pages, they take a walk through time while JD brings them to visit shopkeepers, housewives, craftsmen, and children as they each begin their day.
Mrs. Rowland said, “I’ve enjoyed drawing the pictures immensely and have learned a great deal from the project. I hope visitors to Strawbery Banke will feel like they’re stepping into the pages of the book as they tour each room.”
Mrs. Rowland will be present at a book signing and family- friendly reception to launch the book on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 from 4:30 to 5:30 pm at the Tyco Visitors Center at Strawbery Banke Museum, located at 14 Hancock Street in Portsmouth, NH. The book is geared for children ages 4-9 and the reception will include face painting and refreshments.
Rodney Rowland, the author’s husband and Director of Facilities & Special Projects for the Museum, coordinated the project, and said, “We clearly wanted this to be a collaborative community project. We are a local museum; the book is authored by a local artist and published by a local publisher – Publishing Works of Exeter, NH. It only made sense for us to approach an historic local bank that prides itself on supporting local causes and organizations. Piscataqua Savings Bank also has a commitment to children as demonstrated through their Kids’ Bank program designed to teach kids about saving money. They were our first choice as an underwriting partner, and happily they were enthusiastic about getting involved.”
Jay Gibson, President of Piscataqua Savings Bank said, “The Bank’s support of this exciting project reflects our commitment to provide the public with a better understanding of our local history. Teaching children about the past plays a great role in developing their appreciation about the wonderful area in which they live, and we’re thrilled to have played a role in the creation of Good Morning Strawbery Banke.”
About Strawbery Banke Museum: Connect with the Past! Step into 400 years of living in our neighborhood. Strawbery Banke Museum provides the opportunity to see how people lived for four centuries of New England history. Through restored furnished houses, exhibits, historic landscapes and gardens, and costumed role players, Strawbery Banke Museum interprets the living history of generations ho settled in Portsmouth ,NH, from the late 17th century to the mid-20th century. Call 603.433.110 for more information or visit www.strawberybanke.org.
About Piscataqua Savings Bank: The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
Contact: Amy Moy Strawbery Banke Museum 603.433.1100
April 15, 2010 – Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank recently held its Annual Meeting of the Corporation at Breakfast Hill Golf Course. In attendance were senior Bank officers, members of the Board of Trustees, and members of the Board of Corporators.
The Corporators represent individuals from the community asked to serve in an oversight capacity. They annually elect the Board of Trustees and ensure that the Bank operates in the best interest of its customers and the community. This year the Corporators voted to re-elect the following Trustees: Kenneth R. Clark, Michael J. Asselin, Charles A. Griffin, Ann H. Peters, Barbara Shea-Smucker, Jay S. Gibson and Vincent Taccetta III.
Bank President and CEO, Jay S. Gibson reported on the results of 2009, stating that, “2009 was a great year to be a community bank, a mutual bank, and a bank in existence solely for the benefit of its customers. In a year of major distress in the financial services industry, Piscataqua Savings Bank experienced significant growth in every area of services we provide.”
Announcing record growth, Mr. Gibson also reported on the Bank’s ongoing support of the community. He said, “We proudly provided more than $100,000 in financial support to a range of non-profit and cultural organizations throughout our community.” He concluded that the Bank would continue to differentiate itself while identifying risks and opportunities to maintain the financial strength of the institution.
Five new Corporators were elected, as follows: Robert A. Casassa, Deborah A. Driscoll, Thomas G. Ferrini, Russell B. Grazier, Jr., and Ann L. Kendall.
Following the corporate meeting, the Bank’s Board of Trustees convened for its annual meeting at which time the group re-elected Retired Major General Kenneth Clark as Chairman, and Attorney Charles Griffin as Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is among the highest capitalized banks in the state. The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
April 8, 2010 – Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank has announced eight internal staff changes in response to a dramatic increase in their volume of business. The following individuals will contribute to expanded and higher levels of customer service within their new roles.
Susan Hauge has been promoted to Customer Service Supervisor; she’s been with the Bank for 13 years.
Christine Bibeau has been promoted from Loan Department Assistant to Customer Service Representative; she’s been with the Bank for 6 years.
Jenn Dumont will also be a Customer Service Representative in addition to maintaining her role as Assistant Head Teller and has been with the Bank for 9 years.
Patricia L. Elkins has been promoted to Executive Assistant to the President to better reflect her expanded responsibilities and has served as Secretary to the President for the past four years.
Stephanie Nagel has accepted a change in responsibilities from her position as Deposit Operations Assistant to a new role as Loan Department Assistant and has worked at the Bank for 8 years.
Elaine Wood has accepted a change in responsibilities from the walk-up teller area to Deposit Operations Assistant and has been with the Bank for 3.5 years.
Macey Roberge has been hired as a Teller; Macey is a graduate of Brown University, and Laurie Trombetto has also been hired as a new Teller after 6 years of previous banking experience.
According to President and CEO, Jay Gibson, “We’re very proud of the fact that most of our employees have been with us for many years. Our commitment to our customers begins with a commitment to our staff. These new positions will help us provide greater depth and more personalized service and reflect an increase in account activity over this past year.”
The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
March 24, 2010 – Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings is proud to announce that they have once again received the highest rating of ‘Outstanding’ by the FDIC for their compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). The honor dramatically stands out this year since the Bank was among only 2% of banks nationwide to receive a rating of ‘outstanding’ as reported during the first quarter of 2010.
The CRA is a 1977 law intended to encourage insured banks and thrifts to meet local credit needs including those of low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, consistent with safe and sound operations. Congress mandated the public disclosure of an evaluation and rating for each bank or thrift that undergoes a CRA examination on or after July 1, 1990.
According to President and CEO, Jay Gibson, “We’re thrilled to have received the highest possible rating from the FDIC this year – and each time we’ve been examined since the law was passed in 1977. One area where we have stood out is our focus on lending to single women in the seacoast area. 27% of our applications in 2009 came from this segment of our local residents. Our loan portfolio increased by $20 million in 2009 and with deposit accounts growing at the same time it has enabled us to lend more. We want people to know that it’s our mission that your money stays in the community. Ours is a real Main Street story and we’re very proud of our role as a cornerstone of the seacoast.”
Debbie Perry, VP/Loan Officer and CRA Officer at Piscataqua Savings Bank oversaw the examination process. A copy of the Bank’s CRA evaluation is available directly from the bank, which is required by law, and also from the FDIC’s Public Information Center found at www.fdic.gov.
The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
January 25, 2010 – Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank announces a new area on their website just for children. The special Kids’ Bank portion of their site features an animated cut-away of the Bank with an array of audio and visual surprises. It also incorporates activity sheets that can be downloaded and printed out for children to practice working with numbers while having fun.
According to Piscataqua Savings Bank President, Jay Gibson, “This area of our website has been in development for the past several months and was part of our original site redevelopment that launched in 2008. We have made a commitment to stay current with technological trends and are excited to bring this portion of our site live as an added benefit to the many families that we serve.”
The artwork on the new children’s area of the website was created by local illustrator, Carol Leach and the entire site was developed by Lightfin Studios of Portsmouth. The Bank plans to add new activities to teach children about money and financial responsibility on a quarterly basis. Visit the Kids’ Bank online at www.piscataqua.com and click on Kids’ Bank.
The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
With the ongoing turmoil in the nation’s financial markets I felt it important to provide you with some information to answer questions you may have about the financial condition of Piscataqua Savings Bank.
What type of loans does the Bank have in its loan portfolio?
The Bank’s loan portfolio is comprised of home mortgages throughout the Seacoast area surrounding Portsmouth. We did not write any of the subprime loans that have been undermining the country’s credit markets. Because we have a direct and vested interest in our customers’ ability to afford their mortgage, we are diligent in our effort to write loans that are realistic for our borrowers. We take that responsibility seriously for the benefit of our customers as well as for the Bank itself.
Does the Bank have a significant level of delinquent loans?
As of December 31, 2009, the Bank’s loan portfolio of $153.3 million had only twelve (12) loans that were one or more payments past due. This very low level of delinquency reflects the Bank’s prudent and common sense to loan underwriting and the relative strength of the Seacoast economy and real estate market compared with other parts of the country.
Does the Bank have any “bank-owned property” or any pending foreclosures?
The Bank has no “bank-owned property;” nor do we have any mortgages that are in the process of foreclosure.
How financially strong is Piscataqua Savings?
The Bank is very solid. The Bank’s capital (or, net worth), as of December 31, 2009, was $34.1 million. On a percentage basis, Piscataqua’s capital strength is among the highest in the state of New Hampshire. In times like these it is reassuring that we are not highly leveraged and have been conservative in our growth to maintain this level of financial strength.
What kind of investments does the Bank have?
The Bank’s investment portfolio is comprised of 95% in bonds directly guaranteed by the US Government. We have no investments in the stock market. We did not have any Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac common or preferred stock. The only “stock” held by the Bank is a non-marketable investment in the Federal Home Loan Bank of approximately $717,000. This investment allows us access to correspondent banking services.
Does Piscataqua Savings Bank have any plans to change the way we do business?
The Board of Trustees and management are very committed to preserving the Bank’s independence. The Bank was chartered in 1877 as a “mutual savings bank.” This form of corporate structure was designed to allow the Bank to operate exclusively for the benefit of its customers. Furthermore, as a “mutual” we do not have stockholders that own the Bank; therefore, we are not at risk of being taken over by another institution.
How can I be sure that my deposits at the Bank are FDIC insured?
The “basic” amount of FDIC insurance per depositor per insured bank is $250,000. Certain accounts such as Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are insured up to $250,000 per depositor per insured bank. With that said there are varying categories of ownership, such as joint, living trusts, and payable-on-death accounts which can substantially increase the level of FDIC coverage. If you have any questions regarding the level to which your accounts are insured, please ask to speak with one of our officers.
As always, if you have any banking questions, please do not hesitate to stop by my office or give me a call.
November 3, 2009 – Portsmouth, NH – The New Hampshire Bankers Association, a statewide, not-for-profit trade association representing and serving all of the banking institutions in the State of NH, has named Piscataqua Savings Bank President, Jay S. Gibson as the new Chairman of the Board.
Prior to accepting the role of Chair, Mr. Gibson had served on the board and in various other capacities for the association over the past three years. He will serve as Chair for a period of one year.
According to Jay Gibson, “There are some very significant issues in community banking at this time and I believe it’s important for community banks to be involved in the process in order to preserve the future of local banking. I look forward to representing New Hampshire banks in the year ahead.”
The purpose of the NHBA is to promote the general welfare, usefulness, and public perception of banks and banking institutions to the betterment of New Hampshire, its economy, and its citizens. More about the organization can be found at www.nhbankers.com.
The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
April 16, 2009 – Portsmouth, NH –Piscataqua Savings Bank is pleased to announce Ken Clark as Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Clark, retired Major General with the New Hampshire National Guard succeeds recent Chair Fred Pettigrew, who had served on the Board since 1992.
Ken Clark began his involvement with Piscataqua Savings Bank as a member of the Board of Corporators in 1998. He was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2002. As Chairman, Clark said, “I have a deep commitment to this downtown institution and we’ll continue to keep up with the times while always maintaining our roots. As a small bank we’ve done a good job applying the latest technologies. And, I think the concept of mutuality is more valuable today than ever. We’re really proud of the strength of this Bank.”
President/CEO, Jay Gibson said, “Ken’s professional experience brings outstanding organizational skills along with the ability to focus on a vision for the future while preserving the long-established values and heritage of the Bank.”
The only mutual bank based in Portsmouth today, Piscataqua Savings is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. Information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
November 13, 2008- Portsmouth, NH – Piscataqua Savings Bank in downtown Portsmouth has officially launched its annual “Spirit of Giving” campaign. For the fourth consecutive year the bank has provided drop boxes to collect donations for two important community service organizations: Families First Health and Support Center, and the Seacoast Family Food Pantry.
According to Diane Giese of the Seacoast Family Food Pantry, “Needs this year are on the rise. We’re already seeing a 30% increase over last year in requests for assistance. We really want people to know that we’re here to help them through the tough times. Piscataqua Savings’ helps us provide this crucial service to the community.”
Kathleen Donovan, Vice President and Trust Officer at the Bank, Chairs this holiday giving campaign. She applauds the members of the committee and the employees, customers, trustees, coporators and even non-customers who all participate in giving critical donations through the holiday season.
Drop boxes for each organization are available inside the bank lobby on Pleasant Street in Portsmouth. You can help make this year a happier holiday for countless seacoast families by bringing your donations into Picataqua Savings Bank.
Top Three Items on Families First Wish List:
Desperate for Diapers !!!
Baby Wipes
Winter Clothing
Top Three Items on Seacoast Family Food Pantry’s Wish List:
Non-perishable Protein: Canned Tuna or Chicken, Beef Stew, Peanut Butter, etc.
Personal Care Items: Toothpaste, tooth brushes, shampoo, razors, deoderant, etc.
Canned Fruits
Laura Keller of Families First said, “Piscataqua Savings is a true community bank, and they really understand our community. They’ve been fantastic to work and are huge supporters of the agency all year round.”
Kathy Donovan said, “We are so proud of our Spirit of Giving campaign. It grows stronger each year and there have been so many touching stories as a result. This is the kind of effort that reinforces our commitment to the community and makes us feel great about what we do here every day.”
Drop boxes are filled and delivered to the appropriate agency several times a week. Your donations are welcomed anytime during bank hours which are Monday – Thursday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Friday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Saturday 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877. More information is available at www.piscataqua.com.
After a hundred and thirty-one years in business, the Piscataqua Savings Bank has hoisted new signage on the face of our Pleasant Street building in downtown Portsmouth. But, true to our firm commitment to historic preservation and to maintaining the charm of downtown, this was a process undertaken with a great deal of thought and care.
Jay Gibson, President of Piscataqua Savings Bank, said, “We wanted to be sure that whatever we did the new signs would reflect on the core values of our Bank. So it was important for us to create authentic signage that truly reflects who we are by tapping the talents of local artisans who understood Portsmouth’s maritime history and our place within it.”
Enter Peter Happny, David Bellantone and Art Swanson, three self-proclaimed ‘old-school’ artisans who’ve worked together since the 1970s in varying capacities. In fact, Happny and Bellantone forged the contemporary wall sculpture that hangs in our waiting area today, entitled “The River of Time,” back in 1975.
David Bellantone, of Bellantone Design based in Greenland, NH, developed conceptual sketches for the primary Piscataqua Savings Bank sign as well as a secondary sign that reads, “Home Mortgages.” From there, he built a 3D model of the “Florence Leland,” a four-masted schooner lost at sea in 1910 that was to be incorporated into the sign. A full-scale 1930s model of the same ship is on display inside the Bank and has come to be known as its symbol.
“As a sailor,” said David Bellantone, “it was important that this sign capture the graceful curve and forward motion of a schooner at sea. That visual interpretation shifted when the piece was raised ten feet above eye-level so I had to account for that. I think we succeeded in creating something with an artistic sense of realism that holds to the theme of Portsmouth and the sea, and that appreciators of historic vessels will see the time and effort that went into this.”
Peter Happny, a local blacksmith, did the metal work in stainless steel from the 3D model and patterns created by Bellantone. Happny also created the unique lighting and hanging brackets for the signs. Art Swanson of Cider Hill Woodworks in York, Maine did the woodcarving for both signs.
“This is a very unusual piece,” said Peter Happny. “And when it’s going to be hanging in one of your pathways, where you know you’re going to have to look at it for years, you want it to be right. Good things take time.”
Art Swanson adds, “Peter and I have been working together for years. For us, it’s important to use the best materials and take the time to finish things properly. We’ve got signs that have been hanging around for thirty years and still look great. Any job worth doing is worth doing right.”
July 29, 2008 – Portsmouth, NH – Jay Gibson, President and CEO of Piscataqua Savings Bank has announced two promotions to the staff there.
Kathy Donovan, CTFA, who began at the bank’s Trust & Investment Department in 2002 as a Trust Officer and was promoted to Assistant Vice President after receiving her diploma as a Certified Trust & Financial Advisor in 2005, has been named Vice President. Her role is to guide families with a hands-on approach to the administrative and estate planning services of the department.
Before joining Piscataqua’s Trust & Investment Department, Donovan served as a Trust & Estate Paralegal with two distinguished Portsmouth law firms: McLane, Graf, Raulerson & Middleton PA and Robinson, Boesche & Sennott PA.
“What we do is a complex and sometimes confusing area for people. At Piscataqua, we’re able to provide highly personalized attention to the families we serve. It’s a place where people can come to get answers to all their questions regarding tax, investment, estate and long-term financial planning issues in a comfortable environment. I really value being able to offer that level of service to our clients.”
Donovan lives in Plaistow, New Hampshire with her husband.
Antone Cabral who began with Piscataqua Savings Bank in 2001 as their Information Technology Coordinator, has been named Assistant Vice President/IT Officer. His role is focused on the administration and maintenance of the bank’s entire computer system as well as oversight of all other IT needs. “The best thing about working here is the camaraderie among all the employees. This really is a family environment and that’s hard to find in a work setting,” said Cabral.
Prior to working with Piscataqua, Mr. Cabral was a computer consultant. He lives in Dover with his wife and two children.
Piscataqua Savings Bank is dedicated to serving local individuals and families and has been a cornerstone of the Portsmouth community since 1877.
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