The senior vice president will retire at the end of 2024

Capstone Planning Group, a wealth management team conveniently located at Cornerstone Bank,today announced the planned retirement of Jason Main, Senior Vice President, a longtime resident of Sturbridge. Main, who was recently honored with inclusion in LPL Financial’s Summit Club for 2024, will retire at the end of this year.

“We are so grateful to Jason for his vision and leadership over the years,” said Todd Tallman, CEO of Cornerstone Bank. “Before joining us in 2000 as our sole financial consultant, he was an independent advisor with LPL. Over the past 24 years, he has established Capstone Planning Group as a comprehensive independent financial service firm with six full time employees.”

Of his major accomplishments, Main said he was proud of the fact that he was able to generate enough business to bring on support staff within about a year of starting Capstone Planning Group (originally called SSB Investment Services), in March of 2000.

“Despite the turbulent times with the beginning of the end of the dot com bubble and markets in disarray, business took off quickly,” said Main. “I credit the Bank’s management with recognizing that the one hole in their services was financial planning and investment management.”

Main has been affiliated with LPL Financial, a leading wealth management firm, for nearly 35 years. Through LPL, financial advisors are empowered to focus on their unique skills in building client relationships and delivering personalized financial advice, while leaning on LPL to provide the services, support and tools to help increase operational efficiency and power business growth.

After retirement, Main plans to continue to share his financial acumen by teaching on a volunteer basis.

“I will miss the day-to-day interactions with my clients and team, as well as Bank management,” said Main. “I want people to know how seriously I’ve taken my job to help my clients pursue their financial futures. I feel it’s time to pass that responsibility on, and I have full confidence in our incredible team here at Capstone.”

Main holds various licenses including his Series 7 Securities License, Series 65 Investment Advisor License, Series 63 State License and Series 24 General Principles License. During his career, he has also earned recognitions including LPL's Chairman's Club and LPL's Patriots Club. These awards are given annually to the firm’s top producers around the country.

An active member of the community, Main has been involved with the United Way, Southbridge Rotary Club, YMCA, Tantasqua Education Foundation (as one of the first board members), Harrington Hospital and New England Waves for the Brave.

Securities and advisory services are offered through LPL Financial (LPL), a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer (member FINRA/SIPC). Insurance products are offered through LPL or its licensed affiliates. Cornerstone Bank and The Capstone Planning Group are not registered as a broker-dealer or investment advisor. Registered representatives of LPL offer products and services using The Capstone Planning Group, and may also be employees of Cornerstone Bank. These products and services are being offered through LPL or its affiliates, which are separate entities from, and not affiliates of, The Capstone Planning Group. Securities and insurance offered through LPL or its affiliates are:

Not insured by FDIC or Any Other Government Agency | Not Bank Guaranteed | Not Bank Deposits or Obligations | May Lose Value

Your Bank (“Financial Institution”) provides referrals to financial professionals of LPL Financial LLC (“LPL”) pursuant to an agreement that allows LPL to pay the Financial Institution for these referrals. This creates an incentive for the Financial Institution to make these referrals, resulting in a conflict of interest. The Financial Institution is not a current client of LPL for brokerage or advisory services. Please visit lpl.com/disclosures/is-lpl-relationship-disclosure for more detailed information.

The family-friendly event will be held on Saturday, April 27

Cornerstone Bank invites the local community to the grand opening of the new Shrewsbury branch at 195 Main Street. The family-friendly event will be held on Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with an official ribbon cutting at 12 p.m.

“We are looking forward to celebrating the opening of our 11^th location with our customers, friends and neighbors in Shrewsbury,” said Todd Tallman, CEO of Cornerstone Bank. “This family fun event is our way of thanking our customers and the residents of Shrewsbury for welcoming us to their community. To show our gratitude, we are collecting donations of non-perishable food items during the grand opening event to stock the Shrewsbury Community Fridge. Please bring any canned goods to help those in need.”

The grand opening celebration is free and open to the public. Planned activities include a bounce house, face painting, an ice cream truck, games, giveaways and more. The celebration will be held rain or shine.

Cornerstone Bank broke ground for its new Shrewsbury branch last July. The 1,700-square-foot facility features two drive-up lanes with ATM capabilities and drive-up video tellers available during banking hours, dedicated lending and investment specialists, a coffee bar and EV charging stations.

Every year, Cornerstone Bank awards an employee who goes above and beyond their daily duties with its prestigious TRUST Award. This year, the bank honored Sara Seaver, assistant vice president, senior market manager in Leicester, who has taken on increasing responsibilities throughout her 14-year tenure.

“We bestow our TRUST Award upon employees who truly shine and exemplify Cornerstone’s core values of Teamwork, Relationships, User-friendliness, Solutions-based and Transparency,” said Todd Tallman, CEO of Cornerstone Bank. “Sara is an incredibly valued employee who demonstrates her commitment to our customers and community every day. She goes out of her way to make everyone feel valued.”

A resident of Leicester, Seaver started her Cornerstone career as a part-time teller and progressed through several roles with increasing responsibilities—such as senior teller, customer relations manager and market manager—before becoming an assistant vice president, senior market manager.

Throughout her career, Seaver has received several other recognitions for her length of service and work in her community. She is a member of the Leicester Business Association and Firefighters Association, serves on the Leicester Harvest Fair and Tree Lighting committees, and is a member of Cornerstone’s Scholarship and Employee Wellness committees.

Cornerstone Bank has opened its 11^th branch at 195 Main Street in Shrewsbury.

“We are thrilled to be able to welcome our many customers in Shrewsbury to this beautiful new location,” said Todd Tallman, CEO of Cornerstone Bank. “We pride ourselves on being caring members of the communities we serve, and look forward to growing and strengthening our relationships with residents and businesses in this town.”

Cornerstone Bank broke ground for its new Shrewsbury branch last July. The approximately 1,700-square-foot facility was designed and built by Solidus, Inc., which specializes in creating exceptional spaces for financial institutions.  

The full-service branch features two drive-up lanes with ATM capabilities and drive-up video tellers available during banking hours, dedicated lending and investment specialists, a coffee bar and EV charging stations. It’s open Monday through Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Funds support the rebuilding of a basketball court damaged by a fire last summer

Cornerstone Bank has donated $15,000 to the Exchange Club of Spencer for the rebuilding of a basketball court on the grounds of the Spencer First Congregational Church. The court suffered severe damage during a five-alarm fire caused by a lightning strike on the church steeple in June of 2023, which destroyed the church and left the basketball court in ruins.

“The basketball court in Spencer was a vital recreation space for residents of all ages to come together to enjoy exercise and friendly competition in a safe, accessible location,” said Cornerstone Bank CEO Todd Tallman. “Its destruction was a significant loss for the local community, and we’re happy to help contribute to its restoration.”

The project includes court surface reconstruction, hoop and backboard replacement, fencing, landscaping and benches.

Throughout the years, the Exchange Club of Spencer has been responsible for community improvements of all types, such as the beautification of town parks, the Town Hall clock restoration, children’s play spaces, Memorial Day flags and Spencer/East Brookfield Little League’s refreshment booth.

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Cornerstone Bank recently promoted three employees to leadership positions. Rachel Briggs of Spencer was promoted from vice president to senior vice president, commercial loan operations. Kyle Hill, a resident of Brimfield, was promoted from vice president to senior vice president, retail loan operations. And Warren resident Jacqueline Croft was promoted from assistant vice president to vice president, Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), risk and security officer.

“We are committed to providing our employees with career growth opportunities, which makes these three promotions especially gratifying,” said Todd Tallman, CEO of Cornerstone Bank. “Rachel, Jacueline and Kyle are incredibly valuable to us, and we look forward to seeing their impact grow in their new roles.”

Briggs has been a Cornerstone Bank employee for 24 years. In her new role as senior vice president, commercial loan operations, she will oversee the operations and administration of the Commercial Lending Department, service the commercial loan portfolio and ensure compliance with regulatory and internal audits. Briggs has a B.S. in business administration from Worcester State University, and a certificate in banking and financial support services from the New England School of Financial Studies. As a community volunteer, she provides financial literacy education through Cornerstone Bank, works with local food banks and participates in Habitat for Humanity Playhouse Build projects.

Hill has worked at Cornerstone for 25 years. As senior vice president, retail loan operations, he will oversee and support the production, processing, underwriting, closing and servicing of residential loans. He is responsible for ensuring compliance with federal, state and local regulations, as well as internal policies and procedures, and collaborates with other departments and external partners to achieve the strategic goals of the organization.

Croft has 14 years’ of experience in the banking industry, with the last two at Cornerstone. In her new role as vice president, BSA, risk and security officer, she is responsible for managing the bank’s compliance with all aspects of the BSA, Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) and the USA PATRIOT Act. She maintains and implements the BSA/Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance program and security policies and procedures, and her team performs financial crimes investigations across the bank. Croft is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) and a volunteer educator, providing financial literacy programs focused on fraud prevention for students and seniors.

Funds included scholarships and financial support for 169 community organizations and events

Cornerstone Bank announced its donations in 2023 totaled $506,475, benefitting 169 organizations, events and services in Central Massachusetts.

“We have long supported initiatives important to our community, our team, and our customers,” said Cornerstone Bank CEO Todd Tallman. “In 2023, we had another successful and meaningful year of giving back to the communities we serve, both in terms of financial support and time.”

A sampling of the donations Cornerstone made in 2023 includes:

• $50,000 for the Worcester Community Action Council home heating assistance program
• $36,483.60 (Cornerstone’s match of employee donations) for the United Way of South Central Massachusetts, supporting its vital community programs
• $25,000 to the Center of Hope Foundation in Southbridge—the first year of Cornerstone’s five-year total pledge of $125,000 to upgrade and expand the facilities
• $25,000 to support programs and services at the YMCA of Central Massachusetts, including The Achievers, Numbers in the Sun, LIVESTRONG and What’s for Dinner
• $25,000 to Our Bright Future Inc. in Southbridge, committed to empowering children and developing future leaders through science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) initiatives
• $15,000 to UMass Memorial Health for its nutrition-focused “Food is Medicine” program, which aims to provide higher-risk patients with access to healthy food options
• $15,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Mass & Metrowest to support the organization’s 60th Anniversary Big Celebration and its Golf Fore Kids event
• $12,500 to the EcoTarium in Worcester. This was the first of Cornerstone’s two-year pledge of $25,000 for construction of a traveling exhibit and redevelopment of its early learning play area
• $12,500 to the Bridge of Faith Youth Center in Southbridge. This was the first of Cornerstone’s two-year pledge of $25,000 to support the organization’s mission

Cornerstone also provided $40,000 in scholarships to 16 local high school seniors with plans to pursue studies in business and finance, and held community-engagement events such as its “Stuff the Bus” school supply drive benefitting the Planting the Seed Foundation of Worcester.

Throughout 2023, Cornerstone held 204 financial literacy programs, up from 114 in 2022, for children, teens, adults and seniors throughout the area, donating a total of 568 hours. Cornerstone Bank also offers employees a “volunteer day” benefit through which they can spend a paid workday volunteering for a local non-profit. In 2023, 73 employees participated for a total of 498 hours, working with groups such as the United Way, Relay for Life, Community Harvest Project, Jacob Edwards Library and Habitat for Humanity.

In September, Cornerstone Bank received the Corporate Citizen Award and was honored among the most charitable companies in Massachusetts by the Boston Business Journal. In April, the bank received the Community Award from the Planting the Seed Foundation, which recognized Cornerstone’s commitment to homeless children and their families.

Cornerstone Bank recently partnered with Gateways Academy, Inc., a small, private school in Shrewsbury, to support its small business program. In addition to donating a per-student stipend for materials, Cornerstone Bank’s Community Relations Manager, Nicole DiGregorio, along with employees from the finance, commercial, and marketing departments, provided weekly instruction to the students for business plan development and marketing.

“We gave each student $20 to create and sell a product at the school’s December 14 craft fair,” said DiGregorio. “I visited Gateways Academy once a week for 14 weeks, helping each student create a business plan that included a logo, tagline, target audience, budget, supplies list and product pricing. I loved seeing the confidence and excitement building in each student as they worked on their projects. We look forward to returning for more programs next school year.”

In addition to the business plan, DiGregorio taught the students about resources available to help support small businesses, conducted class-wide brainstorming, helped the students create advertising for the craft fair and worked with them on problem-solving skills. At the craft fair on December 14, students sold their products, raising over $1,200 that was donated back to the school for other programs.

“It is an honor for us to support innovative programs like this one at Gateways Academy and spark inspiration for future entrepreneurs,” said Cornerstone Bank CEO Todd Tallman. “The school is one of 70 different local organizations we initiated or renewed partnerships with over the past year.”

Years of Service Award recipients honored during December 6 event

Cornerstone Bank recently honored 21 employees who hit a landmark in their tenure in 2023. The Years of Service Awards were presented on December 6 in Sturbridge. Cornerstone employees are honored for every five years of service.

“The dedication of these 21 employees is inspiring,” said CEO of Cornerstone Bank Todd Tallman. “We work to foster a culture of growth and development within our institution, and it is a true testament when we see the longevity of some of our team members. I congratulate them for their years— and some for their decades—of loyalty and commitment to our customers.”

The following 21 employees were recognized at the event:

25 Years

• Heather Goguen
• Kyle Hill
• James Sandagato
• Todd Tallman        

20 Years

• Michael Sullivan

15 Years

• Jessica Johnson            

10 Years

• Scott Auen
• Daniel D’Amico
• Valerie Korzec
• Thomas Langmeyer
• Kerri Lee
• Maria Martinez
• Meredith Nordstrom
• Stacie Partlow           

5 Years

• Alexandria Dickson
• Andrea Fournier
• Brian Grady
• Tracey Jeffries
• Maria Salvatore
• Lisa Stone
• Julia Westwell