Cornerstone Bank recently donated $5,000 to the Gateways Academy, Inc., a small, private school in Shrewsbury.

“Our Community Relations Manager, Nicole Digregorio, visited Gateways Academy once a week for 10 weeks, presenting three different financial literacy programs for students in grades 1 through 12,” said Cornerstone Bank CEO Todd Tallman. “She and the other members of our team who joined her were incredibly impressed by the students, staff and school, so we wanted to increase our involvement. They all look forward to returning for more programs next year.”

Cornerstone’s donation will support the school’s American Sign Language (ASL) program. ASL was selected as the school’s foreign language of choice because it’s among the top five languages used in worldwide communication. The funds will also support physical education and team building for students at the local YMCA.

“We’re proud to support these innovative, forward-thinking programs at Gateways Academy, and to provide students with essential, age-appropriate money skills,” said Tallman. “As a financial institution, we believe in the importance of teaching everyone from kids to senior citizens about money and its life-long management. We offer a wide array of financial literacy programs to our Central Massachusetts community. Gateways Academy was one of 70 different local organizations we initiated or renewed partnerships with over the past year.”

Cornerstone Bank has welcomed Kara Wiersma, a resident of Auburn, as its new vice president, learning and development partner. In this role, she is responsible for developing, coordinating and executing employee training and development.

“Kara comes to us with a wealth of experience in employee development, training and engagement,” said Cornerstone Bank CEO Todd Tallman. “We are committed to providing our employees with the tools and skills they need to learn and grow in their careers, and Kara’s expertise will ensure our success in this regard.”

Wiersma earned her bachelor’s degree in management from Boston University and is a Certified Professional in Talent Development. She has more than two decades of experience in the banking industry, nearly a decade of which has been spent in the areas of learning, development and colleague engagement.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Cornerstone team and look forward to building on its strong foundation of employee development,” said Wiersma. “The passion people have for their work here really shines through, as does the leadership’s dedication to employee satisfaction and success.”

A member of the Worcester Business Journal 40 under Forty Class of 2019, Wiersma also serves on the Board of the Central Massachusetts Association for Talent Development as the vice president of programming.

Cornerstone Bank donated $25,000 to support programs and services at the YMCA of Central Massachusetts.

“We are longtime supporters of our local YMCA because we recognize the important role the organization plays in the lives of our neighbors,” said Cornerstone Bank CEO Todd Tallman. “Our donation will be put toward four programs that benefit a diverse range of local residents.”

YMCA programs that will benefit include:

• The Achievers initiative, which supports the next generation of college students with academic assistance, adult mentorship, college prep programming and career workshops, all designed to help teens find their unique paths to higher education and beyond.
• The Numbers in the Sun program, through which an experienced math teacher delivers high-quality academic programming to children to reinforce their mathematic core competencies and comprehension in fun and engaging ways.
• LIVESTRONG, a 12-week health and wellness program that connects cancer survivors and their families with a network of physical activity programming and emotional support at no cost to participants.
• The What’s for Dinner weekly meal service that provides an assembled package of groceries to families and seniors in need. On average, 500 meals are distributed monthly.

“We are most proud to support this type of programming, which addresses real needs in our community,” said Tallman.

Funds will be used to expand a nutrition-focused ‘Food is Medicine’ program

Cornerstone Bank contributed $15,000 to UMass Memorial Health Care. The funds will be used to expand the hospital’s nutrition-focused “Food is Medicine” program, which aims to provide higher-risk patients with access to healthy food options that align with the diet recommendations provided by their physicians.

“We are proud to continue our ongoing support for the amazing healing work done every day at UMass Memorial,” said Cornerstone Bank CEO Todd Tallman. “Food insecurity is a serious issue for many people throughout our community, and this innovative program is designed to provide meaningful help to those who need it.”

UMass Memorial has partnered with a community-based organization, About Fresh, to implement this food intervention. The organization’s Fresh Connect program allows healthcare providers to load pre-paid debit cards for patients experiencing food insecurity. The Fresh Connect cards can be used at most grocery stores to purchase healthy food options only. The program allocates $80 per month to each card recipient for six months.

“The ‘Food is Medicine Program’ grew out of our desire to alleviate the impact of food insecurity among our patients and promote optimal health,” said UMass Corporate and Foundation Philanthropy Officer Jeff Aron. “We are grateful to Cornerstone Bank for helping us to increase the impact it provides.”

The donation will allow 50 students to attend STEM-based programs at no cost

Cornerstone Bank has donated $25,000 to Our Bright Future Inc., a Southbridge-based organization committed to empowering children and developing future leaders through science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) initiatives. The donation will be distributed to two programs within the organization: $15,000 to the STEMing Into Sports Summer Program and $10,000 to the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) STEM After-School Program.

“We’re so proud to support both of these STEM-based initiatives, as they are vital to improving and diversifying the education of Central Massachusetts children and teens,” said Cornerstone Bank CEO Todd Tallman. “Based on the previous successes of these programs, Our Bright Future has shown an ability to prepare area youth for their futures—a cause to which our team is more than happy to contribute.”

The STEMing Into Sports Summer Program offers a unique combination of robotics, 3D printing and sports for children in a safe, caring and supportive environment, while the WPI after-school program provides youth with a college-campus educational experience alongside some of WPI's future engineers. Cornerstone Bank’s donation will allow 50 students to attend these programs completely free of charge, covering their tuition, food and transportation.

“Through the generous support of Cornerstone Bank, we will be able to provide dozens of Central Massachusetts children with the opportunity for new experiences and improved STEM-based educations. We are so excited to witness the impact it will have for our students,” said Kwasi Acheampong, president and founder of Our Bright Future Inc.

Our Bright Future Inc. was established in 2016 to empower youth and develop bright leaders through robotics, 3D printing, sports training and guidance in academics. Through various programs, it incorporates education, empowerment, discipline, leadership, diversity and respect to help students shape the future. To learn more about Our Bright Future Inc. or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit ourbrightfutureinc.org.

Heather Pedersen will be based in the bank’s Charlton branch

Heather Pedersen recently joined the lending team at Cornerstone Bank. As vice president mortgage loan officer (MLO), the Leicester resident is responsible for guiding customers through the mortgage application process from pre-approval and product selection to closing.

“We are thrilled to have Heather become the newest member of our exceptionally talented team of MLOs,” said Cornerstone Bank Executive Vice President of Retail Lending Scott Auen.  “We pride ourselves on our ability to help homeowners in our community find the mortgage that meets their specific homebuying needs, and Heather has the professional experience and local knowledge to provide this personalized service.”

Pedersen, who is also a notary public, has nearly a decade of experience as an MLO and more than 25 total years in the banking industry. She began her career as a teller and held several leadership roles, including Retail Banking Officer, before shifting her focus to residential lending.

Pedersen earned a banking certificate from the Center for Financial Training and is an active member of the Realtors Association of Central MA. She serves on its Community Action subcommittee, which supports local charities with donations, volunteer hours and other needs. She also volunteers her time as the coach for Leicester Girls Softball Team and as assistant coach for the Worcester Union traveling softball team.

“I am excited to be able to offer more robust loan options to my customers and work with a team that is driven to maximize the customer experience,” said Pedersen. “I’m lucky to live and work in such a beautiful part of our state, and appreciate the opportunity to help my neighbors find their homes here.”

Pedersen is based in Cornerstone’s Charlton branch, located at 2 Center Depot Road.

Cornerstone Bank has donated $15,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Mass & Metrowest. The funds support the organization’s 60th Anniversary Big Celebration on Saturday, April 1 at the AC Hotel by Marriot in Worcester, and its Golf Fore Kids event on Monday, June 12 at Framingham Country Club.

“We are proud to celebrate the important work of Big Brothers Big Sisters and its impact on our communities over the past 60 years,” said Cornerstone Bank CEO Todd Tallman. “Like Big Brothers Big Sisters, we believe in the potential of every child and are committed to helping them realize it.”

Proceeds from the Big Brothers Big Sisters 60th Anniversary Celebration and the Golf Fore Kids event will support the organization’s growing programs in the 87 towns and cities it serves throughout the region. Visit bbbscm.org for tickets or to support these events.

Founded in 1963, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Mass & Metrowest helps children through individualized mentoring programs. Volunteers serve as mentors (Bigs) to children (Littles) who face adversity, offering quality time on a weekly basis between a reliable, caring mentor and a child in need of additional adult support.

At Cornerstone Bank, we take our customer’s financial well-being very seriously.

Cornerstone Bank is well-capitalized, profitable, and continues to grow. We take great care in managing the Bank and our balance sheet, minimizing our interest rate risk, and keeping our asset quality strong.

Just as importantly, your Cornerstone Bank deposit accounts are fully insured by both FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Company) and DIF (Depositors Insurance Fund).

What does it mean to be an FDIC- and DIF-insured bank?

Simply put, you never need to worry, your money is safe at Cornerstone Bank.

The combination of FDIC and DIF insurance provides you with full deposit insurance on all your deposit accounts.  Cornerstone Bank customers’ deposits are fully insured through the FDIC for the first $250,000 and DIF for any deposits over $250,000.

Click here to learn more about FDIC. Click here to learn more about DIF.

Please contact us at 800-939-9103 with any questions.

Cornerstone Bank has announced the promotion of five employees to senior leadership positions:

• Auburn resident Douglas Schmeling is now senior vice president, chief credit officer.
• Thomas Moschos, a resident of Southborough, is now senior vice president, commercial lender.
• Jessica Johnson, a Westminster resident, is now vice president, senior market manager.
• Fitchburg resident, Erin McGinnis, is now vice president, customer information center manager.
• Marcella Mosio, a resident of Charlton, is now vice president, assistant controller.

“We pride ourselves on being a great place to work, and part of that is creating career pathways that allow employees to grow and develop with us,” said CEO Todd Tallman. “We are so grateful to Doug, Tom, Jess, Erin and Marcie for their contributions to date, and look forward to all they will achieve in their new roles.”

Schmeling has worked for Cornerstone for 14 years, starting at Spencer Saving Bank. He earned his bachelor’s degree at North Adams State College (now the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts) and his MBA at Nichols College in Dudley.

Moschos joined Spencer Savings Bank in 2015 before the merger that created Cornerstone Bank. He has been a lender in Worcester County for more than a decade, with most of his recent focus on commercial real estate throughout New England. Prior to joining Cornerstone, he was credit trained through a commercial lending training program at a prior financial institution and focused on commercial and industrial lending and owner-occupied commercial real estate.

Johnson began her career at Spencer Savings Bank in 2008, working part-time as a teller while finishing her degree. After graduation, she became a full-time teller in the Rutland branch before going on to become head teller, branch supervisor, assistant branch manager and branch manager. She is also a board member and the treasurer of the Wachusett Area Chamber of Commerce, Inc., and the clerk and an advisory member of the Rutland Economic Development Commission.

McGinnis began her career in banking in 2007 as a teller, after her undergraduate studies at Bay Path University. She transitioned to a call center role in 2016 and joined Cornerstone Bank in early 2020 as the CIC assistant manager, just as the COVID-19 pandemic, and subsequent shutdown, began.

Mosio has more than 25 years of experience in banking at Cornerstone Bank. She began her career as a file clerk in the loan department at Spencer Savings Bank through a work/study program in high school and became a teller after graduation. She spent time in the loan-serving department and then served as a floating employee where she worked in every department and every location, before deciding on the accounting department.