Cornerstone Bank recently held a series of four financial literacy classes in Spanish for residents of the Hector Reyes House in Worcester. In addition to providing individualized residential substance abuse treatment, the House offers educational programs designed to help participants with independent living.

“We place tremendous importance on education and pride ourselves on our dedication to furthering the knowledge of our community,” said Todd Tallman, CEO of Cornerstone Bank. “We have continued to grow and expand our financial literacy classes, and this Spanish-language program is another step toward increasing access. We offered 114 programs in 2022 and 204 in 2023. Our goal in 2024 is to continue this growth, with a focus on underserved populations. We want to provide all the people in the communities we serve with the knowledge they need to make sound financial decisions.”

Cornerstone Bank employees Joel Laureano, assistant vice president, senior market manager; and Ivori Hidalgo Batista, human resource intern; conducted the classes in Spanish. Content included:

• How to manage and balance a checking account
• The importance of savings accounts and tips for saving
• The difference between a cashier’s check and a money order
• Understanding ATM cards, credit cards and debit cards
• What “insufficient funds” means
• How mobile banking works
• How to fill out deposit and withdrawal slips, write a check and read a paycheck
• What credit and a credit score are, why they are important and how to build credit
• How to calculate debt to income ratio, what it means and why it’s important
• Debt consolidation
• How to identify red flags and tips to help avoid scams and fraud

After completing all four classes, participants were invited to open savings and checking accounts at Cornerstone Bank, even if they had been turned down in the past due to their financial history.

Cornerstone Bank recently welcomed Corey Niswender as its new vice president, digital product manager. In this role, the Boston resident will lead the development and implementation of the bank's digital products and services. This includes overseeing project teams, analyzing market trends, identifying user needs and preferences and collaborating with cross-functional teams to drive product strategy and execution.

“Corey joins us with an impressive level of expertise and insight,” said Cornerstone Bank CEO Todd Tallman. “Digital banking is accelerating at a rapid pace, and our goal is to remain at the forefront. Two key areas of focus for us are ensuring we are easy for our customers to work with, and that we are delivering solutions. Our digital products and services are key to our success in these regards.”

Offering 24 years of experience in the banking industry, Niswender earned his bachelor’s degree in international business from SUNY Empire State College, a master’s certificate in applied business analytics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a master’s certificate from the New England School for Financial Studies. He also boasts several project management credentials, including Project Management Professional, Certified Scrum Master, Certified Scrum Product Owner and Lean Six Sigma.

Cornerstone Bank recently welcomed Michael Lavoie as its new executive vice president, senior commercial officer. In this role, the Upton resident will oversee all aspects of commercial banking for Cornerstone Bank, including new business generation, portfolio management and underwriting. In addition to the ongoing support of existing customers, he will also focus on helping grow and develop Cornerstone’s commercial and industrial lending portfolio.

“Mike brings 20+ years of solid commercial banking experience, primarily focused on commercial and industrial lending,” said Cornerstone Bank CEO Todd Tallman. “He is well-known locally by customers and business professionals, and we look forward to the contributions he will make as a member of our senior leadership team.”

Most recently, Lavoie served as group manager at M&T Bank where he was responsible for the Worcester and Springfield markets. He is a board member of the Worcester Economic Club, Worcester Regional Research Bureau and Rainbow Child Development Center. He is a past board member and president of Upton Youth Baseball.

Lavoie earned his B.S. in marketing from Southern New Hampshire University, and an MBA with a finance concentration from Bentley University in Waltham.

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.

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.