Essex Savings Bank has promoted Debra L. Brown to the role of senior vice president, chief financial officer.
She replaces Shawn Honan, who is retiring. Brown, a Killingworth resident, started working at the bank in 1995, initially as the accounting department supervisor. She has been promoted multiple times, serving over the years as a bank officer, controller, assistant vice president and vice president/controller.
Diane Arnold, president and CEO, said Brown’s background at the bank means she is “well positioned to seamlessly step into the role.”
Brown is a member of the National Financial Managers Society Inc.
Essex Savings Bank serves the Connecticut River Valley and shoreline with six offices, including two in Essex, and locations in Chester, Madison, Old Lyme and Old Saybrook.
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Liberty Bank expands affordable lending team
Middletown-based Liberty Bank recently announced it has hired new talent and promoted another lender who will lead its newly expanded team of affordable lending officers.
Matthew Cammarota, senior vice president and head of retail lending, said bank officials are excited about the growth of its team focused on affordable lending.
“I am confident they will continue to drive our success and grow market share while providing affordable lending opportunities to homebuyers,” Cammarota said.
The bank made the following changes:
Fanita Borges has been promoted to residential sales manager and is responsible for leading Liberty’s team of affordable lending officers. She joined the bank in 2021 and has two decades of experience in the industry. While at Liberty Bank, she helped launch the Good Neighbor Plus program in Hartford, which is designed to provide a pathway to homeownership in the Capital City.
Pamela Hippolyte, now affordable mortgage lending officer, joined Liberty Bank four years ago and provides financial education programs to first-time homebuyers and low-to-moderate-income communities. Linda Urbanec, Dante Galvez and Ivan Cruz all joined the bank recently as affordable lending originators, and Sofia (Ana) Mendonca is a new loan officer assistant.
