Vice President/Retail Banking Officer Paul Saia, Marketing and Customer Engagement Coordinator Allison Diebus, and Salvation Army Captain Kevin Polito, display a van filled with hundreds of toys, books, bikes, clothes, etc. donated this year by the bank to the Milford, MA Salvation Army Angel Tree Program.

We once again shared in the spirit of Christmas this year through their partnership with the Milford, MA Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program. Through the generosity of the bank’s employees, community, and customers, the 35 children’s wish list Angel tags were claimed, and all wish list requests were fulfilled. Children received their donated Christmas gifts including bikes, toys, clothes, books, shoes, and more. Marketing and Customer Engagement Coordinator Allison Diebus organized the yearly tradition for CRB by getting the children’s lists from Captain Kelley Polito at the Salvation Army and coordinating with the community to make sure each tag was claimed and requests fulfilled.

“Our incredible community members and amazing team show over and over again what it means to come together for the greater good. The amount of response and toys/clothes purchased for the Angel Tree children was astounding. We are happy to partner with the Salvation Army for this wonderful program, and seeing the generosity from participants reminds me how lucky we are to be involved with such a caring community,” said Charles River Bank Senior Vice President Ann Sherry.

The Salvation Army Angel Tree Program helps provide Christmas gifts for hundreds of thousands of children around the country each year. Once a child has been registered and accepted as an angel, their Christmas wish list is shared with the community who then purchase the items and clothes on the wish list.

“Thanks to all of the beautiful people associated with Charles River Bank. You will enrich many children’s Christmas holiday!” said Captain Kevin Polito of the Milford, MA Salvation Army.

Left to right – Julie Harrington, Derek Plourde, Richard Parrella, and Joanne Russo

Charles River Bank’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Derek Plourde (center left) presents a donation check of $1,000 to the Medway Christmas Parade Committee, represented by (L-R) Julie Harrington, Director of Medway Parks and Recreation; Richard Parrella, Vice President of EPCO Inc.; and Joanne Russo, Town of Medway Treasurer/Collector. The 28^th Annual Christmas Parade will be held on Saturday, November 27^th, and will begin at 5:30 pm at the Medway High School and proceed left onto Summer Street, left on Milford Street to Franklin Street, left onto Village Street into Medway Village continuing onto Holliston Street, left onto to Main Street, and ending at Choate Park and the Thayer House. The parade will culminate with ceremonies at the Thayer House that includes the presentation of service awards with music, food concessions, and a visit from Santa Claus! A spectacular fireworks show and festive tree lighting conclude the evening’s events.

Senior Vice President/Senior Commercial Lending Officer Terry Katsaros

Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Derek Plourde, is pleased to announce that Terry Katsaros has joined Charles River Bank (CRB) as Senior Vice President/Senior Commercial Lending Officer. Katsaros will manage CRB’s Commercial Lending Department, including responsibility for portfolio growth, loan quality, loan originations, operations, servicing, and compliance. Katsaros will lead the Commercial Loan Officers and work closely with other CRB experts to help ensure that business customers have the tools and solutions to meet their financial needs and achieve their goals.

Katsaros has over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, spending the past two decades as First Vice President/Commercial Lending Officer in the Franklin/Milford market area at Rockland Trust and Benjamin Franklin Savings Bank. In addition to his commercial lending experience, Katsaros has held positions in retail banking, branch management, consumer lending, and compliance. He completed the School of Commercial Lending Program at Babson College, studied Business Management at Florida Atlantic University, and earned a degree in Business Administration from Palm Beach Community College.

Katsaros is a Franklin resident and is active in community organizations. He is an active member of the Board of Incorporators of the YMCA, a past President of the Franklin Rotary Club, and served on the Board of Directors of the United Chamber of Commerce. He also served on the Alpha Omega Council and the Board of Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Weston, MA.

“Terry has a great reputation as a lender in our market. His extensive lending experience and in-depth knowledge of our region will support the continued expansion of our commercial lending and business banking services. We are excited to have him join our team,” said Charles River Bank EVP & COO, Derek Plourde.

What is Person-to-Person Bank Transfer?

Say goodbye to checks, cash, and third party online financial services. With Pay A Person (person-to-person or P2P bank transfer), you can send money to family and friends through Online and Mobile Banking anytime and anywhere. This payment option allows you to simply enter your information and enter the recipient’s email address or mobile phone number to initiate the money transfer directly to their account.

Before we dive into the instructions on ‘how to’, we want to emphasize how secure this payment option is. In addition to multi-level security measures to access your Online and Mobile Banking CRB accounts, Pay A Person requires an extra level of security between you, as the sender, and the receiver. You will be prompted to ask a unique security question only the receiver will know the answer to and it must match 100%. If the answer does not match 100%, the payment will be canceled.

The Pay A Person feature is already set up on your Online and Mobile Banking account. Here are instructions on how to send the payment and how to receive the payment.

When you are sending the payment:

• Log on to your CRB Online Banking or CRB Mobile App.
• On the menu, click “Pay A Person.”
• If this is a new person, click “add,” otherwise, click the name of the person you would like to send the money to.
  • If new, enter their name, email, and their email a second time to confirm.
• After selecting the person, you will be taken to a screen where you input the amount of money you would like to send, the unique security question that only YOU and the RECEIVER know the answer to, and the answer. Click “send.”
• On the Pay A Person page, your screen will display the pending payment to the other individual.
• You will then receive an email confirming the P2P Payment and it will disclose the amount and to whom.

When receiving the payment:

• Lucky you! You’ve been sent money. You will receive an email from the person initiating the payment.
• Click “Deposit now,” and you will be taken to a screen where you need to input your email address and the answer to the security question asked by the payer. If the question is incorrectly answered three times, the payment will be canceled.
• Once this has been filled out, the payer will receive a follow-up email saying the payment was sent from your Charles River Bank X (whichever account you chose to withdrawal from) account on DATE. It will also confirm that the receiving Financial Institution should post the deposit within a day or two.

As always, if you have any questions, call us at 508-533-8661 for assistance.

Signing up for Online and Mobile Banking is quick and easy! Follow these steps to get started:

Step 1. Go to www.charlesriverbank.com and click the Login Button and select register or download the app in your mobile app store to register. Just search Charles River Bank Mobile.

Step 2. Accept the disclosure text.

Step 3. Enter the requested personal authentication information. Click submit.

Step 4. Enter your User ID and Password. Click submit.

Step 5. Enter your email and enter again to confirm. Click change.

Step 6. Sign in to online banking with your User ID and Password.

Step 7. Choose your challenge questions and answers and your authentication image and text, or defer until a later date. NOTE: a maximum of two deferrals are allowed.

Your password must use alphanumeric characters (i.e. letters or numbers) and your password is case sensitive. Also, your password cannot contain leading or trailing spaces. You may set up Biometric Identification on supported devices for extra security (i.e. fingerprint or facial ID).

Note: Your internet banking password ensures that only you can access your confidential information. Please remember this password and keep it secure.

If you have questions, contact our Customer Care Team at 508-533-8661.

Control Your Financials Right from Your Screen with Online and Mobile Banking

We understand that life can get busy and making a trip to the bank takes time – whether it’s to access account information, make a check deposit, or complete a payment on your CRB loan.

Well, what if we told you there was a quick and easy tool that saves you time and effort? With Charles River Bank’s Online and Mobile Banking feature, you are able to do just about everything you can do in a branch with just a few clicks from your computer, smartphone, or tablet. Sounds easy, right? That’s because it is! And best of all, it’s secure and safe, with 24/7 access to your accounts.

Here are some of the benefits of Online and Mobile Banking:

Convenience 24/7

Wondering what your account balance might be prior to making a purchase? No problem. With Online and Mobile Banking, you can log in at any time to check the details of your bank accounts.

Our smartphones and computers are typically readily available, allowing 24/7 account access to complete many banking tasks quickly. Having access to your accounts right at your fingertips enables you to view your account balances, banking statements, or transaction history in real-time, as well as set up account alerts to your mobile number or email to notify you of specific account activity. There are many alert options, so be sure to sign up today to keep your accounts extra secure and keep you up-to-date on your account information.

Other tasks that can be done on your Online Banking or Mobile app just like in a physical branch includes transferring money between your CRB accounts, setting up transfers to your deposit accounts at other banks, pay bills online from your CRB checking account, make a payment to your CRB loan, deposit a check using your smartphone, deactivate or reactivate your CRB Debit MasterCard or ATM card if it’s ever lost or stolen, utilize wire and ACH services if you have a business account, or pay a friend or family member with person-to-person transfer using funds from your CRB checking, savings, or Money Market account.

Transfer Funds Fast and Effortlessly

You’ve most likely heard of mobile payment services like CashApp and Venmo, but did you know you can avoid the third party and do it directly from your CRB account with Online and Mobile Banking? If you need to send money to someone you know and trust, instead of writing a check or paying them in cash, you can do it digitally. After you log on to your mobile or online account, click on “pay a person,” add recipient, add either their email or mobile device number, and send your payment! For a more detailed step-by-step process, check out our blog on person-to-person transfers.

Additionally, you can transfer funds between your CRB accounts and your deposit accounts at other banks. This is particularly useful if you notice an account balance is low and have an upcoming automatic payment or a recent purchase that could overdraw your account.

Mobile Check Deposit – Deposit checks from anywhere

On your Mobile App, there’s a feature to deposit your checks, virtually. The process is simple: endorse the check as instructed and use the CRB app and your mobile phone’s camera to capture an image of the front and back. You’ll have to fill in key check data, as you would on a deposit slip, then wait for it to process. Remember to hold on to the check until it has been officially processed in case there are any issues.

If the majority of your trips to the bank are to deposit checks, you’ll be able to witness how much of a time saver this feature truly is.

Yes – it is secure!

Keeping your financial information secure is a top priority at Charles River Bank. Our Online and Mobile Banking functions automatically encrypt all transactions. When setting up your online and mobile account, you will need to create a login and password. Be sure to use a strong password that is hard to guess by others – even close friends and family.

Here are some other tips to make sure your online and mobile account is as secure as possible:

• Create passwords for your phone, tablet, and computer Any device that has access to your accounts should have a password. If you have the mobile app on your phone or tablet, make sure you set up auto-lock, which will engage after a set amount of time has passed. This is a smart way to protect sensitive financial information if you accidentally leave your phone somewhere, if it’s stolen, or left unlocked.
• Always access your online and mobile banking accounts with secure networks. When you’re out in public places and need to access your financial information and you’re using public Wi-Fi, make sure you use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) or stick to using your cellular data. Public Wi-Fi is often unsecured and taking these steps ensures your data is kept safe.
• Use Strong Passwords. When creating your accounts, make sure your password is strong which consists of X amount of characters, which are a combination of letters (capitalized and lower case), numbers, and symbols.
• Use Biometric Authentication. Our mobile banking app allows you to use biometric authentication to log in. Enrolling in this feature on your mobile app will enable the biometric authentication technique your phone uses (for example fingerprint, facial recognition, etc.). In addition, CRB scans for certain risks automatically, including if it does not recognize the device you are logging in on. It will ask for additional verification to solidify the individual logging in is the account owner.

Online and Mobile Banking is easy, quick, and secure. It allows you to bank on your schedule, right from your mobile device or computer.

You can sign up for Online Banking here or download the app in your smartphone’s Mobile App Store. If you have any questions, you can reach us at 508-533-8661.

Steven M. Richardson, Chairman of Charles River Bancorp, MHC and Charles River Bank

At the recent Special Annual Meeting of trustees and corporators of Charles River Bancorp, MHC, the holding company of Charles River Bank, Steven M. Richardson of Medway, MA was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors. He replaces Pia Brunelli Jarrett who has held this role since 2017.  Richardson has been a member of the Bank’s Board of Directors since 1992 and has served on the Bank’s Security Committee, Asset/Liability Committee (ALCO), and Audit Committee for various terms throughout his tenure.

“Steve has extensive accounting knowledge and has been an integral member of the Charles River Bank’s Board of Directors for decades.  His expertise will be a great asset to the board and the Bank as he begins his new role as Chairman,” stated Jarret.

Richardson is the Founder and Managing Shareholder of Richardson & Company, PC, and President of Richardson Financial Services, Inc., located in Medway, MA. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant and holds numerous Securities Licenses.  He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the Tax Division of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.  Richardson earned a BS in Accounting from Bentley University.

A native of Medway, MA, Richardson has been active as a volunteer with youth sports programs and in many community fundraising efforts.  He led the fundraising activities for the Town of Medway’s 300^th Anniversary celebrations, and as a long-time active member of St. Joseph Parish in Medway, Steve and his wife Janice played a key role in fundraising for the retirement of the debt incurred to build the Parish Center.

PERSONAL BANKER 1/Teller

Department:  Retail Banking

Reports to: Branch Officer

Summary: Processes customer transactions and cash handling. Provides customer service (in person, or via phone, or online) such as addressing online and mobile banking inquiries, placing check orders, assisting with ATM/Debit Card issuing and PIN resets, and conducting ATM balancing when requested.  Assist customers with queries concerning the financial institution and recognize and act upon opportunities to expand customer relationships. Responsible for achieving established customer engagement and service goals.

Judgment: Work is performed under the direct supervision of the Manager, Assistant Manager or Head Teller, following established routine and standard banking procedures. Requires some judgment and initiative in identifying customer needs for Bank services and products. Refers all questionable situations to a supervisor or bank officer.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

N/A

Job Requirements:

• High school diploma or equivalent, supplemented by on-the-job training; college degree is a plus
• Bank-related and computer courses. Above-average computer and keyboard skills, proficient in Microsoft Windows, Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Six months experience in the teller function or cash handling, as well as sales experience, particularly in cross-marketing products and services.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Good understanding of financial products and services.
• Strong organizational skills

Specific Job Functions:

• Processes all transactions including deposits, withdrawals, loans payments, currency requests, and other teller transactions.
• Assists with proving ATM, processing Night Deposit transactions.
• Provides a range of customer service at the financial institution, explaining available financial institution products and services, and gathering customers’ information.
• Answers online, telephone, and in-person inquiries.
• Daily use of online banking systems, debit cards, credit cards, check ordering, and other partner systems to provide a high level of service to customers.
• Completes arrangements and documents for special services such as exchanges of foreign currency and processing savings bond transactions.
• Identifies customer needs and actively refers loan, investment, insurance, and brokerage services to appropriate financial institution specialists.
• Participates in sales, service, and product training meetings.
• Follows policies and procedures related to retail and lending.
• Performs related duties as assigned by supervisor.

 If you’re interested in applying, send your resume and cover letter to info@charlesriverbank.com.

Paul Saia, Vice President/Retail Banking Officer

Charles River Bank is pleased to announce that Paul Saia has joined the Bank as the new Vice President/Retail Banking Officer. With the Bank’s ongoing growth and need to expand within the Retail Banking Team, Saia, a Millis resident, is a great addition to CRB and brings decades of Retail Banking management experience.

In his new role, Saia will be leading and supervising the Bank’s Branch Officers and overseeing all activity within the four branch network. This includes ensuring all Retail Banking goals are achieved, working with Branch Officers and the High School Branch Supervisor to continually improve their coaching and mentoring skills with their teams, actively participating in business development efforts, coordinating training and rollout of all technology and system upgrades that impact the Retail Banking offices, and addressing any procedural, audit, or compliance issues to ensure uniformity across the branch network. Saia’s office will be located in the Main Office in Medway.

Prior to joining Charles River Bank, Saia worked at East Boston Savings Bank (EBSB) as Vice President/Retail Banking Manager, where he was recruited to successfully lead the opening of two new branches in the Burlington and Woburn area. Additionally, he managed EBSB’s mobile banking branch unit. Before Saia’s time at EBSB, he managed 13 branches at Santander Bank as their Vice President/District Executive and led the sales and service activities of 21 branch locations at TD Bank as their Vice President/Retail Market Manager. He also has worked at community banks such as Ben Franklin Bank and Needham Bank. “We’re really excited to add Paul to our team,” stated Hamilton. “As Charles River Bank continues to grow, we’re expanding our level of expertise on our Retail Banking Team and Customer Care Group. With Paul’s guidance of our branch teams, I’m confident our customers will begin to experience an even greater level of customized service.”

Saia comes to CRB with an impressive educational background. He received a Bachelor of Science from Boston College where he majored in Finance. He earned his MBA at Bentley University. Furthermore, he graduated from the Advanced Leadership Development Program at Babson College. When Paul isn’t working, he likes to spend his time landscaping, playing golf, and enjoying time with his friends and family.

Erion Meta, Charles River Bank’s new Medway Branch Operations Manager

Jack Hamilton, President and CEO of Charles River Bank, is pleased to announce that Erion Meta has joined the Customer Care Team in the role of Medway Branch Operations Manager. Meta will work in conjunction with the Medway Market Manager.

Meta’s new role requires supervisory and administrative responsibility for various daily operations, audits, customer service, and compliance functions of Charles River Bank’s Main Office retail branch. His work involves supervision of the Medway office retail banking team, maintaining and growing existing relationships, developing new relationships, and regular participation in community organizations and business events. Meta’s objective is to provide the highest level of service while creating unique solutions for customers’ banking needs.

With over 15 years of retail banking experience, Meta will be a great asset to the team. Prior to joining Charles River Bank, Meta worked at Citizens Bank where he held positions such as Assistant Branch Manager and Branch Operations Manager. He also held positions at Santander, First Data in Boston as a Business Consultant, TD Bank, and Financial Union of Tirana in Tirana, Albania. Aside from his retail banking experience, Meta has a diverse business background and held positions focusing on sales, accounting, customer service, and financial analysis. “We’re always excited to welcome a new multi-talented professional like Erion to our team. He brings a wide variety of experience and expertise, on both a community and global level, and I look forward to seeing what he will accomplish,” said Jack Hamilton.

Meta is a native of Albania and is multilingual. He speaks Albanian, English, Greek, and Italian. He graduated from the University of Tirana in Tirana, Albania. In Meta’s spare time he enjoys fishing and time out by the water.