FAIRFIELD — Skowhegan Savings recently hosted its 149th annual meeting at Good Will-Hinckley, with the purpose of electing new board members, corporators and reporting on the financial performance of the bank.
Portland attorney Benjamin Marcus was elected to the bank’s board of directors; Shelly Lowell, community banker in the Franklin County region, was awarded the bank’s annual President’s Award for outstanding performance and her commitment to her customers.
Marcus is the managing director of Drummond Woodsum, a Portland-based law firm with more than 85 attorneys in Maine and New Hampshire. He specializes in corporate and commercial law. “I look forward to working with Ben and believe that he’ll be a great addition to our board,” said Rick Anzelc, chairman of the bank’s board of directors. Marcus takes the place of retiring board member William Shay, an attorney in Skowhegan, after his 17 years of service to the board.
Lowell has more than 25 years in retail and commercial banking assisting customerswith their mortgage and business financing needs. A resident of Rangeley, she volunteers her time to the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce and serves on the board of selectmen for the Town of Rangeley. “Shelly embodies the key elements of being a community banker,” said Chris Farmer, regional vice president community banker of Franklin County. “She listens to customers’ personal and business financial needs and then strategizes creative ways to meet those needs.”
Five new corporators were elected — Brian Bernatchez, managing director and financial advisor of Golden Pond Wealth Management; Lisa Landry, human resources director of Redington Fairview General Hospital; Jacques Santucci, president and managing partner of Opus Ventures and Consulting Group; Karl Strand, president and general manager of Sugarloaf; and Brad Stokes, owner of Ocuossoc Grocery and manager of Morton Furbish Insurance.
Rich St. Pierre, the bank’s chief financial officer, gave an overview of the intitution’s current financial position reporting the bank had grown to nearly $600 million in assets with a capital base of $87 million. Net operating income is at an all-time high of $5.1 million. The bank invested over $87 million in loans to businesses and individuals during 2018. Rob Moody, executive director, and Lisa Sandy, director of admissions, of Good Will-Hinckley opened the meeting giving an update on the school’s recent accomplishments.