GREENFIELD — Greenfield Cooperative Bank and its Northampton Cooperative Bank division have announced 12 promotions.
“We are excited to promote these employees to their new positions,” CEO Tony Worden said in a statement. “They are all valuable members of our team and have a proven track record of success.”
■Jane Wolfe is being promoted to executive vice president of residential lending. Wolfe has a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Hampshire and is also a graduate of the New England School for Financial Studies at Babson College. She has been with Greenfield Cooperative Bank since 1999.
■Melissa Tetreault is being promoted to vice president, senior mortgage originator. Tetreault has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and is a graduate of the New England School for Financial Studies at Babson College. She has more than 18 years of experience with Greenfield Cooperative Bank in two tours, having rejoined the company in 2018.
■Jeremy Lajoie is being promoted to vice president, mortgage operations manager. Lajoie has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and is also a graduate of the New England School for Financial Studies at Babson College. He has been with Greenfield Cooperative Bank since 2015.
■Katherine Babinski is being promoted to assistant vice president, security and facilities administrator. Babinski has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and has been with the bank since 2020.
■Timothy McCarthy is being promoted to assistant branch manager in Turners Falls. McCarthy has been with the bank since 2010.
■Luke Parsons is being promoted to credit analyst II. Parsons has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and has been with Greenfield Cooperative Bank since 2021.
■Mark Handfield is being promoted to credit analyst II. Handfield has a master’s degree in business administration from Western New England University, and has been with the bank since 2020.
■Ethan McCandless is being promoted to credit analyst I. McCandless has a bachelor’s degree from Saint Michael’s College, and has been with the bank since 2020.
■Lisandra Rivera-Lucena is being promoted to accounting specialist. Rivera-Lucena has an associate’s degree from Holyoke Community College, and has been with Greenfield Cooperative Bank since 2021.
■Christopher Luippold is being promoted to senior operations specialist. Luippold joined Greenfield Cooperative Bank in 2011 as a teller. He has an associate’s degree from Greenfield Community College.
■Kayla Canuel is being promoted to customer service representative. Canuel has been with Greenfield Cooperative Bank since 2022.
■Terry Novotny is being promoted to senior teller. Novotny has been with the bank a total of 12 years, in two tours, having returned to the bank in 2017.
GREENFIELD — Paul J. Mokrzecki has joined Greenfield Cooperative Bank as senior vice president, government banking. Mokrzecki brings more than 40 years of experience in the public and private sectors, with a focus on providing banking solutions to municipal clients.
Mokrzecki has been responsible for establishing, growing and maintaining the newly created Government Banking Department for two local banks in the past. He has also served as the finance director/treasurer/collector for the city of Greenfield, where he oversaw all aspects of financial operations. Prior to that, he was the elected treasurer and collector for the town of Hadley.
He holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is a certified municipal treasurer, a certified municipal collector, and a member of the Massachusetts Collectors and Treasurers Association.
GREENFIELD — April is National Financial Literacy Month, and Franklin First Federal Credit Union is leading financial education events across Franklin County.
On Saturday, April 29, Franklin First will be finishing the first Young Businesspeople (YBP) Program at Franklin County’s YMCA. This eight-week program introduced young people to financial literacy topics and the basic process of starting a small business.
The program culminates on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. during the YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day event. Program participants will be setting up their small businesses and selling their products alongside family-friendly activities on Main Street.
“As spring arrives, we are always excited to connect with our community and Franklin First members,” Michelle Dwyer, president and CEO, said in a statement. “These helpful educational events are fantastic platforms to participate in Financial Literacy Month, and we will remain committed to helping educate our community in areas of finance.”
To learn more about Franklin First Federal Credit Union, call 413-774-6700 or visit franklinfirst.org.
GREENFIELD — Greenfield Cooperative Bank has been selected to participate in the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston’s homeownership assistance programs, called the Equity Builder Program and Housing Our Workforce.
The Equity Builder Program provides grants to financial institutions to assist local income-eligible homebuyers with down payment and closing costs, as well as homebuyer counseling and rehabilitation assistance. Borrowers earning up to 80% of the area median income are eligible to receive up to $29,000 in assistance on a first-come, first-served basis. Buyers are required to complete homebuyer education/counseling if they are a first-time homebuyer.
Housing Our Workforce provides assistance to financial institutions to help local homebuyers earning more than 80% and up to 120% of the area median income with down payments on owner-occupied primary residences. Borrowers can receive 10% of the home sales price or up to $25,000 in assistance on a first-come, first-served basis. Buyers are required to complete homebuyer education/counseling if they are a first-time homebuyer.
“These grant programs are designed to ease some of the challenges associated with a home purchase, particularly at a time when home prices have risen sharply and are beyond the reach of many individuals and families,” Jane Wolfe, Greenfield Cooperative Bank’s senior vice president of residential lending, said in a statement. “We are pleased to participate to help borrowers become homebuyers, while also supporting the financial stability and vitality of our communities.”
Greenfield Cooperative Bank is eligible to receive up to $350,000 in 2023 through the Equity Builder Program and up to $260,000 through Housing Our Workforce depending on availability of funds.
To learn more about applying for assistance, contact Missy Tetreault, vice president of mortgage origination, at 413-773-6180 or mtetreault@greenfieldcoopbank.com; or Kimberlee Gates, mortgage originator, at 413-322-7116 or kgates@greenfieldcoopbank.com.