Westerly, Rhode Island... The Washington Trust Company, Rhode Island largest independent bank, has announced the promotions of five Westerly officers. The promotions were granted by the Bank’s Board of Directors to recognize the significant contributions that each employee has made to the success of the Bank.
Jeffrey J. Frenette, a resident of North Stonington, Connecticut has been named Senior Vice President of Technology Services. Jeff joined the Bank as a part-time employee in 1987 while attending high school. He continued to work with Washington Trust through his college years at a time when the Bank was expanding its use of computer technology. Jeff’s expertise in the technology field was crucial in supporting the addition of personal computers throughout the Bank, and he became the institution’s first PC Specialist. In the years that followed, Jeff rose through the ranks, assuming additional responsibilities with Information Systems and Telecommunications. Jeff is currently responsible for all aspects of the Bank’s Technology Services, including technology project management, network management, systems security, disaster recovery, bank hardware and systems, and more.
A summa cum laude graduate of Johnson and Wales University, Jeff was named one of Providence Business News’ 40 under 40, recognizing upcoming leaders in Rhode Island. Jeff serves as a member of the Permanent Columbus Day Parade Committee.
Mary E. Noons of Wakefield, Rhode Island, has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Lending Support Services. Mary is entering her 20th year with Washington Trust and in her new role will be responsible for overseeing the origination and processing of all consumer loans, secondary marketing purchase and sales, along with the loan operations and servicing of all commercial mortgages and consumer loans.
Mary has played an integral role in the Bank’s expansion efforts in loan production. Under her leadership, loan volume more than doubled in the past several years. She also plays an important part in the Bank’s expansion of mortgage operations outside its traditional lending area, most notably in Sharon and Burlington, Massachusetts.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Rhode Island and graduated with honors from The Connecticut School of Finance and Management. Mary serves on the Rhode Island Bankers Association Mortgage Committee, is active with the South Kingstown School Department’s Mentoring Program and serves as a Board Member for the Rhode Island Academic Decathlon.
Kristin L. Battisti, of Westerly, Rhode Island, has been named Vice President, Compliance. Kristin joined the Bank in April 2010 as Assistant Vice President of Compliance after successfully managing the compliance function at two local credit unions. Since joining Washington Trust, she has implemented several important lending and deposit regulatory changes and played a key role in addressing recent compliance changes.
Kristin graduated magna cum laude from the University of Connecticut and holds Credit Union Compliance Expert Certification as well as the American Bankers Association Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager designation. Kristin is involved with the Rhode Island Bankers Association, Eastern Massachusetts Compliance Network and serves on the Board of Directors of Westerly Area Rest Meals, Inc.
Maureen J. Bjorkland, CMA, of Ashaway, R.I., has been promoted to Vice President and Accounting Officer. Maureen joined the Bank in 2006 as Assistant Vice President and Accounting Officer. She is responsible for financial reporting in the area of asset quality, including amounts presented in monthly management and board reports, as well as information presented for regulatory reporting purposes. Maureen holds a CMA certification, a Bachelor of Science from the University of Connecticut, and an MBA from the University of New Haven. She is a member of both the Institute of Certified Management Accountants and the American Society of Women Accountants.
Pankaj L. Ahire, a resident of Westerly, Rhode Island, has been promoted to the position of Management Information Systems Officer. He joined the Bank in July 2009 as a Programmer Intern while completing coursework at the University of Rhode Island in pursuit of a Masters degree in Computer Science. In his new role, Pankaj is responsible for database creation and reporting, application design, statistical modeling and process improvement analysis.
Pankaj also holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology. He is the recipient of scholarships from the Office of Naval Research and the National Science Foundation. Pankaj is a winner of the American Society for Mechanical Engineers regional competition on the design and implementation of an automated delivery vehicle. He is currently enrolled at Harvard University’s Extension School for Continuing Education.
The Washington Trust Company is a subsidiary of Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc., a $2.9 billion corporation headquartered in Westerly, Rhode Island. Founded in 1800, Washington Trust is the oldest community bank in the nation and is the largest independent bank headquartered in Rhode Island. A state-chartered bank, Washington Trust offers a full range of financial services, including business banking, personal banking, and wealth management and trust services through its offices located in Rhode Island, Southeastern Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Corporation's common stock trades on The NASDAQ Global Select® Stock Market under the symbol WASH. Web site address: www.washtrust.com.