Concord, NH – December 12, 2014 – Donna Benson, Senior Vice President, Senior Retail Loan Officer will be retiring from Merrimack County Savings Bank (The Merrimack) on December 31, 2014 after more than 17 years of dedicated service.
Benson joined The Merrimack in 1997 as Vice President Mortgage Originations and Secondary Market Sales. She was promoted to Senior Vice President in 2002, and in this role has been responsible for managing The Bank’s mortgage origination, operations and overseeing the processing and underwriting of mortgage loans.
“Donna’s leadership, expertise and capacity to build relationships have been an incredible asset to our mortgage department and bank as a whole,” said Paul Rizzi, President and CEO of Merrimack County Savings Bank and co-CEO of New Hampshire Mutual Bancorp. “It has been an honor working alongside her. We can’t thank her enough for her remarkable service and dedication to The Merrimack these last 17 years.”
Benson has over 43 years of banking experience and extensive work in the area of mortgage origination. A dedicated Concord resident and volunteer, Benson has been a long-time supporter and member of the Kiwanis Club of Concord, the Concord Visiting Nurse Association, Capitol Regional Food Program, New Hampshire Homebuilders Association and Concord Area Home Builders & Remodelers Association, New Hampshire Mortgage Bankers and Brokers of New Hampshire and New Hampshire Bankers’ Association.
Carol Bickford, who is currently Senior Vice President of Retail Lending for Meredith Village Savings Bank (MVSB), has been promoted to oversee loan processing, underwriting and residential lending for both MVSB and The Merrimack, wholly owned subsidiaries of New Hampshire Mutual Bancorp (NHMB). Bickford will be responsible for directing all of the retail lending activities and developing and implementing new lending products, services, and programs for both financial institutions.
“When The Merrimack and MVSB joined under the same mutual holding company, one of our key goals was to take advantage of each Bank’s existing talent to ensure successful management succession in our institution’s key roles,” said Rick Wyman, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for New Hampshire Mutual Bancorp, MVSB and Merrimack County Savings Bank. “We are extremely confident in Carol’s knowledge and leadership and we are thrilled to offer her this new opportunity.”
Bickford joined the lending team at MVSB in 1983 and quickly moved up through the ranks. She was most recently promoted to Senior Vice President of Retail Lending in 2009. Bickford has been a valued member of the Senior Management team for over a decade, serving on the Bank’s Compliance, Risk, Information Security, Total Quality Management and Asset Liability committees.
Bickford is a current member of the New Hampshire Bankers Mortgage Committee and has previously served as a Board Member for Laconia Area Community Land Trust and the Lakes Region United Way. She has also been involved with several past projects with the Town of Meredith, including an update of the town’s Master Plan. Bickford attended New Hampshire College for business and is a graduate of the banking program at Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.
Founded in 1867, Merrimack County Savings Bank is a mutual owned financial institution headquartered in Concord, New Hampshire with seven offices in Bow, Concord, Contoocook, and Nashua. The bank offers a wide variety of deposit, loan, wealth management, and convenience services to individuals, businesses and organizations. Bank deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
Meredith Village Savings Bank, founded in 1869, is an independent mutual savings bank with 11 offices serving individuals, families, businesses and municipalities in the Lakes Region and the Plymouth area. The bank and its employees are inspired by MVSB’s core values: respect, integrity, teamwork, excellence, and stewardship. These values are intrinsic to every decision made at the bank and are illustrated by the high priority they place on trust, quality service, and commitment to community support. MVSB strives to make the communities it serves a better place to work and live. More information can be found at www.mvsb.com.
New Hampshire Mutual Bancorp was formed in 2013 as an alliance between Merrimack County Savings Bank and Meredith Village Savings Bank. Through this alliance the Banks partner to address industry challenges while strengthening each Bank’s ability to serve its local market.