Country Bank Announces Three Promotions

WARE — Country Bank President and CEO Mary McGovern announced the promotion of three team members: Jasmine Robinson, Sam Pursey, and Sarah Yurkunas.

Robinson has been promoted to Learning & Development officer. She began her financial services career at Country Bank in 2004 as a teller and has since built a 21-year career with the organization. She advanced through customer service and branch management roles before helping launch the bank’s Learning & Development department in 2016 as a founding member. Known for her creativity and passion for fostering professional growth, she has designed and implemented training programs that span retail banking and beyond, aligning employee development with Country Bank’s strategic goals.

Robinson holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Phoenix University and is a certified facilitator in multiple professional learning programs. She is deeply committed to advancing lifelong learning across the bank and is an active community volunteer, regularly supporting the Ware Senior Center, mobile food pantries, and school financial literacy programs.

Pursey has been promoted to assistant vice president, commercial lender. With 13 years in the financial services industry and nine years at Country Bank, he brings a strong background in commercial credit and lending. After starting his career as a credit analyst at TD Bank, he joined Country Bank as a portfolio manager and grew into a lending role, where he found his passion for helping customers achieve their business goals.

A graduate of UMass Amherst with a degree in finance, Pursey is known for combining analytical expertise with a customer-first approach, ensuring that businesses receive both timely and creative financial solutions. He credits the strong culture of teamwork at Country Bank as one of the biggest reasons for his long tenure with the organization.

Yurkunas has been promoted to assistant vice president, commercial lender. She has built her 19-year banking career at Country Bank, advancing through roles in loan servicing, credit analysis, portfolio management, and commercial lending. A graduate of Bay Path University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration & management, and Becker College with an associate degree in animal sciences, she has also completed the Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. New England School of Financial Studies program.

Yurkunas is recognized for her relationship-driven approach, strong analytical skills, and dedication to supporting businesses across all stages of growth. She is also actively engaged in community service, including volunteer work with Second Chance Animal Services, and was honored with Country Bank’s inaugural PFS Community Champion Award. Passionate about mentoring and teamwork, she embraces a collaborative philosophy that strengthens both her colleagues and the businesses she serves.

“We are excited to announce the well-deserved promotions of Jasmine, Sam, and Sarah,” said Miriam Siegel, chief Culture and Development officer at Country Bank. “Their hard work, dedication, and contributions have been instrumental to the bank’s success. We take great pride in supporting our team members’ commitment to continuous professional and personal growth, empowering them to explore the many rewarding career paths in community banking.”