PV Financial Announces Two Additions to Team

PV Financial Group recently welcomed two new members to its team — Antonio Bastos as retirement plan coordinator and Andrea Santos as digital marketing specialist. Both will be working in PV’s main office located in Ludlow.

Upon graduating from Nichols College in Dudley with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Bastos accepted a job with MassMutual Retirement Services. During his five years with the company, he represented and sold MassMutual’s qualified retirement plan platform to small and mid-sized businesses. Bastos also obtained his Series 6 and Series 63 licenses while gaining beneficial knowledge and experience with qualified retirement plans.

At PV Financial, Bastos’s role is to manage all the qualified retirement plan clients, from day-to-day servicing to fielding all inquiries from retirement plan participants and plan trustees. He will also maintain relationships with retirement-plan providers in the industry. Other responsibilities will include staying connected and up-to-date on new products, services, and ERISA compliance regulations so he can properly and confidently serve PV Financial’s retirement plan clients and participants.

“By having Tony join the team at PV Financial, we have committed to the qualified retirement plan marketplace,” said Edward Sokolowski, PV’s managing partner. “As many local financial firms have been exiting this business, Tony will be able to fill the void and offer professional guidance to companies looking for quality advice for their retirement plans.”

Santos graduated from Holyoke Community College with an associate’s degree in Business Administration, as well as from Elms College with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Marketing. Upon graduating from Elms, Santos accepted a job at Northwestern Mutual. During her four years with the company, she held the position of director of Client Services, where she was responsible for the oversight of new business insurance applications and investment accounts, as well as insurance underwriting correspondence. She also worked with clients directly on account inquiries and led the office’s marketing efforts.

At PV Financial, Santos will be the digital marketing specialist. She will be the first point of contact for new and current clients who are a part of PV Financial’s new program, PV Navigator. Other responsibilities include maintaining the program’s website and social media accounts, staying up to date with the services provided within the program, maintaining relationships with the program’s clients, and assisting the advisors with outreach.

“Having Andrea join our team is a major step in the future success of PV Financial,” said Sokolowski. “Andrea’s talents in social media and client relationships will be a cornerstone to our newly launched investment program, PV Navigator.  I look forward to the energy and focus Andrea will bring to our firm and the positive impact she will have on our clients.”

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Country Bank Appoints New VP of Marketing

Country Bank announced that Justin Roberts has joined the Marketing and Community Relations team as vice president of Marketing. Roberts’ experience in strategic marketing spans more than a decade in various industries. As a former small-business owner, he brings not just marketing savvy, but real-life experience.

“I am excited to join the Country Bank team,” Roberts said. “Having admired the brand for several years, I am looking forward to help activate the bank’s founding partnership of the Worcester Red Sox and promoting Country Bank’s presence throughout the region.”

In Roberts’ previous positions, he worked as the Development officer at American International College (AIC) in the office of Institutional Advancement, and also worked at MassLive, where he helped lead the Digital Marketing Strategy team to support local, regional, and national clients. His entrepreneurial spirit recently led him to open his own marketing and community-relations agency before joining the Country Bank team.

Roberts, who earned his bachelor’s degree and MBA in marketing from AIC, is the founder of Suit Up Springfield, a nonprofit organization that provides professional attire and mentorship to young men in Greater Springfield.

He also serves as vice president of the board for Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity. He has served on many nonprofits and community organizations, including Wonderfund of Massachusetts, the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield, the Rotary Club of Springfield, and Square One. He is a member of the New England Financial Marketing Assoc. and received the Game Changer award from the Center for Human Development.

“We are thrilled to welcome Justin to the Marketing and Community Relations team. His experience in marketing and digital strategies, combined with his extensive civic and community engagement, makes him a perfect fit for Country Bank,” said Miriam Siegel, first senior vice president of Human Resources. “We’re proud of Justin’s efforts within the communities we serve and look forward to his profound passion for community service while representing Country Bank. u

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Florence Bank Welcomes Experienced Lender

Florence Bank announced the appointment of Douglas Gilbert to the position of vice president of Commercial Lending. Gilbert comes to the bank with more than 27 years of banking experience.

His most recent role was at Country Bank, where he served as first vice president and team leader in the Commercial Lending department. His duties there included managing the Commercial Lending team and an extensive loan portfolio. His experience also includes serving as vice president and head of Commercial Lending at Easthampton Savings Bank and as assistant vice president in Commercial Lending at Westfield Bank.

“It is a great opportunity to be affiliated with Florence Bank, which has such an excellent reputation and does so much good in the community,” Gilbert said. “Everyone here has made me feel right at home from the beginning.”

Gilbert is a certified public accountant who earned an undergraduate degree from Westfield State University and an MBA from the University of Connecticut. He also serves on the board of the Quaboag Valley Business Assistance Corp.

Kevin Day, president and CEO of Florence Bank, added that “Doug is a great addition to the Florence Bank team. His significant lending experience coupled with his knowledge of the communities we serve will be a tremendous value to our business customers.”