Page 22 - BusinessWest January 20, 2021

their time on various fields together — they were both three-sport stars — and made frequent use of sports terms and phrases.
Indeed, when talking about the transition in leadership at the top and work to make it seamless, Moriarty said he will try to act as a good referee would — “you don’t know he’s on the field during the game.” And the two of them made early and very frequent ref- erences to the importance of teamwork at this (and any) institution.
Meanwhile, when it comes to the pandemic and this transition in lead- ership, both said there is no playbook for a such a challenging passing of the
baton, so they will essentially write their own.
“As far as meeting with customers and being out in the community more, Mike and I haven’t had the opportunity to really do that, for safety reasons,” Moriarty said. “And that makes things more difficult, but we’re adjusting and preparing for that day when this is over.”
As for that article, both men say it conveys more than coincidence that two high-school soccer teammates, now in their 50s, are leading the bank headquartered in the town where they grew up. Much more. They say
it conveys other ‘C’ words, including
commitment to the community and continuity.
“That article reminds me of who
we are and where we’re from, and not to ever forget that,” Rouette said. “But it also speaks to how we’ve grown as individuals, as friends, as co-workers, as partners, and as leaders. That article symbolizes how our lives have changed but really haven’t changed, and how success can be built on people who have the same vision, the same mind- set, and the same family values.”
Moriarty concurred. “We’ve known each other for so long, but the values are the same, even though we’re a long way from the soccer field. “We’re driv-
en, we’re motivated, but we’re humble enough to know that teamwork gets you further than individual perfor- mance; we try to bring that culture to the bank and to our employees, and we try to lead by example. But we also understand that each individual in the bank is a contributor, and we want them to be part of the team and the success of the bank. We did that before we became leaders of the bank, and we’re just going to continue that and build on that culture of teamwork.”
The two take on their new roles at an intriguing time for the bank — and all banks. The pandemic has created both challenges and opportunities — certainly more of the former than the latter, and made some aspects of being a bank leader more difficult. Mean-
“We’re driven, we’re motivated, but we’re humble enough to know that teamwork gets you further than individual performance.”
while, there is immense competition in a region described by most in the industry as ‘overbanked.’
Both Moriarity and Rouette said that Monson Savings, now with more than $508 million in assets, has been on a steady growth trajectory and they are committed to moving the bank toward further expansion, geographi- cally and otherwise.
They’re on the Ball
As noted earlier, Moriarty and Rou- ette were both three-sport athletes. While most noted for their exploits on their soccer field — both would go to play in college; Moriarty at Providence College and Rouette at Old Dominion — they were also teammates in base- ball and basketball.
And as they recalled those days, they often leaned on some self-depre- cating humor to make their points.
Indeed, when discussing their time as starting guards (and captains) on the hardwood, they made it clear they were not exactly go-to options when the Mustangs were looking for points.
“I was the point guard, and I couldn’t shoot,” said Moriarty, as he looked at Rouette, who nodded ener- getically, but said his front-court mate was ultimately the better alternative.
“I was pretty fast ... I could steal the ball, but I could only dribble left-hand- ed,” Rouette recalled. “I would have a breakaway, and our coach, Bill Devine, would essentially tell me to stop, hand
Monson
Continued on page 24
Richard F. Burkhart, CPA and Salvatore J. Pizzanelli, CPA, JD, PFS
The talented team at Burkhart Pizzanelli
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413.734.9040.
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and financial services. Feel free to call on us at Consulting
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