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B U S I N E S S P RO F I L E S 34 B U S I N E S S P R O F I L E S S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N T h e C o l o n i a l T h e a t e r i n A u g u s t a is a vener- able institution built in 1913. Featuring Georgian Revival details with hints of Art Deco, it was for decades a lively center of entertainment. By the 1960s, the advent of multiplex cinema was putting grand old theaters out of business. e Colonial fell into disrepair as roof leaks allowed water and birds into the building, causing significant damage. In the 1990s, the community came together to save this gor- geous structure, in honor of its place both as an important part of Augusta's past and of the nation's early film industry. e nonprofit Colonial eater Inc. (later renamed Augusta Colonial eater, Inc.) succeeded in having it placed on the National Register of Historic Places and Maine Preservation's list of Most Endangered Historic Resources, and then commissioned a structural assess- ment and major structural repairs. Kennebec Savings Bank became involved in this effort early on. Bank President & CEO Andrew Silsby joined the nonprofit's board and initiated the bank's donation of $100,000 to fix the floor. "We found that donors were having a difficult time seeing the building's potential because there was a crater in the floor," Silsby says. "Now the floor and the roof are fixed. e building is still in rough shape, but donors are coming in. ey're now able to picture the building's potential." Kennebec Savings Bank's role in e Colonial eater project is just one example of the bank's commitment to community. Community giving, in both dollars and volunteer hours, is central to the bank's culture. "Because of our role in the community, people often want us involved in their campaigns early on," Silsby explains. "And people tell me often that our involvement is an endorsement of sorts: Our presence helps to bring in other donors. People know us as one of the early stops in their campaigns. at's our quiet leadership role in the community." Key community members Community banks such as Kennebec Savings Bank are key to the economic and social vitality of small businesses and local communities. Community banks play an essential role in ensuring local socio-economic vitality across the nation. According to a recent Federal Reserve survey, small businesses that borrow from com- munity banks tend to be more satisfied than when they borrow from megabanks or online lenders. Kennebec Saving Bank takes its role in this lively banking sector seriously, offering unrivaled customer service and unpar- alleled impact on the communities it serves. Involvement in the community is a central mission at Kennebec Savings Bank. As a mutually held savings bank, and as individual volunteers, Kennebec Savings Bank's leadership and employees take pride in giving back in meaningful ways to the neighbor- hoods in which they work and raise their families. Annually, the Bank gives 10% of its income back to the com- munity. In 2018, through the Bank's Community Dividends pro- gram, more than $810,000 was donated to over 300 nonprofits across 35 communities; employees put in over 9,000 volunteer hours. For 2019, the Bank is committed to donating $1 million. In 2018, the Independent Community Bankers of America recognized Kennebec Savings Bank as 1 of 3 banks to receive a National Community Service Award for its efforts to effect change. at same year, Forbes recognized Kennebec Savings Bank as the Best Bank in State. In states like Maine, which has many rural towns, local communities would not be the same without their local bank. Community banks support little leagues, civic organizations, local libraries, and more. Origins Kennebec Savings Bank is a state-chartered community bank, part of a mutual organization, with a team of 140 employees. e Bank was incorporated in 1870, in the midst of Augusta's great boom as a center for textile and paper manufacturing. Augusta's downtown was a hub of activity; Water Street was lined with clothing stores, hotels, pharmacies, and horse stables. In fact, one of Kennebec Savings Bank's early locations was in an old opera house of the time. Kennebec Savings Bank was incorporated by an Act signed into law by Governor Joshua L. Chamberlain. In his address to the to the Maine Legislature, Governor Chamberlain spoke to the need to provide a savings outlet for Augusta citizens. "e moment he has money in the bank, the humblest feels a bracing up of his self-respect and whole moral force," Chamberlain said. "From that moment springs an incentive to industry, frugal- ity, temperance, enterprise; to all, in fact, which constitutes good citizenship, and advances the character and condition of men." Kennebec Savings Bank P H O T O B Y T O D D W E N T W O R T H A Culture of Community Giving President & CEO Andrew Silsby presents Southern Kennebec Child Development Corporation with a $30,000 Catalyst Grant in 2018. Kennebec Savings Bank 150 State St., Augusta, ME Banking Andrew Silsby, President & CEO Founded: 1870 Number of Maine employees: 140 kennebecsavings.bank " I care deeply about this community. We're focused on our own backyards and our own communities. As community bankers, we work and live here. " — Andrew Silsby, Kennebec Savings Bank President & CEO

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