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8 n e w h a v e n B I Z | M a y 2 0 2 3 | n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m C o r n e r O f f i c e PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED By Michelle Tuccitto Sullo M aggie Walker in 1903 earned the distinction of being the first Black woman to establish and serve as president of a bank — the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank in Virginia. Women have been breaking glass ceilings in banking for many years, and now long- time banker Mary E. Noons is achieving her own historic milestone. Noons took over April 26 as president and chief op- erating officer of Washington Trust Bancorp Inc. and its subsidiary, e Washington Trust Co. Noons is the first woman to serve as president in the bank's nearly 223-year history, officials said. She re- ports to CEO and Chairman Edward O. "Ned" Handy III. "It is a real honor to be the first woman," Noons said. "ere are so many talented women who work here and who have worked here in the past. So, for me to be selected, it is pretty humbling. I am excited and dedicated to making an impact." e Rhode Island-based bank, which was originally founded in 1800, has a growing New Haven pres- ence. Its commercial lending office at 265 Church St., Suite 1010, opened in 2022, adjacent to its established Washington Trust Wealth Management office in Suite 1006. It also has a residential mortgage lending office in Glastonbury. In addition to Rhode Island and Connecticut, Wash- ington Trust also has offices in Massachusetts. Noons replaced Mark K.W. Gim, who recently retired. She has had several leadership roles with the company, most recently serving as senior executive vice president, retail lending. e Rhode Island resident has about three decades of experience in professional mortgage and consumer origination, operations and leadership develop- ment. During her tenure at Washington Trust, she has assisted with the expansion of its mortgage operations from Rhode Island into greater New England. Handy, the CEO, said Noons has made her mark by contributing to the bank's growth, profitability and success. "She did this through operational prowess — finding new and better ways to improve the cus- tomer experience — always keeping the customer at the forefront and mindful that each consumer has a unique story that deserves to be heard," Handy said. "I'm confident these talents will lead us into a new chapter of excellence for both our customers and employees." More women leaders In the first quarter of 2023, publicly-traded Washington Trust reported $12.8 million in profits, or 74 cents per diluted share, down about 22% from $16.5 million in profits, or 95 cents per share, in the year-ago period. e $6.9 billion asset bank reported $81.7 million in Connecticut deposits as of June 30, 2022, accord- ing to Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. data. e bank reported 651 full-time employees as of Dec. 31, 2022. As president and COO, Noons will oversee a significant portion of the bank's activity, including branches, retail lending, marketing and wealth management. Noons said she was interested in banking very early in her career. While she majored in political science, her first job out of college was as a credit analyst. She thought it would be interesting to try banking, and she got a job in lending, including originating home equity lines. ree decades ago, when she started her bank- ing career, there were no female bosses where she worked, she recalls. Today, she says women are faring better and thriving in the industry. Connecticut has at least a half-dozen women leading in-state headquartered banks, such as Diane Arnold at Essex Savings Bank; Maureen Frank at New Haven Bank; Susan Shields at Milford Bank; Cynthia Merkle at Union Savings Bank; Lesa Vanotti at Torrington Savings Bank; and Lisa Griffin at Eastern Connecticut Savings Bank. "Over the years, as I have gone to different con- ferences and meetings, I have seen more and more women in positions of leadership," Noons said. At Washington Trust, more than 62% of employ- ees are women, and many of them are leaders of divisions, Noons said. "at is so nice to see," Noons said. "Because in New Washington Trust President Noons makes history as first woman in role Mary E. Noons President & Chief Operating Officer Washington Trust Bancorp Inc. The Washington Trust Co Education: B.A., Political Science, University of Rhode Island Age: 61 Mary E. Noons took over in April as Washington Trust's new president and chief operating officer.

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