Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | Book of Lists 2025 | Worcester Business Journal 21 Connecting with Mary T. Dean – Here to Help at Clinton Savings Bank Mary, please tell us about your history with CSB and how have your previous roles and experiences prepared you to become CEO? My banking career began in commercial lending in 1992 with a brief detour in 2000 working for a financial services soware company. While at the soware company, I gained a great deal of management experience working with teams across the globe. I joined CSB in 2009 as a commercial lender and cash management officer. e Bank's CIO subsequently retired in 2016 which allowed me to move into that role and become a member of the Bank's senior management team. As the CIO, I had the opportunity to lead the Bank's IT, Operations and Compliance teams, which was a great compliment to my previous years of working directly with customers. is breadth of experience across all areas of the Bank has prepared me - are you ever truly prepared? - for my new role as President/CEO. How do you differentiate CSB with the feeling as a community bank that still offers state-of-the-art products and services to compete with the national brands? I once worked for a boss who would begin a discussion with a potential new customer with the phrase "every bank's money is green". One could now add to that concept with "every bank has online banking, mobile banking, mobile deposit" - the list goes on. However, at CSB, our customers are greeted by name when they come into the branch or when they call us. We bump into our customers at the grocery store, in church, or at a high school soccer game. Our customers and folks in our community see us taking tickets at the entrance of the Bolton Fair, cheering everyone on at the Berlin Fishing Derby and handing out candy at the Town of Clinton's Halloween Walk. What is your vision for the bank over the next 3–5 years? Clinton Savings Bank will continue to grow, serving our customers and community as a beacon of strength and stability in the region and serving our employees as an employer of choice. e Bank will continue to provide state-of-the-art solutions, education and resources to help consumers and businesses thrive and to support them on their financial journeys. How do you plan to balance growth with maintaining our strong community ties? e Bank will continue to grow with the Community - not apart from it - by offering customized financial solutions that reflect the specific needs of local businesses, families, and not-for-profits. CSB will maintain a strong local presence by hiring staff members who understand the community and are personally invested in its success. What do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges facing CSB right now? Some challenges facing the industry as a whole currently are the ongoing economic uncertainty at the federal level, the housing challenges in MA and the tight labor market. However, we see opportunities in the positive economic trends of Worcester County, bolstered by the robust collaboration by municipalities, chambers of commerce, the business community and not-for-profit/ civic organizations to advance the priorities of the region. Could you speak about the way Clinton Savings Bank gives back to nonprofit and civic organizations and what that means to you? Giving back to the community is a priority for CSB. Making a positive impact and being a partner in ensuring the economic stability of the region and its residents is not only incumbent on the Bank but imperative to its success. Beyond the Bank's financial donations, it is a privilege for CSB employees to volunteer with not-for-profit and civic organizations that carry out missions that resonate with them. ose opportunities are oen mutually beneficial. e organization benefits from our employee's time and talent while at the same time the employee makes connections, expands their knowledge and develops new skills. MARY T. DEAN PRESIDENT & CEO 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

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