The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Vanotti named president of Torrington Savings Bank
TORRINGTON — Lesa Vanotti is the new President and CEO of Torrington Savings Bank, the 14th president in the Bank’s 152year history.
Vanotti was appointed president and COO effective January 2020, as part of a nine-month CEO transition plan to succeed of John E. Janco Sr., who has been President & CEO since 2015. Janco retired Sept. 30.
Vanotti joined Torrington Savings Bank as an Accounting Assistant in 1996. During her tenure she’s held the titles of Accounting Officer, Assistant Treasurer, Vice President & Controller and Treasurer & CFO. She is a graduate of Torrington High School and Post College and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Connecticut.
Vanotti states, “As John and I complete our transition and I take the helm, I am humbled by the 152-year legacy built by my predecessors. I am honored by the trust placed in me by the Board of Trustees and I look forward to continuing to build and execute our plan for the future. John has been a supportive colleague and mentor, and, while I will miss his day to day guidance, I wish him a welldeserved, long and healthy retirement. I know he will never truly be absent from the TSB or Torrington community landscape.” Janco stated, “Lesa is well prepared to be the 14th President & CEO of Torrington Savings Bank. She has a thorough understanding of our business strategies. I look forward to Lesa leading our organization through the ever-changing banking environment.”
Edwin G. Booth, Jr., Chairman of the Board of Trustees, added, “The Board looks forward to working with Lesa to write the next chapter of our history. She is ready for the task, and we are confident she will have much success. The Board of Trustees and Corporators thank John for
his 47 years of dedicated service to the bank. We all respect his character and work ethic and applaud his community service. We wish him all the best in the coming years.”
Vanotti is a Torrington native who is active in the community. She currently serves as a Trustee of the Torrington Library, is the Chair of the Board of Directors at Community Health & Wellness Center of Greater Torrington, and is a corporator of the Torrington Historical Society and Maria Seymour Brooker Memorial. She has served as a member of the St. Peter’s School Board & Finance Committe, Asst. Treasurer of the United Way Board of Directors and, Secretary & Treasurer of the Women & Girls Fund of Northwest Community Foundation. Lesa is a member of the Institute of Management Accountants and the Financial Manager’s Society and is an instructor for the Connecticut Bankers Association School of Finance & Mangement.
She currently resides in Torrington with her husband, Tom. They have two grown children, Justin and Morgan.
Salisbury Bank joins American Bankes Association
LAKEVILLE — Salisbury Bank recently joined the American Bankers Association and banks across the nation in launching a first-of-its-kind, industry-wide campaign to educate consumers about the persistent threat of phishing scams, according to a statement. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that consumers lost $1.48 billion to phishing schemes in 2018 and the ongoing pandemic has only increased the threat. To combat phishing, the #BanksNeverAskThat campaign uses attentiongrabbing humor and other engaging content to empower consumers to identify bogus bank communications asking for sensitive information like their passwords and Social Security numbers, according to the statement.
“We are happy to join efforts with our colleagues at ABA and participate in this campaign,” said Rick Cantele, President and Chief Executive Officer at Salisbury Bank and Trust Company. “As we see an increase in the number of consumers who fall victim to imposter calls, emails and messages, it is extremely important for them to recognize the red flags associated with phishing scams and protect their personal information.”
“This campaign is an unprecedented effort by the banking industry to address a growing threat to our customers,” said Rob Nichols, ABA president and CEO. “Thanks to participating banks like Salisbury Bank, we’re turning the tables on the bad guys by giving consumers the tools they need to spot illegitimate bank communications.”
Salisbury Bank and ABA, along with banks across the country, are simultaneously launching the campaign on Oct. 1 to mark the beginning of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Throughout the month, Salisbury Bank will share eyecatching and engaging short videos, animated GIFs and consumer tips on social media and in Bank branches designed to highlight common phishing schemes, according to the statement. Because cybersecurity education and fraud awareness can often be dull and forgettable to many consumers, the campaign is designed to be bright and bold with a bit of comedy, according to the statement.
“Do you prefer boxers or briefs? Do you believe in aliens?!,” one of the campaign’s animated GIFs asks social media users. Banks would never ask you these questions. Here’s another question a real bank would never ask: “We’ve spotted some unusual activity on your account; can you please verify your username and password?”
The campaign’s short videos offer similarly ridiculous questions that banks would never ask and direct consumers to BanksNeverAskThat.com for more information. At that website, consumers will find the #BanksNeverAskThat quiz, videos, phishing red flags, tips and FAQs.
For more information about phishing scams and how to stop fraudsters in their tracks, visit www.BanksNeverAskThat.com
SBA names new District Director
HARTFORD — The U.S. Small Business Administration is pleased to announce that Catherine Marx has been named the new District Director for the SBA’s Connecticut District Office.
“It is truly an exciting time to join SBA; our small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and need our support now, more than ever before,” Marx said.
Mark S. Hayward, Connecticut’s Interim District Director and Rhode Island’s District Director stated, “It has been an honor to serve the people of Connecticut. With Catherine, we have selected a new vibrant and aggressive leader who will promote and advocate for the interests of small businesses within the government.”
Marx comes to the SBA from the U.S. Census Bureau, where she recently served Connecticut as a Partnership Specialist, working with business associations, community organizations and state/local governments to develop and implement strategies to encourage participation in the 2020 Census.
Prior to her role, with the U.S. Census Bureau Catherine served in various public positions, including district director in Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell’s administration and decades of service at the municipal level as an elected official and public servant. Additionally, Catherine has owned her own small business and worked in corporate finance in the financial services industry.
“Catherine’s extensive experience in the public sector at the local, state and federal level make her a perfect leader to carry out the SBA mission during this critical time,” SBA Region 1 Administrator Wendell Davis stated. “With her commitment to community and wide-ranging network of contacts, I expect Catherine to have an immediate impact on our outreach efforts in Connecticut.”
The Connecticut District Office is located at 280 Trumbull St., Hartford, Connecticut, with a satellite office in the Brien McMahon Federal Building, Bridgeport. For more information visit: https://www.sba.gov/ct.
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov
Reusable bag program benefits CHH Pink Rose Fund
TORRINGTON — Charlotte Hungerford Hospital’s Pink Rose Program has been selected to
benefit from the proceeds of Torrington’s Big Y community bag program during Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, according to a statement. This initiative raises and donates money from the sale of reusable grocery bags with the goal to make a difference in the communities where shoppers live and work.
The hospital’s Pink Rose Program will receive a $1 donation for every reusable $2.50 Community Bag purchased at the Big Y located at 504 Winsted Road in Torrington during the month of October unless otherwise directed by the customer through the giving tag attached to the bag.
“We wish to thank our friends at Big Y for their commitment to fighting breast cancer in their community and for contributing to ways to help preserve the planet from excess waste.” said Tim LeBouthillier, Director of Community Development at CHH. More than 1 million plastic bags are not used as a result of supermarkets’ participation in the program.
The Pink Rose Program is supported by Charlotte Hungerford Hospital and local fundraising events. It was established at CHH in 1998 to provide free mammograms and other diagnostic services to women in our region who are uninsured or underinsured. The CHH Pink Rose Fund supports educational outreach and screenings to assure that the women of northwest Connecticut have comprehensive, coordinated access to breast cancer and other health services, programs and treatments. Early detection through mammography has been found to be the safest and most effective way of finding breast cancer in its earliest and most treatable stages. For more information about the Breast Cancer Early Detection Program, call 860-4966819.