Cornerstone Bank, a community bank with 12 locations throughout Central Massachusetts, is proud to announce its renewed sponsorship of the Worcester State University Bridge to Excellence: Summer STEM Retention Program. The Bank is providing $11,500 per year over the next three years for a total of $34,500 by 2024 to help the program’s incoming science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) majors. The goals of the program are to strengthen the school’s retention in these important fields and help more students complete their degree. This is the second three-year sponsorship pledge Cornerstone Bank has made in support of this program

“We had the opportunity back in 2018 to sponsor the pilot program, which was a great success,” said Cornerstone Bank President and WSU Alumni Association and Foundation Board Member Randy Webber. “We are happy to extend our commitment to give students some much-needed support toward obtaining their degrees in vital STEM fields. The transition to the first year of college is a big one, and the extra support students receive through this program helps ensure they can be successful.”

The First-Year Summer STEM Bridge Program will expand in size and scope during this second phase of the pilot. "Worcester State University is thrilled to continue this important partnership with Cornerstone Bank to build on the success of the Bridge to Excellence: Summer STEM Retention Program,” said Vice President of University Advancement Thomas McNamara. “We know that our students will benefit from a strong STEM education as many of them become leaders in our shared Central Massachusetts community. Under the leadership of WSU Alumnus Randy Webber, Cornerstone Bank is helping to advance academic excellence and ensure a bright economic future in our region."

This program is a unique opportunity to participate in a three-credit research course experience utilizing the Tiny Earth Initiative which is a partnership of 150 universities and schools globally, in essence to crowdsource antibiotic discovery. The curriculum centers on introducing students in introductory biology courses to a discovery-based laboratory series in which students will perform hands-on field work. While based in a biological system, this work is truly interdisciplinary and incorporates concepts and skills from all STEM disciplines. “During our initial sponsorship, our contribution helped Worcester State support 60 students,” continued Webber. “We are excited to see this program grow, helping more students pursue their passions in fields that are increasingly in demand.”

Kwasi Acheampong and Liz Panagiotou's appointments were announced at the annual meeting.

Cornerstone Bank, a community bank with 12 locations throughout Central Massachusetts, has announced the appointment of two new corporators, Kwasi Acheampong and Liz Panagiotou. Corporators have a unique position in mutual savings banking, with their chief responsibility being electing the individuals who will serve as members of the board of trustees.

“Corporators have a really important role in helping to find and appoint the best possible candidates to our board,” said Cornerstone Bank CEO Todd Tallman. “Kwasi will bring a great perspective from his work in the nonprofit sector and Liz for her decades of experience in insurance. We warmly welcome them to the team.”

Acheampong currently serves as the president and executive director of Our Bright Future, Inc., which provides educational and empowering after-school programs for children in underserved communities. He also serves on the board of The Last Green Valley and Opening the Word Peer Recovery Center.

Panagiotou is the president and owner of Employee Benefit Advisors, Inc., which provides employees benefit planning, product sales and service to clients across New England. She has almost 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, including roles in management and as an independent agent.

Celebrating the success of long-standing employees.

Cornerstone Bank, a community bank with 12 locations throughout Central Massachusetts, has recently promoted five of their senior vice presidents to executive vice president positions. These new appointments are across multiple departments and highlight Cornerstone Bank’s commitment to recognizing and growing the skills of their employees.

“These five employees have shown they have great leadership skills at the senior vice president level, proving they are ready to take on more responsibilities within the institution,” said Todd Tallman, CEO of Cornerstone Bank. “They give their best every day to our customers and staff, and are excited to take on expanded roles. Congratulations to them all.”

The following employees are being recognized for their recent promotions:

• Altaf Ahmed is now Executive Vice President, Retail Banking
• Scott Auen is now Executive Vice President, Retail Lending
• Thomas Dufresne is now Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer
• Brian Loveless is now Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
• Maria Salvatore is now Executive Vice President, Chief Culture Officer

To learn more about Cornerstone Bank and open positions within the institution, please visit cornerstonebank.com/careers.

In this Mortgage Note article, mortgage and real estate specialists —including our own Scott Auen, Senior Vice President of Retail Lending—speculated on whether 2022 will be a year of growth or the start of the end for a red-hot housing market that has favored sellers and forced up the price of housing in many parts of the country.

Gift will assist the launch of a nutrition-focused food pharmacy at UMass Memorial Medical Center

Cornerstone Bank, a community bank with 12 locations throughout Central Massachusetts, has donated $15,000 to UMass Memorial Health to help launch a nutrition-focused food pharmacy at UMass Memorial Medical Center. The aim of the on-campus food pharmacy will be to provide patients at higher risk of food insecurity with access to healthy food options that align with the diet recommendations of their physicians.

“Food insecurity is an issue that affects many people in our community,” said Todd Tallman, CEO at Cornerstone Bank. “This innovative idea will allow UMass Memorial Health to provide more well-rounded care to their patients. We are proud to donate the funding that will help start a food pharmacy to give healthy, balanced meals to those who desperately need it.”

Patients who are found to be at risk of food insecurity will be given a “prescription” for the food pharmacy. They will then meet with a registered dietician who will review their prescription and provide nutritional counseling. Once counseling is complete, patients will be provided foods that meet their unique dietary needs.

“With the generous support of Cornerstone Bank, UMass Memorial Health will soon launch a Food Pharmacy on our campus to provide nutrition-focused food for our vulnerable patients,” said Dr. Jonathan Gerber, medical director of the UMass Memorial Health Cancer Center. “In this holistic approach to care, our first focus is our cancer patients. The Food Pharmacy will provide access to healthy food options that align with diet recommendations provided by their medical team.”

UMass Memorial Health has worked with community partners, such as the Worcester County Food Bank, to secure access to healthy food. All money donated will be used to help low- to moderate-income people or families. The health care organization is also planning on partnering with a community-based organization, About Fresh, which runs a program called Fresh Connect that allows health care providers to load pre-paid debit cards for patients experiencing food insecurity. These cards can be used at most grocery stores and do not allow for the purchase of non-food or unhealthy items.

Money will be used to purchase a van for summer camp and after-school programs

Cornerstone Bank has donated $25,000 to Our Bright Future, Inc. This donation will be used to purchase a van to help children and teens get to and from the organization’s summer camp and after-school programs.

“We are honored to continue to support Our Bright Future in their goal of providing enriching extracurricular activities to our community’s youth,” said Todd Tallman, CEO of Cornerstone Bank. “We hope their new van expands the availability of their services, as transportation is a huge hurdle for many families.”

Our Bright Future was started in 2016 and provides educational and enriching after-school and summer programs to low-income youth from elementary to high school in Worcester County. Their programs currently serve about 170 children each year, and with the onset of the pandemic, they added food pantries in Webster and Southbridge to assist families. The after-school program offers homework help, STEM activities like 3D printing and robotics, arts and crafts, sports, and life skills, including financial literacy.

“When we found out Our Bright Future was looking for funding for a van, we were already very familiar with them as some of our staff volunteer their time every month to teach students about finances,” continued Tallman. “We hope our donation allows them to continue to expand their services to more children.”

Students in Central Massachusetts can apply now.

Cornerstone Bank, a community bank with 12 locations throughout Central Massachusetts, will be awarding fifteen $2,500 scholarships to students in the area it serves. Cornerstone Bank is hoping to help local 2022 high school graduates pursue higher education and foster advancement in the fields of business and finance. The scholarships will be awarded to students who best demonstrate achievement in academics, extracurricular activities and community involvement.

“Every year we look forward to reading the applications submitted by the seniors in our community,” said CEO Todd Tallman. “Each one of them is so inspiring and we are humbled to be a part of helping them achieve their goals. We hope these scholarships help alleviate some of the financial burden involved with a college education and allow these future business and finance leaders get a start toward their careers.”

To apply for a scholarship, the student must:

• Be a 2022 high school graduate
• Reside within 25 miles of a Cornerstone Bank branch or office
• Anticipate being a full-time student at an accredited, degree-granting institution of higher education
• Anticipate studying in a business or financial field
• Demonstrate achievement and high standards in academics, extracurricular activities and community involvement
• Submit an official transcript and GPA from their guidance office

In addition, the student must choose one of the following prompts and submit a one-page typed essay:

1. Are there any challenges you have had to overcome in your high school career?
   OR
2. What are your goals for the future, and how will this scholarship assist you in meeting them?

Applications must be submitted to Cornerstone Bank by Friday, April 8, 2022. Please apply though the online submission form. Selected recipients will be announced by the week of May 23, 2022. Scholarship funds will be disbursed to the student after successful completion of the first semester, and upon presentation of an official copy of the first semester transcript and second semester bill. For more information, and to complete the online application form, please visit cornerstonebank.com/scholarships.

Al Ahmed, senior vice president of retail, was featured in this Worcester Business Journal article talking about the future of paper currency.

Read the article here.

March 9 event will inform business owners of grant opportunities.

Cornerstone Bank is co-hosting an informative question and answer event with the Charlton Economic Development Commission and the Town Administrator to promote active business grant opportunities in the town. The event will be held on March 9, 2022, from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm at Cornerstone’s Charlton Branch at 2 Center Depot Road. The Town of Charlton is offering COVID-19 relief grants up to $20,000 for current businesses and nonprofits in the town or those looking to move to Charlton. This current grant cycle deadline is March 31, 2022.

Guest speakers at the Charlton Business Grant Q&A will include Andrew M. Golas, Charlton Town Administrator, and Josh Saper, Chairperson, Charlton Economic Development Commission. They will explain the grant application process, answer questions and provide updates on economic development advances and opportunities in Charlton.

“As a community bank, we have a commitment to the people and businesses in our neighborhood,” said Todd Tallman, CEO of Cornerstone Bank. “These grants will provide an important boost to businesses in Charlton We hope this Q&A will help people access resources to help their business succeed.” The event also offers a great chance for local business owners to network; light refreshments will be served. To learn more or register, call Sabrina Webb at 800-939-9103, ext. 71300, by March 4, 2022.