Kevin Hicks & Kate Blackwell Named Monson Savings Bank President’s Award Recipients
Dan Moriarty, Monson Savings Bank President & CEO (far right), and Michael Rouette, Monson Savings Bank Executive Vice President & COO (far left), presented Vice President Kevin Hicks (center left) and Wilbraham Branch CSA Supervisor Kate Blackwell (center right), with their President’s Award certificates.
Monson – Monson Savings Bank, a bank that has proudly served the local communities for more than 150 years, has proudly announced its inaugural President’s Award recipients. This highly distinguished award has been bestowed upon Vice President Kevin Hicks and Wilbraham Branch CSA Supervisor Kate Blackwell.
The Monson Savings Bank President’s award is a newly established award that was developed by the Bank’s Employee Recognition Committee. The Committee is comprised of employees representing all areas of the Bank who are committed to furthering the recognition of the Monson Savings Bank team. The President’s Award is just one of the many ways employees are recognized and rewarded for their commitment to the values, mission, and overall success of the Bank.
The President’s Award is an opportunity to acknowledge those who consistently represent Monson Savings Bank’s mission and values through their commitment to customer service, the community, teamwork, and excellence. A candidate for the President’s Award displays a positive approach and willingness to help, shows respect for themselves and others, and demonstrates honesty and integrity, all while delivering service with warmth, friendliness, and individual pride to customers and colleagues.
“It is my honor to announce that Kevin Hicks and Kate Blackwell have been selected as recipients of the prestigious 2023 President’s Award. While it was difficult to choose among the many deserving nominees, Kevin and Kate clearly exemplify the qualities set forth as the President’s Award standards,” said Dan Moriarty, Monson Savings Bank President & CEO. “We all are incredibly proud of both of them and wish to congratulate them on their accomplishments as community leaders and role models.”
At Monson Savings Bank’s recent Annual Meeting, during a special ceremony, the two recipients were announced to Officers, Trustees, and Corporators of the Bank.
Kevin Hicks, Vice President, joined the Monson Savings family in February of 2015. He was very quickly acknowledged as an invaluable team player and a treasured member of the team.
He was nominated for the President’s Award by many peers throughout Monson Savings Bank. All of them provided glowing comments about his leadership qualities and overall positive approach to working with his team members. Kevin was defined as being “a workhorse” who “takes on anything you ask with a great attitude and determination to get it completed in a timely manner.” Furthermore, Kevin was described as an uplifting and supportive leader who is “very willing to teach them everything and anything he knows”. It was also shared that he “…always going above & beyond.”
Kate Blackwell became a part of the Monson Savings family in March of 2019 as a Customer Service Associate in the Monson Branch. She quickly displayed her dedication to her customers, colleagues, and the Bank. Blackwell has proudly served as the Wilbraham Branch CSA Supervisor since March of 2021.
Kate also received multiple nominations from her peers who shared positive comments about why they felt she was deserving of the President’s Award. One peer said, “Kate demonstrates empathy towards her customers and always strives to accommodate their needs. Her interactions with her team demonstrate that she is a leader and cares about the well-being of her staff.” Another peer shared, “Kate shows to me time and time again that she is willing to help with just about anything, even if it’s not within her role as a supervisor.” They continued, “…whether it is someone she is just meeting for the first time, or an existing customer who comes in on a regular basis, Kate Blackwell continues to show exceptional customer service.” In addition to many positive comments by her peers, Blackwell frequently receives positive praise by customers for the service and attention they receive when working with her.
The Monson Savings Bank President’s Award will continue each year, with employees being nominated by their peers, resulting in two final selected recipients. It surely will become one of the Bank’s many beloved traditions.
“To me, the Monson Savings President’s Award is exciting for three reasons: it recognizes the exceptional work of our team members, it displays the Monson Savings Bank team culture, and it showcases two prime examples of what our standards of excellence are amongst our team,” said Michael Rouette, Monson Savings Bank Executive Vice President & COO. “I would like to extend a sincere congratulations to Kevin and Kate for being the first ever Monson Savings President’s Award recipients. This is truly an honor that they should be extremely proud of.”
About Monson Savings Bank
Incorporated as a mutually chartered community bank in 1872, Monson Savings Bank has one of the longest tenure of service & stability in its market. Civic leaders chartered the bank with the intent to give working men & women the opportunity to save, which – incredibly, they could not do prior to the bank’s inception. Today, Monson Savings Bank retains its legacy of empowerment through savings, but has expanded to serve its customers with a variety of innovative financial services, including digital banking, online mortgage applications & business banking, & commercial lending. The bank has expanded on its promise of “where people save, businesses prosper, & communities benefit” by opening offices in Hampden, Wilbraham, Ware, & most recently East Longmeadow, Massachusetts. The bank also opened a retail & business loan operations center in Wilbraham in 2020. Member FDIC, Member DIF, Equal Housing Lender.