Jim McKenna

With the holidays upon us, it’s time to reflect on the past year and all we have to be grateful for. This holiday season, I feel very fortunate to be part of the North Shore Bank team that has laid our path to success.

Our path to becoming a strong, well-managed bank amid these turbulent economic times was not built by chance. Our path was built by a long-term conservative approach to maintaining our bank’s capital strength, by timely strategic decisions, and by the great skill and hard work of North Shore Bank’s employees. We are so fortunate to be where we are today.

Others in the banking industry are less fortunate. We have learned from well-confirmed sources within regulatory agencies that the FDIC held off on closing banks until after the election. With the election now behind us, we anticipate that the pace of bank closures will accelerate.

If what we’ve heard is true, in the coming months we can expect to hear more stories of banks shutting their doors and people losing their jobs. The news will be difficult to hear, and our hearts will go out to those community members affected by the closures.

During this time, I cannot reiterate enough that North Shore Bank is safe and sound. While we have taken a bumpy path in navigating the recession, we are working at a financially strong, secure and stable company focused on improvement and growth. We are surrounded by hardworking, talented colleagues with a lot of heart and character. We have an exceptional team at North Shore Bank.

Indeed, we have a lot to be grateful for this holiday season. Thank you for all you do to make North Shore Bank the thriving financial enterprise it is today. Each and every one of you has played an important role in laying our path to success.

With great appreciation, I wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season and a healthy, bright New Year.