The Oakleaf

February is a time to come together in celebration of the contributions that Black Americans have made throughout American history and a time to pause and reflect on the ongoing struggle for equality and social justice. The theme of Black History Month this year is, The Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity. As we take into consideration all that Black History Month represents, I cannot help but think about how timely and appropriate this theme is given all that our country, and specifically our Black neighbors, endured in 2020. While the year has ended, the work for racial justice continues.

History is full of examples of leaders in business, science, and other fields who, through their ability to inspire and guide people, have made the world a better place.  We celebrate our nation’s highest elected office on Presidents’ Day, this year on February 15. With this upcoming celebration, especially in the midst of a challenging environment, we thought it a good opportunity to ask Tompkins Bank of Castile President and CEO John Mckenna for his thoughts on the subject.

Tap. Sign Up. Make a Difference - an easy request that benefited so many. In early fall, Tompkins donated $5 dollars to our local United Way chapters for every new user that signed up for our digital banking service. The donation directly benefitted the United Way’s COVID Relief Fund to help our communities during this trying time.

To celebrate November’s designation as National Gratitude Month, Tompkins Bank of Castile, Tompkins Insurance Agencies and Tompkins Financial Advisors are donating $7,500 to several food pantries in our footprint of Western New York, calling the initiative “Banksgiving,” in lieu of hosting our annual Customer Appreciation Apple Day. As with many of our usual traditions, we’ve made adjustments this year in an effort to keep our community safe and we hope that this captures the spirit of our long-held tradition, while also helping the communities we serve during these trying times. 

Our Perry office has a new Branch Manager! Sara Mattingly is new to our Perry office, but she is no stranger to the banking industry. She has been in banking for more than 17 years, most recently as the branch manager of the Tompkins Bank of Castile Arcade and Gainesville offices. She is replacing  John Wheeler, who recently retired.

Sara not only works in the communities she serves; she becomes involved. She is a library board trustee in the Town of Gainesville and is a member of the Silver Springs Auxiliary. She is also pursuing a degree at Genesee Community College. She resides in Silver Springs with her husband and two sons, and is looking forward to making a difference in the Perry area.

“Sara continues to make us proud as she contributes her efforts not only to our branch teams, but to our community at large,” said Diane Torcello, Senior Vice President, Community Banking. “We look forward to the great work she’ll do at our Perry Branch and the leadership she will bring to the team there.”

For more information, please visit our website at BankofCastile.com or give Sara a call at the Perry Branch!

As a community bank, we’re dedicated to supporting businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to providing loan programs, we can help businesses hold on to the resources they have through services that help prevent fraud.  This is especially important now, when companies are operating with reduced staff, many of whom are working remotely. It’s a time when businesses are especially vulnerable to fraud. In fact, industry experts predict there will be an “explosion” of business and consumer fraud in the coming years.

As your community bank, we continue to be here for you as we work hard to rebuild our communities, together. I wanted to take the time to give you a brief update about our plans for reopening our bank lobbies.

Financial decisions can feel complex and hard even under normal circumstances. If the current market volatility has you questioning what are the “right” actions you should take now, you are not alone. Here are five concrete ways for you to jumpstart your financial wellness in the wake of the novel coronavirus. 

• First contact your bank
• Next, go to the Federal Trade Commission’s website and complete the ID theft affidavit
• File a report with your local police
• Check your credit report.