It was a festive scene at the Newtonville branch of The Village Bank on Thursday morning, November 30. Bank President Joe DeVito and his Executive team joined the local branch manager, Mark Loveless, and his staff to greet customers and offer muffins and pastries from Newtonville’s Great Harvest bakery, hot coffee, and informal conversation. Some attendees were attracted by the poster at the counter announcing the event, while others were there doing their regular banking business. Mr. DeVito and Senior Vice Presidents Susan Paley and Amy Werner welcomed customers and engaged in conversation about the bank and the many community activities it sponsors. In Newtonville, for instance, the Village Bank is a major sponsor of the annual Newtonville Area Council Village Day. In Village Bank branches, videos display the extensive local events sponsored by the bank and served by staff members.
In addition to branches in Wayland and Waltham, The Village Bank has seven Newton village branches: Newton Corner, Nonantum, Newton Centre, Newton Highlands, Waban, West Newton, and Auburndale. Thirty years ago, The Village Bank was formed by the merger of the Auburndale Cooperative Bank and the Newton South Cooperative Bank. Mr. DeVito’s father, Alphonse, was the President of the Newton South Cooperative Bank, and Kenneth Brennan, current Chairman of the Village Bank Board of Directors, was president of the Auburndale Cooperative Bank. In that role, Mr. Brennan instituted the Coffee with Ken model that inspired the current Java with Joe events.
Newtonville’s Java with Joe was the last of three coffee events this fall season. In April of 2024, The Village Bank will host the spring season with three morning coffee events at three different branches, followed by three fall events. Refreshments are generally locally sourced.
Both Mr. DeVito and Ms. Paley are Newton natives with longstanding ties to the community and its activities. Jacinto Carerra, a longtime Village Bank customer who spent time in deep conversation with Mr. DeVito, said he felt that the bank is committed to the idea that customers, however they feel when they come into the bank, feel better when they’ve done business with them. It might be said that it takes a village bank to serve a community.
