Tompkins Financial

Press release:

Tompkins Insurance Agencies has recently been named the number 1 insurance agency to work for in the Eastern region by Insurance Journal’s 2018 Best Agencies to Work For.

This award highlights the importance of competitive salaries, employee benefits, training and education, resources, and other employee perks as drivers of satisfaction in the workplace.

“Tompkins is a great place to work and that’s because of our people,” said David Boyce, president and CEO of Tompkins Insurance Agencies. “Our employees stay with us for many years and we even have multigenerational family members on our team. This speaks volumes about our company and our culture.”

The award is based on employees’ responses to Insurance Journal’s Best Agency to Work For survey. Tompkins employees made it abundantly clear that Tompkins’ commitment to serving its community has not gone unnoticed.

Tompkins offers 24/7 customer service, participates in numerous charitable initiatives in the community and serves its employees by creating a family-like work environment.

Tompkins Insurance Agencies operates 17 offices in Western New York. It is an independent insurance agency offering personal and business insurance and employee benefits services through more than 50 of the nation’s leading insurance carriers. Further information is available at www.tompkinsins.com.

Press release:

Tompkins Financial Corporation recently hosted a recognition luncheon to honor the significant career milestones reached by several of its employees across Tompkins Bank of Castile, Tompkins Insurance Agencies, and Tompkins Financial Advisors.

For 11 employees, 2017 marked milestones of 20 years or more working at Tompkins, including two who celebrated their 40-year anniversary with the company. 

40-Year Milestones

Frank Vitagliano, a senior vice president at Tompkins Insurance Agencies, began his insurance career in 1977 when he joined his family-owned insurance business. He operated the business for 18 years before combining it with Austin, Hardie, Wise. In 2001, the business became part of Tompkins Financial and a newly-formed entity: Tompkins Insurance Agencies. Vitagliano was an original board member of Tompkins Insurance Agencies, until his retirement in 2017. Among other roles, Vitagliano served as the chief operating officer of Tompkins Insurance Agencies for several years. During his career, he has been very active on numerous civic organizations, including serving as the vice president of the Wyoming County Community Health System Board of Managers and as a councilman for the Town of Castile. Vitagliano resides in Silver Lake and winters in Ft. Myers Beach, Fla.

Cathy LaDuca is an account manager for the Core Business Unit of Tompkins Insurance Agencies and began her career working in the Alden office as a personal lines and small commercial account manager. She worked in Alden for 25 years before transferring to the Attica branch. After two years in Attica, she moved to the Tompkins Insurance Agencies headquarters in Batavia and became the commercial lines marketing specialist. LaDuca resides in Alden.   

30-Year Milestones

Anthony Gugino is executive vice president and senior wealth advisor for Tompkins Financial Advisors, where he works with clients to identify financial strategies that address their specific needs. Gugino joined AM&M Financial Services in 1987 and became a shareholder of the firm, which was acquired by Tompkins Financial Corporation in January 2006. Gugino is committed to community service and helps fund a scholarship at St. John Fisher’s College. Gugino resides in Pittsford.

Janice Donovan is a wealth management assistant for Tompkins Financial Advisors. Her responsibilities include account administration, performance report preparation, client service, and providing support to wealth advisors.

As a Registered Paraplanner (RP®) and Accredited Asset Management Specialist (AAMS®), Donovan is certified by the College for Financial Planning. She resides in Brighton.

25-Year Milestones

Don Herman is the chief financial officer and treasurer for Tompkins Insurance Agencies and works in the Batavia office. Herman started his career in the field of public accounting, and in 1992 joined the Austin, Hardie, Wise agency in Attica as a controller. The firm was later acquired by Tompkins in 2001. He resides in Attica.

Lee Landowski-Rice is a commercial credit services associate for Tompkins Bank of Castile. Landowski-Rice’s current role at the bank includes working with customers, branch managers and staff on a daily basis. She started out as a teller in the Perry branch and has worked in collections, consumer direct and indirect lending. Landowski-Rice resides in Perry.

20-Year Milestones 

Additionally, four employees celebrated 20^th anniversaries with the company in 2017: 

• Lisa Townes, BSA/AML and security officer at Tompkins Bank of Castile;
• Donna Hummel, commercial insurance account manager at Tompkins Insurance Agencies;
• Joan Johnston, assistant branch manager, Tompkins Bank of Castile in Avon;
• Anna Rumfola, senior teller, Tompkins Bank of Castile in Avon.

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About Tompkins Financial Corporation

Tompkins Financial Corporation is a financial services company serving the Central, Western, and Hudson Valley regions of New York and the Southeastern region of Pennsylvania. Tompkins Financial operates in Western New York as Tompkins Bank of Castile, Tompkins Insurance Agencies, and Tompkins Financial Advisors. Further information is available at www.tompkinsfinancial.com. 

Tompkins Bank of Castile is a community bank with 16 offices in the five-county Western New York region. Services include complete lines of consumer deposit accounts and loans, business accounts and loans, and leasing. Further information about the bank is available on its website, www.bankofcastile.com.

Tompkins Insurance Agencies operates 17 offices in Western New York. It is an independent insurance agency offering personal and business insurance and employee benefits services through more than 50 of the nation’s leading insurance carriers. Further information is available at www.tompkinsins.com.

Tompkins Financial Advisors is the wealth management firm of Tompkins Financial Corporation. With more than a century of experience in helping clients to build, protect, and preserve wealth, Tompkins Financial Advisors provides financial planning, investment management, trust services and estate administration. For more information, visit www.tompkinsfinancialadvisors.com.

Tompkins Financial Corporation has named Abby Peterson as Marketing Communications Manager.

Peterson will be responsible for overseeing the marketing communications efforts for Tompkins Financial’s four community banks: Tompkins Bank of Castile in Western NY, Tompkins Trust Company in Central NY, Tompkins Mahopac Bank in the Hudson Valley, and Tompkins VIST Bank in Southeastern Pennsylvania. She will be based in the company’s Ithaca headquarters.

“Abby's experience in the marketing industry, her time with Tompkins Financial and her deep commitment to our communities and customers will allow her to excel in this roll," said Susan Valenti, EVP, Marketing, Sales and Service. "I look forward to her continued contribution to our organization."

Prior to joining Tompkins as a Marketing Communications Business Partner in 2016, Peterson served as a marketing and public relations specialist at Hagan Associates in Vermont, where she planned and managed marketing and public relations initiatives for multiple clients. She received her bachelor’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from Ithaca College in 2011 and has resided in Ithaca with her wife since 2013.

Peterson is an active member in the community and serves on the Downtown Ithaca Alliance Board of Directors and marketing committees, and the Historic Ithaca Development Committee. She is also a Leadership Tompkins Graduate, and Fab5 Planning Committee Member/Tompkins Trust Company Representative.

About Tompkins Financial Corporation

Tompkins Financial Corporation is a financial services company serving the Central, Western, and Hudson Valley regions of New York and the Southeastern region of Pennsylvania. Headquartered in Ithaca, Tompkins Financial is parent to Tompkins Trust Company, Tompkins Bank of Castile, Tompkins Mahopac Bank, Tompkins VIST Bank, Tompkins Insurance Agencies Inc., and offers wealth management services through Tompkins Financial Advisors.

For more information on Tompkins Financial, visit www.tompkinsfinancial.com.

Press release:

In recognition of its commitment to the community, Tompkins Financial Corporation was honored by the Center for Youth as a recipient of the Chuck Cuminale Youth Advocate Award. The award was presented during the Center for Youth’s annual meeting on Sept. 25 at the Strong Museum of Play.

Created in memory of a dedicated Center For Youth counselor and champion for youth, the Cuminale Award is the agency’s highest honor. The Cuminale Awards are given to community leaders and philanthropists who are committed to improving the lives of young people in the community.

The team at Tompkins was recognized for providing support to the Center for Youth on behalf of a homeless youth who had lost both parents in a short time. Accepting the award on behalf of Tompkins Financial Corporation were Ela Hakiel, Tompkins Financial Advisors vice president and senior wealth advisor, and Lisa Formicola, Tompkins Bank of Castile Pittsford branch manager. Hakiel and Formicola led the team from Tompkins as they provided guidance to help the Center for Youth ensure the safety and security of the young person in need.

“Lisa and I are fortunate to be employed by a company whose core values include the highest commitment to the community and to the customer,” Hakiel said. “We are humbled by this honor, but the true heroes are the staff, social workers, board members and others who make significant daily contributions to the community through their work at the Center for Youth. All of us at Tompkins Financial are committed to acting as good stewards and supporters of the Center in the community.”

Tompkins Financial has a strong commitment to the community, and to the Center for Youth. In addition to the receiving the award, David Boyce, President of Tompkins Insurance Agencies, was elected as a new member of the Board of Directors of the Center for Youth.

Learn more about the Center for Youth at www.centerforyouth.net.

Tompkins Insurance Agencies has hired Emily Bosse as an account executive in its Personal Lines division. She is based out of the Tompkins Insurance office at 90 Main St. in Batavia.

In her new role, Bosse will be responsible for building client relationships and identifying methods to mitigate or transfer risk by creating customized insurance solutions for their organizations. She will primarily serve Genesee County and the surrounding communities.

Prior to joining Tompkins, she worked as a logistics associate for Office Max. Bosse obtained her bachelor’s degree from SUNY Brockport and resides in Oakfield.

Submitted photo of Brian A. Howard, and press release:

Tompkins Financial announces that Brian A. Howard has been named president of Tompkins Financial Advisors, the wealth management division of the company, with offices in Ithaca, Pittsford and White Plains, New York, and Wyomissing and Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. In addition, he will serve as a member of the leadership team of Tompkins Financial. Howard joined the company on July 25.

Howard brings more than 30 years of leadership experience with nationally recognized financial service firms to his position at Tompkins Financial Advisors. Most recently, he served as a senior vice president, market manager for Key Bank covering the Central New York region, where he oversaw the bank’s full service wealth management division for high net worth clients. At U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, he held leadership positions including managing director, market executive for the Boston, MA, market and senior vice president, market leader for the Central New York market. There he was responsible for revenue growth, strategic initiatives and building collaborative and top performing teams.

“We are committed to the long-term success of our wealth management division and are pleased Brian will be working with our experienced wealth management team to expand and grow our client base in all of our markets,” said Stephen S. Romaine, president and CEO of Tompkins Financial.

A Syracuse resident, Howard will be based out of the Tompkins Financial Advisors’ Ithaca office.

 “Tompkins Financial has 180 years of solid reputation in the markets it serves, which speaks volumes to the level of commitment and performance the staff provides to its clients and communities,” Howard said. “I’m excited to be a part of Tompkins Financial Advisors and will focus on leading the division to achieve the strategic goals of Tompkins Financial, while continuing to build upon the remarkable Tompkins legacy.”

Tompkins Financial Corporation is a financial services company serving the Central, Western and Hudson Valley regions of New York and the Southeastern region of Pennsylvania. Headquartered in Ithaca, NY, Tompkins Financial is parent to Tompkins Trust Company, Tompkins Bank of Castile, Tompkins Mahopac Bank, Tompkins VIST Bank, Tompkins Insurance Agencies, Inc., and offers wealth management services through Tompkins Financial Advisors. For more information on Tompkins Financial, visit www.tompkinsfinancial.com.