Marie Pellegrino, left, and Nicholas Christ, right, pose for this handout photo to commemorate Pellegrino's naming as the bank's first female president. Photo Courtesy of BayCoast Bank

Marie Pellegrino has been named BayCoast Bank’s new president, the first woman to hold the position in the history of the bank.

Pellegrino was previously executive vice president and chief operating officer of BayCoast. In 2000, she transitioned to the community banking industry as an accounting manager for People’s Credit Union in Middletown, Rhode Island. She then joined Newport Federal Savings Bank as a vice president and controller in 2013.

Pellegrino will lead the bank alongside Nicholas Christ, whose titles will shift to CEO and chair of the board for the bank. Christ was Baycoast’s president and CEO.

“Marie truly exemplifies what it means to be a leader,” Christ said in a statement. “Her exceptional knowledge of the financial industry, combined with her dedicated service to our South Coast community, are highly recognized.”

Under Christ, BayCoast Bank has grown from a $200 million organization to its current status as a $2.9 billion financial institution. Before his tenure at BayCoast, Christ worked for Dedham Institution for Savings.