Malia Lazu joined Berkshire Bank a mere 10 months ago with no prior banking experience. But in that short time, she’s become a driving force in the bank’s efforts to transform its workplace culture – and a regional president.
TD Bank has asked state regulators for permission to close its branch in Springfield’s Mason Square neighborhood, but area residents and state legislators are pleading with regulators to stop the move.
Roxann Cooke is the New England regional director of JPMorgan Chase, which recently made a big splash in the state by pledging to open 50 retail branches in the Greater Boston area. Approximately 30 percent of branches will be in low- to moderate-income communities.
One third of Bostonians live outside the traditional financial system, cutting them off from crucial financial tools like credit cards and savings accounts and helping to lock them out of economic mobility. To combat this Boston and Worcester, where numbers are similar, are partnering with financial institutions to offer checking accounts that are easier to access.
