In this issue of Banker & Tradesman, we are proud to present the inaugural 16 winners of our Community Bank Heroes award. Each sets an enviable example, not only professionally, but more importantly, in their community endeavors as well.

These 16 men and women realized early on that without a community to support them, their professional goals would mean very little and their achievements would be that much harder to come by.

And in so doing, they helped reinforce the same lessons in all of us.

In choosing the winners, the Banker & Tradesman editorial board sought community bankers that stood out from their peers. It was not an easy task, and we couldn’t be more pleased at how hard the selection process was.

We received dozens of nominations from all kinds of institutions – private banks, mutuals, stock banks and thrifts. And we received nominations from banks across the full breadth and depth of the commonwealth, from the peaks of the Berkshires to the tip of the Cape.

Poring over the nominations revealed scores of heartfelt sentiments, funny anecdotes and inspiring deeds. We marveled at the HR manager who just had to help her colleagues find jobs when her bank was bought; cheered on the business development officer that spends more time in the community than in her office; and wanted to thank the CEO that personally gets involved with loan modifications to help clients stay afloat.

We were also heartened by the fact that heroism isn’t a phenomenon reserved for the C-suite. Yes, a good number of our winners are presidents and CEOs, but also represented are the branch managers and lending officers without whom no institution – no matter how well-run at the top – can survive.

Finally, we were amazed at the sheer variety of noble causes worthy of these heroes’ support. From large organizations like the United Way and Habitat for Humanity, to smaller, more personal outreach efforts at local schools and shelters, it seems no non-profit group in Massachusetts was too small to be overlooked – and no large group too big not to deserve a little more help.

In the end, these 16 winners shone brightest in a galaxy full of stars.

But while they may have stood out from their peers, their brightness only served to shed light on the countless good deeds and meaningful gestures made by their peers and colleagues every day.

Without fail, each winner deflected their hard-earned press onto their staffs and onto their institutions themselves, and for good reason: Unsung heroes are no less heroic.

Our Community Bank Heroes don’t do their good work in a vacuum. Behind every CEO that gets involved in their clients’ affairs is a loan underwriter that initially brings trouble to the brass’ attention. For every vice president swinging a hammer at a Habitat for Humanity work site, there are a dozen tellers and administrative workers there holding ladders, gathering nails and measuring boards.

Later this week, Banker & Tradesman will be hosting a gala event in Downtown Boston in these heroes’ honor. We hope everyone out there will join us.

We can’t wait to meet all the winners, to look them in the eye and shake their hand and be in the happy presence of so much good will.

And we can’t wait to meet their families – their spouses, children, parents and siblings, yes, but also their extended work families.

Because, in the end, the Massachusetts banking community is one big family – a family that looks after its own and takes special care to look after those in need, wherever they’re needed.

It is a family we are honored and privileged to consider ourselves a part of.

Congratulations to all our winners. The bar has been set incredibly high, and we’re already looking forward to next year’s class.