From left: AVP/Branch Manager Elaine Joseph (NMLS #458504) adopts the #BalanceforBetter pose in front of the Quote Wall at DOVE’s Quincy headquarters. SVP of Human Resources Michelle Higgins does the same at Quincy Community Action Programs’ headquarters on Hancock Street. Mortgage Lender Terry Connor (NMLS #704350) posed at the bank’s 60 McGrath Highway branch. All three have board positions with non-profits serving greater Quincy.
CANTON, Mass. (Feb. 28, 2019) – March 8th marks the 108th International Women’s Day, a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political contributions made by women. This year’s theme, #BalanceforBetter, focuses on gender balance in all aspects of life – from government to business to media and beyond – and how balance is essential for economies and communities to thrive.
On International Women’s Day, Bank of Canton is highlighting three of its employees for their achievements and longstanding commitment to the Quincy community.
Elaine Joseph
With more than thirty years in the banking industry, assistant vice president and branch manager Elaine Joseph brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the bank’s 60 McGrath Highway branch in Quincy. She is passionate about serving her community.
“I was originally drawn to Bank of Canton because of the people; they were smart, motivated, dedicated and community oriented,” commented Joseph. “It means that as a local bank, we get to put down roots and give something back.”
Joseph is in the first year of a three-year term on the board of directors for Dove, Inc., a Quincy-based organization that supports victims of domestic violence. For nine years, she had served on the board of the Jennifer A. Lynch Committee Against Domestic Violence in Brookline after a close friend lost her daughter to domestic violence on Valentine’s Day, 2006. “It was amazing to see how the entire town of Brookline enveloped and cared for my friend, and fought for her daughter’s memory,” said Joseph. “That kind of response and resource is needed in every community. So it seemed only natural for me to volunteer with DOVE when I began working in Quincy.”
Joseph has cultivated relationships with several other local non-profits as well, including Interfaith Social Services, Quincy Community Action Programs and the Quincy Chamber of Commerce, where she leads the chamber’s Ambassadors Program. Her branch is a public drop-off location for food pantry donations, and she holds collection drives every winter for toys and winter clothing to benefit those less fortunate.
In addition to the non-profit world, Joseph and her team are very active with Quincy Public Schools. She teaches financial literacy through the Quincy School Community Partnership, and along with assistant branch manager and Quincy native Suzanne Fahy, staffed the credit counseling table at the annual “Credit For Life” fair for high school seniors.
Just this week, her team read “One Cent, Two Cent, Old Cent, New Cent” to several classes at Beechwood Knoll School for Read Across America day. “I’m lucky to have such a great team at Bank of Canton,” said Joseph. “Everyone here is invested in Quincy. It’s wonderful.”
Michelle Higgins
Michelle Higgins‘ ties to Quincy are lifelong: she attended Quincy High School, lived in the city for more than 20 years, opened Bank of Canton’s Quincy branch as the manager of its original Quincy Avenue location in 1997, and still has many family members who reside in the city.
“Quincy is a vibrant city with a rich history that offers everything for individuals, families and businesses,” said Higgins.
For the past year, Higgins has served on the board of Quincy Community Action Programs, Inc. (QCAP) and is a member of its Personnel Committee. Since 1965, Quincy Community Action Programs has been dedicated to reducing poverty and helping individuals and families achieve financial stability through a variety of community programs.
Higgins has also lent her time to the Quincy Kiwanis, Quincy Center Business Professional Association (QCBPA), and the local Red Cross. She is the chairperson for the Massachusetts Bankers Association Human Resources Committee, and a member of the South Shore Banking Human Resources Committee.
Terry Connor
Another Quincy native, mortgage lender Terry Connor has been a Quincy resident and volunteer her whole life.
“Quincy’s diverse residents, unique center of business, waterfront location, and proximity to Boston make it a dynamic city in which to work and live,” said Connor. “This is my home; this is my kids’ home. It’s important to me to make time to support the next generation of Quincy citizens.”
Connor is currently a board member and treasurer at Quincy After School Child Care, Inc. (QCARE), whose mission is to provide quality school age programs focusing on education, nutrition, health and social services for children of families who reside in Quincy. When not working or offering guidance at QCARE, she coaches basketball at Sacred Heart, and is a member of the Merrymount Neighborhood Association.
About Bank of Canton
Established in 1835, Bank of Canton is a Massachusetts-chartered mutual savings bank that offers its consumer, business and government banking customers access to a full array of deposit, loan, investment and convenience service options. As a mutual savings bank, the bank has no stockholders and acts exclusively in the best interests of its customers and communities. The bank lends throughout Massachusetts, and has branches in Canton, Quincy and Randolph and a mortgage center in Auburn. All deposits are fully insured between the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Depositors Insurance Fund (DIF). For more information, visit www.ibankcanton.com. Member FDIC. Member DIF. Equal Housing Lender. NMLS #408169.
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