South Jersey BIZ - Issue #12 (December 2025)

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SJBiz_WhosWho in Banking_1225FINAL.qxp_Layout 1 12 / 5 / 25 10 : 46 AM Page 1 2025 Who’s Who in Banking is an integral part of everyday life , and a positive experience can play a major part in a business ’ or an individual’s success . Every year , South Jersey Biz spotlights experts in the industry who are known for being innovative , diligent and altruistic over the course of their careers . BANKING MEET 17 FINANCIAL - SERVICES LEADERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE FIELD AND WITHIN THE COMMUNITY . EDITED BY MAT T COSENTINO , CARLY MURRAY AND PETER PROKO Jeannine Cimino Laura Nitti REGIONAL PRESIDENT AND SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT , RETAIL MARKET PRESIDENT , TD BANK SOUTH CENTRAL NJ REGION , MID PENN BANK A passionate leader , Nitti Cimino serves as regional brings more than two president and senior vice decades of experience in president at Mid Penn Bank , the industry . After starting where she leads commercial her career in banking in and retail banking through - 2004 as an assistant man - out the South / Central New ager , she has continued to Jersey region . She joined leverage her care for col - William Penn Bank in 2021 as leagues , customers and executive vice president and the communities she chief retail officer and transi - serves as she has risen tioned to Mid Penn Bank in through the ranks with TD . 2025 through its merger with Over the course of her William Penn . With more career , Nitti has grown into than 30 years of experience several positions within in financial services , Cimino retail banking , spanning from store leadership to heading has held leadership roles at Sovereign Bank , Santander Bank , leader academy , and sales strategy and field engagement . First Choice Bank and Berkshire Bank . She began her career on Currently , she serves as the market president of retail for the Wall Street at PaineWebber / UBS in technical analysis and man - Mid - Atlantic South Market and is responsible for leading over aged account consulting roles before moving into leadership 1,100 employees across 134 store locations . In this capacity , positions across the industry . At William Penn Bank , she oversaw she champions TD’s vision with respect to customer , employee retail banking , private banking , mortgage services and sales and shareholder experiences , implementing effective strate - strategy across a network of financial centers . An active commu - gies and plans that achieve top line growth and bottom - line nity member , she currently serves as chairman of the Hamilton results . In addition to her work at TD , Nitti has held many Partnership , the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Com - board roles in her career , most recently serving the board merce and Ryan’s Quest . She is also a recipient of the Girl of Big Brothers Big Sisters . She also enjoys volunteering for Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey Woman of Distinc - various nonprofit organizations and serving as a professional tion Award , the RWJ Young Professional of the Year Award and mentor for others in the industry . is a Young Audiences former DAZZLE champion . 24 | SOUTH JERSEY BIZ | VOLUME 15 ISSUE 12 | SouthJerseyBiz.net

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SJBiz_WhosWho in Banking_1225FINAL.qxp_Layout 1 12 / 5 / 25 10 : 46 AM Page 2 2 0 2 5 W H O ’ S W H O I N B A N K I N G Oliver E.Lewis , Jr . Kristine Piazza - Belser SENIOR EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT , HEAD OF CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER , AMERICAN COMMERCIAL BANKING , COLUMBIA BANK HERITAGE CREDIT UNION Piazza - Belser is a business Lewis was appointed EVP , leader and HR practitioner head of commercial bank - whose career spans three ing of Columbia Bank in decades across many indus - January 2021 and subse - tries . Her journey in human quently senior EVP , head of resources began at FMC commercial banking in May Corporation where she pro - 2024 . In his role , he leads vided collaborative support the bank’s commercial lend - to research and develop - ing and business develop - ment , sales and facilities ment efforts including treas - groups . Through profound ury sales , portfolio manage - guidance of gracious busi - ment and commercial clos - ness mentors , Piazza - Belser ing . Lewis plays a key role in sharpened her business expanding market pres - acumen and discovered her ence , advancing loan - origi - passion for people and business , while earning her undergrad - nation technology and introducing treasury management prod - uate degree at Rosemont College , obtaining her HR certifica - ucts that help operation efficiency . Prior to Columbia Bank , tion and becoming an active member of SHRM . She continued Lewis served as an executive director for JPMorgan Chase sharing her knowledge and skill , spending almost two decades from 2011 to 2019 as a commercial bank market executive for building the HR function and programs for various health care Chase’s Commercial Bank Office and had direct responsibility organizations . Pursuing her commitment to continuous learn - for a team of bankers and associates with annual revenue of ing , Piazza - Belser earned her MBA from LaSalle University and approximately $ 30 million . Lewis served in various other capac - deepened her involvement in her local Southeastern , Pa . ities with JPMorgan Chase and as an assistant vice president , SHRM Chapter , serving in many board roles , most proudly as treasury management with PNC Bank . He also served as a fi - chapter president and currently as diversity director . In her cur - nancial services officer in the United States Air Force , where he rent role , she takes great pride in American Heritage Federal attained the rank of captain . Lewis holds an MBA in finance Credit Union’s community impact and is inspired by and grate - from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Science in aviation ful for the work ethic and altruism of the incredible people she administration from Embry - Riddle Aeronautical University . works with every day . Shannon Lazare Jeff Ropiecki EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT , NEW JERSEY REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT , COMMERCIAL RELATIONSHIP MAN - PRESIDENT , BUSINESS BANKING METRO MARKET AGER , OCEANFIRST BANK N.A . MANAGER , M & T BANK Ropiecki has spent his 35 - year banking career provid - Lazare is the New Jersey ing customized banking so - Regional President and lutions for businesses and Metro Market Manager for consumers in Southern Business Banking at M & T New Jersey . For the past Bank . As regional 15 years , he has focused president , she leads M & T’s on assisting commercial team in the Garden State , business with loan , deposit ensuring that the bank con - and treasury - management tinues to serve its communi - services . Ropiecki’s clients ties and customers . She su - value and appreciate his pervises all aspects of the consultative approach to bank’s involvement in com - developing a deep under - munity engagement , eco - standing of their business - nomic development and es and short - and long - term needs and goals . He specializes charitable initiatives in New in providing value - based financial solutions based on local Jersey . In her capacity as Metro Market Manager for Business knowledge . Ropiecki is passionate about serving the commu - Banking , Lazare oversees a team of regional managers across nity and currently serves as a councilman in Port Republic , is a New Jersey , New York City and Long Island to drive regional past board chair of the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Com - performance by aligning local strategies with broader business merce and serves on the Workforce Development Board of goals . She joined M & T in 2013 as a senior relationship manag - Cumberland , Salem and Cape May counties , and on the er with business banking and has held the role of regional man - board of Shore Health Enterprises , Inc . In addition to his many ager since 2019 . She brings over 20 years of experience in the professional accomplishments , Ropiecki is active in the com - financial services industry , having previously worked with J.P . munity , coaching youth sports and serving as a Scout leader Morgan Chase , Wachovia and Valley National Bank . Outside of for many years . He earned a BA in marketing and manage - M & T , Lazare serves as a board member of the New Jersey ment at Stockton University and a master’s in business admin - Chamber of Commerce , Pursuit CDC and Pony Power Thera - istration at Monmouth University . pies , and is the honorary commander for the Joint Base McGuire - Dix - Lakehurst . SouthJerseyBiz.net | VOLUME 15 ISSUE 12 | SOUTH JERSEY BIZ | 25

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