Manasquan Bank’s Connor, Valverde earn Rising Star Award from NJBankers

A group of colleagues from Merck celebrated being honored at the 43rd Edison Patent Awards last week at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City. Holding their Edison awards are Shane Krska (center left) and Neil Strotman (center right). Kevin Campos (far left) is the chairman of the R&D Council and the head of process research & development at Merck.

Erica Connor, assistant vice president, human resources manager, and Natalie Valverde, vice president, commercial loan operations supervisor, with Manasquan Bank were named recipients of the 2022 New Jersey Bankers Association Rising Star Award.

The Rising Star Award recognizes emerging banking professionals who make a significant impact on their respective financial institutions by demonstrating strong leadership and service skills.

Manasquan Chairman and CEO James Vaccaro applauded the announcement.

“Congratulations to Erica and Natalie as they are recognized for their leadership qualities, commitment to banking and strength through community service,” he said. “We are extremely proud and fortunate to have these two very talented leaders on our team and thank them for their dedication and commitment.”

Connor joined Manasquan Bank in 2016 as an HR specialist. She now is tasked with building and engaging the workforce. A member of the NJBankers’ DE&I Council, a working group that is committed to helping create a more diverse and inclusive banking community, Connor is passionate about bringing those values and perspectives into the workplace by directing the Bank’s DE&I initiatives.

She is a graduate of Rutgers University.

Valverde’s growth with the bank has been exceptional since joining as a part-time receptionist in 2010. Valverde, who has a degree in finance from Post University, is now responsible for managing the department and implementing new projects and procedures that assist in departmental transformation.