North Jersey Community Bank Names William S. Burns Chief Financial Officer

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Sept. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- North Jersey Community Bank (NJCB), one of the country's top performing community banks according to SNL Financial, today announced that William S. Burns has joined as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of NJCB, effective Oct. 1, 2012. Burns replaces Frank Baier, who will be pursuing other interests and will remain with NJCB as a member of the Board of Directors.

"I'm thrilled to welcome Bill to our executive management team. His diverse background and experience working with both publicly traded and private financial institutions positions us to continue growing with our customers and deliver on our promise of being a better place to be," said Frank Sorrentino III, chairman and CEO of North Jersey Community Bank. "I also want to thank Frank for his tremendous impact on our success. We look forward to his continued guidance as the newest member of our Board."

"I look forward to continuing my work with the NJCB community. It's an exciting time for us, and I'm eager to be part of the bank's strategy for long-term growth and success," said Frank Baier, exiting CFO of North Jersey Community Bank.

Mr. Burns' career in the financial services industry spans more than 30 years. He joins NJCB from Somerset Hills Bancorp, where he was Chief Financial Officer since 2009.  At Somerset Hills, Mr. Burns helped transform the bank into one of the top performing publicly-traded community banks in the nation.  Previously, Burns was Chief Financial Officer at The Trust Company of New Jersey, a banking institution with $3 billion in assets, which sold to North Fork Bank.  At Trust Company, Burns led the turnaround of the underperforming institution by significantly improving management controls, financial discipline, profitability and Wall Street credibility. In addition, Burns was Director of Corporate Development and Investor Relations at The Dime Savings Bank of New York, one of the nation's largest thrifts, and has also held senior level positions at Summit Bank and The Bank of New York.

"It's a privilege to join the NJCB senior leadership team, especially during this time of extraordinary growth and innovation," said William S. Burns, Chief Financial Officer at NJCB. "The Bank's financial strength is supported by a passion and customer-first focus that can be felt throughout the entire organization. I'm excited to be part of the next chapter in NJCB's growth story."

The announcement comes on the heels of positive financial results and demonstrated growth for the second quarter ended June 30, 2012.  NJCB's assets increased $166 million to $822 million, loans increased $160 million to $730 million and deposits increased $236 million to $666 million. 

NJCB offers a complete range of financial services for both personal and business customers, backed by advanced technology. The Bank provides a full-line of banking products and services, including mortgages, home equity loans and lines of credit, as well as a wide selection of commercial services. Its "Simply Better Money Market Account," with one of the highest rates in the area, is available for both business and personal accounts and includes free checking and free online bill pay, and now mobile banking.  Each of its branches feature NJCB's exclusive "Coin Toss" free coin counting machine as well as extended lobby hours from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Saturday. NJCB also provides 24-hour ATM service and free online banking at www.njcb.com.

About North Jersey Community Bank (NJCB):

NJCB was founded by local community and business leaders to provide the highest level of personalized community banking services to the New Jersey market and surrounding area. With a strong commitment to the communities it serves, the Bank offers a variety of innovative deposit and loan products. 

NJCB is one of the country's top performing community banks, as ranked by SNL Financial, a leading provider of news and data on the banking and financial services industry, for two consecutive years. Additionally, NJCB received a top 10 ranking on NJBIZ's 50 Fastest Growing Companies List, was a finalist for the publication's Business of the Year award and was named to Inc. Magazine's Inc. 500|5000 list as the 64th fastest growing bank in the country.

NJCB has also been a recipient of the Forbes® Enterprise Awards -- the most esteemed and sought after small-business awards in the United States. The Forbes® Enterprise Awards honor the visionary practices and exemplary achievements of a select few small businesses.

NJCB is an Equal Housing and Equal Opportunity Lender, and a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.  For more information, call 201-816-8900, go online to the bank's website at www.njcb.com, or visit NJCB's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NJCBfan.

SOURCE North Jersey Community Bank