ABA Banking Journal - November 2008 - (Page 36)

COVER STORY Arthur Connelly, who describes himself as a “ b l u e - c o l l a r g u y, ” nearly became a p r i e s t and answered their questions at baseball games and even on the way into Christmas Eve Mass. Connelly, who describes himself as a “blue-collar guy,” nearly became a priest. He spent almost two years in a seminary before he realized that priestly service was not for him. But service was in his blood and he knew he wanted to do something that involved helping people. A friend suggested he go to Boston’s Kirstein Business Library and research different industries. There he discovered two things about banking. One, it seemed like a way to help people. Two, while it was a low-paying field, it had a dearth of middle managers, so there were likely to be some good opportunities. After a brief stint at a savings bank in his home town of Lynn, and following six months active duty in the Army Reserves, Connelly joined South Weymouth Savings Bank in 1966 at the age of 22. He has been there ever since, doing a little of everything on the way to becoming president in 1984. It has been a perfect fit. “If you like your job,” Connelly likes to say, “you don’t work a day in your life.” He doesn’t just like his job, he loves it. “I’ve never seen Arthur in a bad mood,” says his longtime colleague and successor as CEO, John Boucher (pro- Weymouth granite is known for its cuttability and has been used as a building facade at Yale University and Boston College. It comes from the Bates Quarry, where Connelly visits with longtime customer James E. Bristol III, whose family has run the quarry for four generations. nounced Bu-shay). “He is always ‘up’.” “You usually know when he’s in the building,” says Senior Vice-President and Human Resources Director, Rose McGillicuddy, “because he’s whistling.” “He knows everyone around town,” adds Sharon Fernandes, vice-president, Branch Administration. “He could be the mayor of Weymouth.” Connelly is a familiar figure not only in Weymouth—a town of 54,000 situated about 25 miles south of Boston—but throughout the South Shore community, which extends from Boston to Cape Cod. He is well known especially because of his work with dozens of nonprofit organizations. He has spent 25 years, for example, in various volunteer positions— including board chairman—for the South Shore Hospital, a large regional medical center. Many bank leaders do likewise, of course, but with Connelly it’s more of a calling than simply part of the job. He has a particular interest in groups that help the less fortunate. One of these is called Work, Inc., which provides housing and employment opportunities for handicapped people, where Connelly has volunteered for more than 30 years. Connelly’s philosophy—the way he runs his life, says Boucher, is built around the idea that the bank is more than a business; that its employees need to be a vital part of the community. “Arthur was always a champion of the less fortunate,” says Boucher. “People say, that’s the priest in him. He certainly is a father figure to many people in the bank.” “One of his greatest gifts is his ability to make people feel comfortable,” says Subscribe at www.ababj.com 36 NOVEMBER 2008/ABA BANKING JOURNAL http://www.ababj.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of ABA Banking Journal - November 2008

ABA Banking Journal - November 2008 Contents Editor's Column Banking 2.0: Credit, Banking's Essence, Set for Rethinking Snapshot: The Few, the Proud, the Banks that Can Raise Capital Will Strong and Simple Banks Inherit the Business? Back to the Future ABA Resources ABA Chairman's Position Farm Lenders Must Take Care When Lending in Indian Country Pass the Aspirin Into the Breach Adventures Across A Century What the Future Holds, Post Crisis Paul Volcker: A Financial Legend Still Speaks Strong Ed Yingling: Weathering the Storm Dick Kovacevich: "Boring" Banking to Dynamic Financial Services Jim Culberson: Community Banking: What has Changed and What Shouldn't Walter Shipley: How a Chemical Reaction Helped to Mold Today's JPMorgan Chase William Isaac: Challenges and Opportunities Ahead for Banks A Hundred Years from Our Pages Eight Tech Innovations that Brought Banks into 21st Century Bank Cherokee: Third Generaton Marks 100th Year The First National Bank of Altavista: Railroad Gave Birth to a Town, a Hope Chest, and a Bank Rosedales Federal Savings and Loan Association: How a Friendly Game of Cards Turned into a 100-Year Mutual New Washington State Bank: Cooking Up the Next 100 Years Mailbox Banker's Mart To Advertise/Index of Advertisers The Economy

ABA Banking Journal - November 2008

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