Lakeland Bank announces promotions

OAK RIDGE — Thomas J. Shara, president and chief executive officer of Lakeland Bank recently announced the following officer promotions.
Ellen Lalwani to Executive Vice President, Chief Retail Officer: Lalwani joined Lakeland Bank in 2008 as senior vice president, director of retail sales.
Due to restructuring earlier this year, she was promoted to first senior vice president, chief retail officer in January. Prior to joining Lakeland Bank, Lalwani worked for TD BankNorth as vice president, regional sales manager-Mid Atlantic Division.
Karen Garrera to First Senior Vice President, Senior Regional Administrator: Garrera joined the former Metropolitan Bank in 1988 as an officer in Retail Banking advancing to vice president. She moved into the position of vice president, regional administrator of the Southern Region and was promoted to senior vice president, regional administrator of the Southern Region in 2007.
Due to restructuring earlier this year, she was promoted to senior vice president, Sr. Regional Administrator in January. Garrera resides in Frankford Township.
Kenneth Bostwick to Senior Vice President, Director of Retail Sales: Bostwick joined Lakeland Bank in 2008 as a vice president, branch manager responsible for the Butler and Carey Avenue offices.
He transitioned to retail sales in 2014 as vice president, retail banking sales and training manager. Due to restructuring earlier this year, he was promoted to vice president, director of retail sales in January. Bostwick resides in Sparta.
Karen Parrish to Vice President, Loan Operations Officer: Parrish joined the former NBSC in 1984 as a teller, transferred in 1985 to loan operations as a loan operations clerk and advanced to team leader of Quality Control in 2000. She was promoted to Assistant Treasurer, Loan Operations, Quality Control in 2004 and to Assistant Vice President, Loan Operations Officer in 2011. Parrish resides in Sussex County.
Dora Rodriguez to Vice President, Area Manager, Stanhope and Andover: Rodriguez joined Lakeland in 2007 as a Customer Service Representative. She was promoted to assistant branch manager in 2008 and to assistant treasurer, branch manager in 2013. Rodriguez was promoted to assistant vice president, branch manager in 2015 and promoted to Assistant Vice President, Area Manager in 2016. She resides in Newton.
Leon Hull to Assistant Vice President, IRA Administrator: Hull joined the former NBSC in 1987 as an assistant cashier, branch manager. He transferred to branch administration in 1995 and then to Deposit Operations as an IRA Administrator. Hull was promoted to Assistant Treasurer, IRA Administrator in 2011. He resides in Hardyston.
Patricia Colie to Assistant Vice President, Branch Operations Coordinator: Colie joined Lakeland Bank in 2005 as a teller. She advanced within retail banking and transferred in 2010 to the Branch Administration Department as a branch operations coordinator. Colie was promoted to assistant treasurer, branch operations coordinator in 2013.
Kenneth Lawson to Assistant Treasurer, Senior Credit Analyst: Lawson joined Lakeland in June 2015 as a senior commercial credit analyst for the New York Commercial and Middle Market Lending Team based in Highland Mills, N.Y.
Prior to that, he worked for Sussex Bank as a commercial credit analyst. Lawson graduated from Bloomsburg University with dual bachelor degrees in accounting and finance. He resides in Hampton Township.
Rochelle Leonardo to Assistant Treasurer, Loan Closer: Leonardo joined Lakeland in 2012 as an assistant branch manager in the Vernon office and was promoted to assistant treasurer, branch operations manager in 2014.
She transferred to the Mortgage department as a loan closer in 2015. Prior to Lakeland, Leonardo worked for Highlands State Bank as a vice president, branch manager. She resides in Sussex County.
Matthew Minion to Assistant Treasurer, Network Administrator II-Technical Lead: Minion joined Lakeland Bank in 2002 as an information systems analyst. As the department grew, his position changed and he moved up to Network Administrator II in 2011.
Minion attended Chubb Institute where he completed the Computer Technical Support Program. He resides in Sandyston.
Chelsea Natiello to Assistant Treasurer, Senior BSA-Fraud Analyst: Natiello joined Lakeland in 2009 as a call center financial service provider and transferred to the BSA-Fraud department in 2011 as a BSA-fraud administrator. She left in 2012, but returned as a BSA analyst in 2013 and was promoted to senior BSA–fraud analyst in 2014.
Natiello graduated from Sussex County Community College with an associate degree in business administration and is attending Penn State University majoring in psychology. She resides in Sussex County.
Alexander Van Der Toorn to Assistant Treasurer, Network Engineer III: Van Der Toorn first joined Lakeland in 2005 as a seasonal Computer Technician and returned after a short break transitioning to part-time status while he attended Ramapo College working toward a bachelor’s degree.
He was hired full time in 2007 as a Network Analyst and advanced to a Network Administrator II in 2011. Van Der Toorn resides in West Milford.
Denise White to Assistant Treasurer, Team Leader-CML and ABL Loans: White joined Lakeland Bank in 1998 as a mortgage servicer in the Mortgage Dept.
She transitioned to loan operations as a commercial loan processor and was promoted to team leader, CML and ABL Loans in 2013. White resides in Oak Ridge.