The New Jersey Bankers Association (NJBankers) celebrated 25 standout professionals as the 2026 “Rising Stars” of the banking industry during its annual Awards Dinner held November 4 at The Clubhouse at Galloping Hill Golf Course in Kenilworth.
The prestigious annual program highlights individuals who consistently go above and beyond to support their institutions, advance the banking sector, and uplift their local communities.
Representing the “Voice of the Garden State Banking Industry,” NJBankers open the competitive nomination process to both bank members and associate members. An independent panel of judges evaluated nominees based on exceptional leadership qualities, industry contributions, and active community dedication.
The complete list of the 2026 Rising Star honorees features:
- Charles Allen – Mortgage Loan Officer, Unity Bank (Clinton, NJ)
- Alexis Bachmann – Deputy BSA/AML/OFAC Officer, Peapack Private Bank & Trust (East Rutherford, NJ)
- Rishi Bhatia – VP, Portfolio Manager, First Bank (Robbinsville, NJ)
- Richard Biggs III – FVP – District Executive, Valley Bank (Haskell, NJ)
- Michael Carloni – SVP, Regional Retail Director, Ion Bank (Wayne, NJ)
- Daniel G. Carmo – VP, Branch Manager, Magyar Bank (Woodbridge, NJ)
- Vanessa De Oliveira – FVP, Marketing Operations & Innovation, ConnectOne Bank (Newark, NJ)
- Andrey Dragun – Audit Partner, Crowe LLP (Holmdel, NJ)
- Joe Flood – FVP, Head of Structured Products, Valley Bank (Chester, NY)
- Maria Intili – VP, Assistant Controller, Manasquan Bank (East Windsor, NJ)
- Talia Jackson – Senior Fraud Analyst, Manasquan Bank (Bayville, NJ)
- Emily Laroche – Business Development Officer, Center for Financial Training (Chicopee, Mass.)
- Telizabeth Lopez – Treasury Management Lead, Kearny Bank (Montville, NJ)
- Paul Marder – Commercial Banker, JPMorganChase (Fanwood, NJ)
- Sergio Martins – Commercial Real Estate Servicing & Portfolio Analyst, Haven Savings Bank (Colonia, NJ)
- Lauren O’Reilly – FVP, Commercial Credit Officer, Columbia Bank (Ramsey, NJ)
- Rahmere Pottey – Treasury Management Specialist, First Commerce Bank (Long Branch, NJ)
- Samantha Roberts – VP, Deposit Operations Leader, First Hope Bank (Mount Bethel, Pa.)
- Lloyd Sacks – Managing Director, Portfolio Manager, Peapack Private Bank & Trust (Livingston, NJ)
- Saranda Shahini – AVP, Assistant Marketing Manager, Spencer Savings Bank (Roseland, NJ)
- Christopher Venturi – AVP, Finance Manager, Sturdy Savings Bank (Vineland, NJ)
- Sandy Walsh – BSA/Fraud Data Governance Analyst, Provident Bank (Highland Lakes, NJ)
- Christopher Walters – Data Analyst, Kearny Bank (New Providence, NJ)
- Alex Wendolowski – AVP, Human Resources Business Partner, OceanFirst Bank (Manalapan, NJ)
- Adam Yi – SVP, Chief Information Officer, BCB Bank (Bayonne, NJ)
