Robin DiNicola, in her 26 years in banking, has hop-scotched all over Connecticut, working for many of the state’s community banks. But no matter where she goes, the communities she works in and the banks she works for benefit from her time there.
DiNicola grew up in Newington, and began her banking career in high school as a teller at American Savings Bank. After high school, she moved across the street to Federal Savings Bank, where she entered the bank’s management training program, and eventually moved to Mid-Connecticut Bank as assistant manager. She was recruited by Farmington Bank, then Simsbury Bank.
She is tremendously involved in the Newington community, where she and her husband are raising their two children. She was a cheerleading coach for five years, and has been involved with the Cub Scouts and the town’s lacrosse program. Since her children expressed an interest, she is now learning to play ice hockey at the Newington arena.
Her personal involvement in the community is strongly linked to her professional approach.
“I love being in the community, helping the community,” she said. “At a community bank, you really get to know customers, as you work with them one-on-one. You get to know their families. It’s a nice community atmosphere. We can really give good customer service. It’s all part of being a community banker.”
Howard Zern, Simsbury Bank’s executive vice president, chief of retail banking operations and technology office, said DiNicola is a tremendous asset to the bank.
Committed To Excellence
She is “committed to promoting the high standards of Simsbury Bank, stressing community awareness, customer satisfaction and a strong efficient team,” he said. “Her visibility throughout the Farmington Valley community allows her to continually create awareness of products, services and promotions at Simsbury Bank. Robin and her team increased the Avon Branch deposits by over 30 percent in four years. She is committed to customer service excellence at Simsbury Bank and helped develop standardized business policies and procedures effectively in use by all branches.”
DiNicola is the consummate team player, according to Zern. She “encourages her staff to achieve sales goals, increase customer satisfaction and retention, and supports and assists individuals in their quests for promotions within Simsbury Bank,” he said.
A graduate of the Connecticut School of Finance and Management, DiNicola received the John G. Shortell Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement in 2004. She volunteers for the Salvation Army, Autism Speaks, March of Dimes, American Cancer Society, Special Olympics, Cystic Fibrosis and Juvenile Diabetes. She is president of the Avon Chamber of Commerce, treasu rer of the Farmington Valley Visitors Association, secretary of The Arc of the Farmington Valley (FAVARH), and a member of the organization’s executive, finance and search committees
