Shpunt Named Wilton Bank VP

WILTON — Gerard P. Shpunt of Newtown has been named senior vice president, operations, and controller of The Wilton Bank. He will serve as an early transition, assuming the full responsibilities of Frances Charney, executive vice president, who will be retiring on July 7, 2000.

Nicki Brown, president and chief executive officer, said, “[hiring outside the bank] is an unusual event for us.”

“We didn’t expect to hire this early,” Mr Brown said. “However, Gerard Shpunt was suddenly available and we didn’t want to lose him. Having him work closely with Frances Charney is our good fortune.”

Mr Shpunt brings more than 20 years of community banking experience to the post. Most recently he was the senior vice president, operations officer, and controller for the Village Bank & Trust in Ridgefield, a bank he had started working for, as an accounting clerk, when he graduated from college.

In 1979 Mr Shpunt became vice president/controller for the Nutmeg Federal Savings & Loan, a small community bank in Danbury.

“One of the reasons why I like small banks is because you get exposed to a variety of situations and responsibilities,” he said. “I’ve done everything from changing light bulbs to shoveling snow. You name it. In a small bank, if no one else is there and the job needs to get done, you do it.”

In 1987, he returned to the Village Bank & Trust in Ridgefield. During the next 12 years, he worked his way from auditor to senior vice president, with duties overseeing the bank’s six branches. Then, earlier this year he, along with several others, suddenly found his position eliminated when Webster acquired the Village Bank. Soon, however, he had a call from Nicki Brown.

“The Village Bank was a commercial bank with $235 million in assets,” said Mr Shpunt. “However, compared to Webster, the Village Bank was a small community bank. As a bank gets bigger, departments get more specialized. For me, one of the more enjoyable aspects of a small bank is getting to see the whole picture as opposed to just one piece of a big puzzle.”

Mr Shpunt is a graduate of Southern Connecticut State University, where he earned a degree in economics. He lives in Newtown with his wife, Joanne, and their three children.