North Middlesex Savings Bank
March 20, 2006

For more information, contact:
Patricia Thorpe
Vice President, Marketing
North Middlesex Savings Bank
(978)772-8502 ext 1312
patricia.thorpe@nmsb.com

PRISCILLA SCALES JOINS NORTH MIDDLESEX SAVINGS BANK

Priscilla Scales has joined North Middlesex Savings Bank as Assistant Treasurer / Branch Manager of its new Groton office. Scales, who has 20 years experience in the banking industry, is excited to launch the Groton-based branch. "North Middlesex Savings Bank is a family oriented bank," Scales said. "It's the kind of bank that wants to be part of a neighborhood. I'm thrilled to be working for a bank where the individual customer comes first." Scales' employment in the banking industry began on December 17, 1985, when she went to work for First Bank of Chelmsford. "I had worked in banking in high school," she said, "and when a job opened up in customer service at First Bank, I thought it was something I could do – and enjoy." Scales found her thought process was on the money: "I loved the work," she said. "But it was much harder than I thought it would be!"

Scales stayed at First Bank until the company merged with Shawmut. She transferred to Tewksbury, then Westford, where she remained at the same location through several mergers as the Bank went from Shawmut to Fleet to Sovereign. During that time frame, Scales worked as Assistant Manager and later, operations manager. The bulk of her twenty years experience was in the Westford Marketplace bank location.

Her interaction with customers led to a promotion and job change. "I became a Small Business Specialist," she said. This job change meant Scales would spend 100 percent of her time working with business customers. "At first, I didn't want to give up my personal customers," she explained, "But then I learned that the needs of business customers are different and that small businesses really need someone dedicated to them. For instance, if a customer is at work for 12 hours a day running his or her business, he or she really can't get out to the Bank to open an account or pick up a home equity application. I would go to them."

Her success with small business customers led to another promotion: she was moved to Boston and dealt exclusively with large corporations. While the work was interesting, "I never saw a person," Scales said. "I dealt with all my customers on the phone, or by internet or by fax. I never met a single customer in person. I missed that."

When Susan Casserly, Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager of NMSB's Littleton Office, approached Scales about the Groton opening, "I was very interested," Sales said. "I knew Susan was very happy at North Middlesex Savings Bank. She told me how caring everyone was here, and how the bank centered on personal contact with customers. I really liked that. I feel like I've gone full circle – from a small, family oriented bank to a large commercial bank with limited customer contact, back to a personal bank again. This is what I love to do: provide great customer service to my customers. When people talk about my branch, I want them to say we provide the best service. I want customers to know that they are important – as people – to us."

"We are pleased to have Priscilla Scales join the North Middlesex Savings Bank family," said William P. Marshall, President and CEO, North Middlesex Savings Bank. "Priscilla, with twenty years experience providing exceptional customer service, brings a high level of professional expertise to our Groton banking office. We invite Groton residents to stop by our new office and meet Priscilla and her staff in person."

Scales, who has lived in Billerica for 38 years, is grandmother to two boys: Geoffrey, age 8 and Tyler, age four and a half. She enjoys cake decorating and volunteerism. She was a member of the Executive Board of the HONS, a Shriner organization, and remains an active volunteer within that organization.

The Groton Branch is located at Mill Run Plaza, Route 119, Groton. For more information on the Groton banking office, please call (978)732-1000.