Joseph Vitale has been selected as the 2018 Greater Baldwinsville Chamber of Commerce (GBCC) Business Person of the Year. Awarded since 1988, the Business Person of the Year honors an individual who has demonstrated integrity, accomplishments in business, and business, civic, and/or corporate leadership.
Vitale is the president of Seneca Savings, a community-oriented bank that provides personal and commercial banking products and services. Headquartered in Baldwinsville, Seneca Savings also has branches in Liverpool and North Syracuse and is celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2018.
In the five years of Vitale’s leadership, Seneca Savings has grown its assets to $176.2 million and the number of employees to 47. In 2017, Seneca Savings formed a mutual holding company to offer stock ownership for the first time; booked $8.4 million in new commercial loans and/or lines of credit; booked $25.8 million in local residential and home equity loans; added new commercial and retail deposit products and services; and modernized the Liverpool and Syracuse branch offices.
Numerous local organizations and charities have benefited from Seneca Savings’ generosity under Vitale’s direction, both in financial contributions and employee volunteers. A few of those organizations are Baldwinsville Christmas Bureau, Baldwinsville Center for the Arts, Baldwinsville Food Pantry, Canton Woods Senior Center and Rotary Club of Baldwinsville.
Angelo Testani, vice president of commercial lending with Seneca Savings, put Vitale up for the honor.
“I nominated Joe for the award having seen firsthand the effects of his leadership at Seneca Savings over the past five years,” said Testani. “These include granular revisions such as the introduction of new products and services to meet current and potential customers’ needs as well as broader revisions that include forming a mutual holding company and offering stock for the first time in the bank’s history. Under the direction of Joe, Seneca Savings has made many positive changes especially during 2017.”
Vitale is a SUNY Utica/Rome graduate with a degree in accounting and has completed the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking program. Prior to joining Seneca Savings, he worked for Savannah Bank and Cayuga Bank.
The award was announced at Seneca Savings’ 90th anniversary celebration at Mercer Park in Baldwinsville on Aug. 21, and Vitale will be honored at an event in the fall.
