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28 THE COURIER SUN • DECEMBER 8, 2016 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com Success profile of Tom Rudzewick, CEO of Maspeth Federal Savings Bank  vschneps@ gmail.com Dynamic $1500 off Lumineers $500 off Invisalign DENTAL WORK CALL FOR FREE CONSULTATION THE INVISIBLE WAY TO SOME EXCLUSIONS APPLY STRAIGHTEN TEETH Third Generation Dentist ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Banking for Tom Rudzewick is a family affair. His father, Ken, started at Maspeth Federal Savings Bank as a teller when he was 19 years old (his mom worked there, too) and rose through the ranks to be CEO and president. Now, his son Tom leads the bank and Tom’s brother, Glenn, heads the lending division. Maspeth is proud of its namesake bank, and the bank is grateful to its depositors and clients as it celebrates the annual “Smile on Maspeth Day.” For 70 years, the bank—founded by a local liquor store owner—has grown but never lost sight of its roots. This has served the bank well. I met recently with Tom, who was appointed CEO and took the mantle from his well-known and respected dad, Ken. “I learned everything I know from my dad, coming to work with him as a child and always feeling my destiny was with the bank, too,” he said with a broad smile. He’s a man at ease in his windowed office overlooking busy Grand Avenue in Maspeth. “We like to compare ourselves to the rabbit and the hare. We are slow but steady in our growth and that has served us well during down cycles,” he shared. I remember the photos of Ken dressed in full American revolutionary costume as he led the Memorial Day Parade in Maspeth, one of the largest in the city. “My dad,” Tom recalled with nostalgia in his voice, “believed in our bank being active in the community. In fact, my grandmother marched in the parade, and that tradition has continued.” Sadly, Tom lost his sister, Jill, after a seven-year battle with breast cancer, but he turned his pain into a passion to help others. The bank organizes and sends hundreds of employees to participate in the Middle Village Relay for Life. Jill lives on through their work, helping many in their struggle. Although the bank donates money to many causes, its strength has been its mission to give back through volunteering with many groups in the communities it serves. Tom’s chief operating officer, David Daraio, serves as the president of the Maspeth Chamber of Commerce, keeping the pulse of the community and businesses serving it. “As a community bank, I take seriously my role to be part of the community. We have five branches in Queens and Nassau County and offer online banking, extending our footprint,” Tom explained. He talked with pride about the renovations at the branches that now offer free coffee, a children’s coloring station and free Wi-Fi. There are also expansion plans for the next several years. Tom lives the Maspeth Savings Bank’s motto that says, “We treat you like family.” The CEO is married and is the proud father of son Nicholas, who is a passionate hockey player. Keeping to his belief in getting involved, Tom Rudzewick volunteers and heads his son’s league. It’s all part of his philosophy of giving back. With the new Trump administration coming into office, Rudzewick expects, optimistically, to continue his lobbying for changes in the regulatory procedures in place now that restrict the bank’s ability to lend. “We are well positioned to help the new immigrant groups fulfill their dream of home ownership just like my grandfather did decades ago,” he explained. Hearing his success story, I believe he will prevail and build success for others, too! With the 70th anniversary of the bank, long a champion of the community, its slow but steady growth is sure to serve it well into the future because it keeps drawing depositors from childhood to old age, and it does business the old-fashioned way, caring for its clients! Victoria’s Secrets Victoria SCHNEPS-YUNIS tweet me @vschneps Tom and Ken Rudzewick Tom, Glenn and Ken Rudzewick


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