Executive Management

After graduating from Siena College in 1989, Tom accepted a position at a local bank, beginning what would become a very successful career in banking. Tom has worked in different areas of banking including retail and commercial, sales management and executive leadership. He began at Pioneer in August 2012. As President and CEO, Tom's primary role is to provide executive level leadership to the team by helping to develop strategy, motivate employees and to remove barriers so people can be successful. He is passionate about building an organization that is centered on employee engagement and customer loyalty.

Among the many awards Tom has achieved throughout his career, the ones that stand out for him include the Albany Business Review's "40 Under 40", the AMA of NY Capital Region Chapter’s “Marketer of Excellence”, Hudson Valley Community College's "Otto V. Guenther Career Achievement Award", the Big Brothers'/Big Sisters' "Spirits of September Honoree", the 2015 Champion for Children Award from Northern Rivers and the 2018 Legacy Award from the Northeast Kidney Foundation.

Tom is currently a member of the 50 Group, the Chair of CEG, Trustee of Siena College Board of Trustees, Chair of the Independent Bankers Association of New York and a Board of Director of the New York State Bankers Association.

Tom earned a BS in Business Administration at Siena College and a master's degree from SUNY Albany in 1992. He resides in Ballston Lake with his wife, Chris, and son, Jake, and enjoys skiing, golfing, and spending time with friends and family.

Kelli joined Pioneer with diverse experience in the finance sector. In her past roles she has lead multistate teams focused in commercial, health care, not-for-profit and municipal banking in addition to community development activities and CRA regulatory compliance in banks such as KeyBank, First Niagara, and HSBC. While she has a long tenure on banking, Kelli spent the first ten years of her career in health care regulatory, capital, and policy work, after receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from the SUNY Oswego and an MBA in Health Care Administration from Union Graduate College. Kelli is passionate about community involvement and mentoring young professionals. She is active in various community organizations. She is currently the Chair of the Board at SEAT Center, Schenectady and has served on the boards for of Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless, Rensselaer Regional Chamber of Commerce, Capital Affordable Housing Funding Corporation, Catholic Health of Buffalo, and CenterState CEO. She mentored numerous young professionals through various bank and community-based channels.

Susan joined the Pioneer Bank Executive team as EVP, Chief Human Resources Officer in 2016. Prior to joining Pioneer, Susan held the position of Senior HR Manager for First Niagara Bank, Chief Human Resources Officer for Hudson River Bank & Trust Co. and Chief Human Resources Officer for National Savings Bank of Albany.

At Pioneer Bank, Susan is responsible for the development and implementation of a human resource strategy in support of the overall business plan and strategic direction of Pioneer Bank. Susan holds a degree in Business Administration from the State University of New York and a Senior Level Certification through the Society of Human Resources Management. Additionally, Susan Co-Chairs the Pioneer Bank Charitable Foundation and serves on the Board of Directors for the Northeastern New York Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Susan resides in Kinderhook, with her Husband. They have two grown children.

Patrick joined Pioneer Bank in November 2016 as Chief Financial Officer. In that role, Patrick is a member of executive management where his responsibilities include strategic planning, as well as overseeing all financial operations of the Bank and its subsidiaries including asset liability management, financial reporting, accounting, and tax. In addition, he advises the Board of Trustees and management on the Bank’s on-going financial performance, as well as forecasting future operating results.

Patrick comes to Pioneer Bank with considerable industry expertise. He has garnered a professional reputation for developing organizational vision and future growth, as well as reviewing and executing strategic initiatives and best practice approaches to company operations. Prior to joining Pioneer Bank, Patrick spent 20 years with UHY Advisors / UHY LLP, one of the nation’s leading professional services firms, where he was a trusted advisor to a variety of clients in the public and private sectors while specializing in the financial services industry. For the last 10 years with the firm he served as a Managing Director and Partner, during which he oversaw the firm’s National Financial Services practice.

Patrick is a Certified Public Accountant and also holds the Chartered Global Management Accountant designation. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. Patrick earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the State University of New York, College at Brockport. Among the awards that Patrick has received throughout his career, one of the most memorable achievements was being named one of the region’s rising stars with the “40 Under 40” award from the Albany Business Review.

Patrick is actively involved in the community and currently serves on a number of local boards including Vanderheyden Hall and Siena College. Patrick is a lifelong Capital Region resident and resides in Brunswick. He enjoys spending time with his kids, biking, and the outdoors.

Jim’s banking career spans four decades during which he has held various line and management roles in commercial lending. Prior to joining Pioneer in 2023, Jim was the Chief Commercial Lending Officer at Community Bank, N.A., and the Chief Credit Officer at Kinderhook Bank and NBT. He spent much of his career at JPMorgan Chase in both line and credit executive positions. At Pioneer, Jim will provide leadership and expertise in all aspects credit, ensuring the overall quality of Pioneer’s lending portfolio.

Jim received a BS in Finance from Siena College and an MBA from Russell Sage College and is a current board member for Pursuit Lending Corporation, serving on their loan and audit committees. He is also Past President of East Greenbush-Castleton Little League. Jim resides in East Greenbush with his wife, Kim.

Tom joined Pioneer in July 2022 as EVP, Chief Administration Officer with approximately three decades of experience in the community banking industry. In his role with Pioneer, Tom will oversee Deposit and Retail Loan Operations as well as Compliance, Risk, Information Technology, Security, and Facilities.

Tom holds a Bachelor’s of Business Administration degree from Siena College and is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in New York State. Prior to joining Pioneer, Tom served as EVP & Chief Operating Officer at Kinderhook Bank where he managed the Deposit and Retail Loan Operations Departments as well as Compliance, Risk, Information Technology, Security, Facilities, and served as the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) Officer for the bank.  Prior to his position at Kinderhook Bank, Tom was a shareholder at Pattison, Koskey & Rath, PC, where he managed the internal audits for community bank clients.

Tom resides with his family in Clifton Park. He enjoys biking, traveling, and spending time with his family.

Jesse brings over two decades of financial experience to his role at Pioneer, having managed virtually all disciplines within the financial services industry, including commercial lending, retail branch banking, and investment banking.

As Chief Banking Officer and a member of executive management since 2013, Jesse is responsible for all commercial development, retail network, insurance services, and wealth management. He describes himself as a "very hands-on executive," spending a great deal of his time with the frontline individuals, the folks who have first-hand interactions with our customers. He enjoys bringing the organization's strategic vision to the individuals ultimately responsible for delivering that vision to the public. He lists the highlights of his banking career as those moments when his team members' accomplishments exceeded their expectations. Those moments continue to motivate him to give his all each and every day. Jesse received a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Management and Human Resource Management from the University of Akron.

Jesse volunteers for many local charities and serves on multiple boards. Jesse lives in Saratoga Springs with his wife, Amanda, and four children. He likes to spend time with his family, loves the outdoors, and enjoys the many social activities that Saratoga and the Capital Region have to offer.