MountainOne Announces New CEO, COO

Robert Fraser has been named CEO for MountainOne.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — MountainOne Financial and MountainOne Bank have appointed Robert J. Fraser as president and CEO.

Fraser succeeds Thomas S. Leavitt on Sept. 22. Leavitt has been MountainOne's CEO for two years and is returning to his home state of Vermont to lead Northfield Savings Bank.

Fraser joined the organization in 2007 and has been serving as president and chief operating officer of MountainOne Bank, building upon his prior role as president and CEO of South Coastal Bank.  He is a veteran commercial banker with background in senior lending roles with U.S. Trust and Citizens Bank.

Fraser, a Marshfield resident, holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and earned an MBA from Northeastern University.

In a related action, Steven J. Owens will be appointed MountainOne's chief operating officer. Owens is currently serving as executive vice president, chief financial officer and chief information officer.  He has been with the company three years, having previously served as executive vice president and CFO for Fort Orange Financial Corp. and its subsidiary Capital Bank & Trust Company. Prior to that was a senior manager in the financial services practice of KPMG.  A native of New York's Capital Region, Owens earned a bachelor's degree in business administration with valedictorian honors at Siena College and is a certified public accountant.    

"These appointments represent a natural transition of duties within our accomplished management team," board Chairman Daniel Bosley said. "Bob, Steve, and Tom have been working together for two years to put MountainOne on a strong track with a common strategic vision and adherence to our well-established core commitments. Bob is one of the commonwealth’s top bankers and is the consensus choice of the Board to lead us to the next phase of growth. He is respected throughout Massachusetts and has demonstrated his effectiveness in serving the Berkshires, Boston South, and Boston North. Steve has a rare depth of skills that provides MountainOne with a financial and operational backbone that supports our multiline business model and long-term growth strategy.

Cost, Access to NBCTC High Among Concerns North Berkshire Residents

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
06:15PM / Thursday, April 25, 2024

Adams Select Chair Christine Hoyt, NBCTC Executive Director David Fabiano and William Solomon, the attorney representing the four communities, talk after the session. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Public access channels should be supported and made more available to the public — and not be subject to a charge.

 

More than three dozen community members in-person and online attended the public hearing  Wednesday on public access and service from Spectrum/Charter Communications. The session at City Hall was held for residents in Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg and North Adams to express their concerns to Spectrum ahead of another 10-year contract that starts in October.

 

Listening via Zoom but not speaking was Jennifer Young, director state government affairs at Charter.

 

One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly. 

 

"I don't know if everybody else feels the same way but they have a monopoly," said Clarksburg resident David Emery. "They control everything we do because there's nobody else to go to. You're stuck with with them."

 

Public access television, like the 30-year-old Northern Berkshire Community Television, is funded by cable television companies through franchise fees, member fees, grants and contributions.

 

Spectrum is the only cable provider in the region and while residents can shift to satellite providers or streaming, Northern Berkshire Community Television is not available on those alternatives and they may not be easy for some to navigate. For instance, the Spectrum app is available on smart televisions but it doesn't include PEG, the public, educational and governmental channels provided by NBCTC.