Berkshire Bank Expands Albany Private Banking and Wealth Management Services

PITTSFIELD, Mass., April 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: BHLB) has expanded its private banking and wealth management services in the Capital Region of New York through the addition of two experienced managers. 

Cindy Barford, SVP, Private Banking, comes to Berkshire from KeyBank where she held multiple positions, most recently SVP, Senior Relationship Manager for Key Private Bank.  Leveraging more than 30 years and multiple roles in the financial services industry, Barford works with affluent customers in the Albany area to provide comprehensive, customized personal and business banking solutions.  She holds the NYS Life Accident & Health Insurance License, Variable Annuities License and Certified Wealth Strategist Designation.    

Kevin Smith, VP, Wealth Advisor, joins Barford and the Commercial and Small Business teams in the region to deliver trust and wealth management solutions.  He has over a decade of experience, most recently with Trustco Bank where he served as a Trust Officer.  Smith received a B.A. from SUNY New Paltz and has completed the Cannon Trust School - Levels I, II and III.  He holds the CFP®, CDFA and CTFA designations and has a NYS Life Accident & Health Insurance License.  Smith is also a board member of the Estate Planning Council of Eastern NY and the Schenectady Community Home.

Michael Daly, President and CEO commented, "This is another step forward in our fast growing New York presence where we added branches and recruited small business and commercial bankers in the last year.  Our ability to attract and retain high caliber people, like Cindy and Kevin, is a competitive advantage and we look forward to continuing to strengthen all of our banking, wealth, and insurance offerings in Albany and our other expanding regional markets."

Charles Leach, SVP and Wealth Management Group Leader, added, "We have been making significant strides towards integration and expansion of our services for high-net worth individuals and their families across our footprint.  Cindy is well-known in her market for her relationships and experience, and combined with Kevin's client-first approach to delivering in-market fiduciary, financial planning and asset management expertise, we have a powerful team in place.  We continue to see opportunities in New York and are excited to be making a further commitment to this market with an experienced team that will service both existing clientele and referral business." 

Barford and Smith are both located in Berkshire's Albany Regional Headquarters at 41 State Street, Albany, NY 12207.  Cindy Barford, SVP, Private Banking, 518-729-1448, [email protected].  Kevin Smith, VP, Wealth Advisor, 518-729-1449, [email protected].   

BACKGROUND Berkshire Hills Bancorp is the parent of Berkshire Bank – America's Most Exciting Bank®. The Company has $6.5 billion in assets and 91 full-service branch offices in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Vermont providing personal and business banking, insurance, and wealth management services. Berkshire has a pending agreement to acquire Hampden Bancorp, the parent of Hampden Bank, which has $706 million in assets and operates ten offices in the Springfield, Massachusetts area.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This document contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  There are several factors that could cause actual results to differ significantly from expectations described in the forward-looking statements. For a discussion of such factors, please see Berkshire's most recent reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.  Berkshire does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements.

CONTACTS Investor Relations Contact Allison O'Rourke; Senior Vice President, Investor Relations Officer; 413-236-3149

Media Contact Ray Smith; Assistant Vice President, Marketing; 413-236-3756

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SOURCE Berkshire Hills Bancorp