The First National Bank and its Groton Central School alumni (Part I)

This is the first of a three-part series featuring the employees and members of the board of directors of First National Bank of Groton who are also alumni of Groton Central School.  

This year will mark 159 years since First National Bank of Groton (FNBG) was established in 1865 by Charles Perrigo, Dexter Marsh and other prominent businessmen of the time. Perrigo was its first president, and since 1978, Steve Gobel has held that position.

FNBG remains a tremendous asset to our community in many ways, including its commitment to and support of its employees. Many of these employees, from both the Groton and Moravia branches, are Groton Central School (GCS) alumni.

Today, FNBG employs 37 people, of whom 20 are GCS alumni. Five alumni serve on its seven-member board of directors, which includes Gobel, who is a 1966 alumnus.  

Gobel was born in Elmira, New York, but his roots were planted in Groton at the age of two when his father, William Gobel, a semi-professional baseball first baseman, moved here with his wife, Leona, and family so he could play for the Groton Coronas baseball team. William became an employee at Smith-Corona, and Steve and his siblings, Shirley, Tom, and Jeff, all attended GCS.

While attending school, Steve was already launching himself into the business world. He started his first job at the age of 13 mowing lawns at the Groton Catholic Cemetery on Clark Street and trimming Christmas trees at a Groton tree farm.

“I played baseball and basketball, and outdoor track in school, but basketball was always my favorite,” Steve said. “I loved sports, but I also worked at the Victory supermarket in town when I was in high school. It was there that one of the bank officers from the FNBG mentioned a job opening and I applied. I started working there on my birthday, Sept. 15, 1967, as a file clerk/teller, and that’s where it all started.”

Steve attended Alfred State College, earning his associate degree in business economics in 1969 and working at the bank between semesters and during summers. That same year, he married his wife, Linda, who sadly passed away in July 2020. Steve and Linda proudly raised their two sons, Andrew and Eric, who are both GCS alumni.  

Between working at the bank and being newly married, Steve also found time to serve his country in the U.S. Army Reserve 98th Division in Ithaca.

“I started my active duty at Fort Knox,” Steve said. “I thought that was perfect for a banker — to be where they have all the gold. I was there six months, and then [spent] six years in the Reserves in Ithaca.”

Steve began working full-time as a teller at FNBG in spring 1970. He said he “moved up through the ranks” until he became the president and chief executive officer in 1978.

In addition to overseeing FNBG’s Groton and Moravia branches, Steve keeps very busy. He is on the board of directors of the Independent Bankers Association of New York State, the Cortland Area Chamber of Commerce and Stonehedges Golf Course. He is also a member of the Groton Business Association, the Locke/Moravia Chamber of Commerce, St. Anthony’s Church in Groton, St. Mary’s Church in Cortland and the Fraternal Order of the Eagles. Besides all this, he is a 50-year member of the Groton American Legion Post 800 and a charter member of the Groton Education Fund. He said, “It keeps me active.”

In 2010, Steve was the first inductee to the Groton Central School Distinguished Graduate Academic Hall of Fame. A plaque on the high school wall lists some of the many outstanding things Gobel has done for the school, including his mentorship of students he has employed at the bank.

“I wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night thinking banking,” Steve said. “Having a chance to work with many wonderful people and serving many wonderful customers through the years means everything to me.”

Steve is delighted to have his son, Andrew, as the bank’s executive vice president and chief financial officer. Andrew recently celebrated his 25-year anniversary at FNBG, and his full story may be found in the January 10, 2024 edition of this column.

Laura Lash, GCS 1981 alumna, is currently FNBG’s vice president and chief finance officer. Her parents are George Sr. and Connie Norman, and her siblings are Debbie (Norman) Lott, Tammy Wheeler and George Norman III.

“When I was in high school, I was always interested in art. It was my passion,” Lash said. “Mario Venturini was my art teacher and one of my favorites. I loved drawing and painting, but I also loved math!”

Laura married her husband, Gary, right after high school. They had three children: Lindsey (Lash) Moore, Nate, who passed away in 2018, and Allison.

Initially, the Lash family lived in Ithaca. Laura worked in retail at Jamesway, Casual Corner, Fields Hosiery and Zales Jeweler through the years. They moved back to Groton in 1986.

“Lindsey started kindergarten in 1988, and on a whim, I looked for job openings at the bank,” Laura said. “I was hired to work in the Operations Department and kept moving up the ranks until my current position began in 2022. I just came looking for a job, and it became a career.”

Laura expressed her gratitude for the bank’s support of education, explaining that she was able to take several classes and earn diplomas through the years, enabling her to be promoted from within.

“The bank has a lot of good reasons to work here,” Laura added. “It’s family and community oriented, and the support for education was big for me, personally.”

Mel and Debi Radcliffe raised four daughters here in Groton: Kathi, Jessica, Heather, and Betsy. All are GCS alumnae. Betsy, a 2004 graduate, is currently the human resources officer and facilities manager for the bank.

While in high school, Betsy was very active in cross-country, outdoor track, bowling and chorus. She was also a member of the National Honor Society and worked part-time at Best Buy and the Groton Red Caboose. After high school, Betsy worked full-time at Best Buy during the winter months and at the Caboose in summer until she was hired as a teller at the bank in February 2006.

“I did stay on at the Caboose for a while but needed to stop in 2007 because it was just too much,” Betsy said. “By 2008, I had become an administrative services representative at the bank, and by 2015 I had moved up the ranks to eventually be where I am today.”

Also in 2008, Betsy married her husband, Mike Sears Jr. They have an eight-year-old daughter, Lexington (Lexi). Betsy is also a trustee on the board of her church, Groton Assembly of God.

“I enjoy all the people who work here, and I love helping them,” Betsy said. “It’s like a family here. When I bring Lexi in, it makes me feel really special that I can trust my co-workers with my child and that they love her. You form bonds with everybody. I can’t imagine working anywhere else.”

Be sure to come back next week for Part II of this series!

Groton on the Inside appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Submit story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com or text or call Linda at 607-227-4922. 

In brief:

Dinner night in McLean

McLean Community Church, 50 Church St., will host a scalloped potatoes and ham dinner from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday March 16. Scalloped potatoes and ham, vegetable medley, rolls, cherry dump cake and a beverage are all included for $15 per meal, dine in or take out. Please enter through the kitchen to make payment.

Irish fare at the American Legion

The Groton American Legion Post 800, 307 Main St., will serve your choice of a corned beef or ham dinner with all the trimmings at noon on St. Patrick’s Day, Sunday, March 17. Included with either entrée will be cabbage, carrots, potatoes, onions, rolls, Irish soda bread and dessert for $12 per person, dine in or take out. Reservations are appreciated and can be made by calling 607-898-3837.

GPL Book Club

The Groton Public Library Book Club will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 21 in the Great Room. This month’s book is “Canary Girls” by Jennifer Chiaverini. Call 607-898-5055 or email director@grotonpubliclibrary.org for available copies to check out.