The First National Bank and its Groton alumni (Part II)

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

Last week’s column afforded a tiny glimpse into the beginning of The First National Bank of Groton and an opportunity to learn a bit about some of its 20 of 37 employees who are also alumni of Groton Central School (GCS). This week, the story continues.

Destany Beebe ’14 began her career at the bank in June 2021 as a teller. After two subsequent promotions, she is now a senior customer service representative.

Destany’s parents, Glenn and Stacy, had a “full house” that included Destany and her siblings, Heaven (Monk), Emily, Misty (Klein), Kelly (Webb), Amber (Coombs), Brandie, Glenn Jr., Charlene (Rose) and Issiaih Weeks.

In high school, Destany was vice president of her class of 2014 and was also involved in student council, yearbook club, chorus and cheerleading. Outside of the school day, she worked part-time at Mark’s Pizzeria in Groton.

After her graduation, Destany was a waitress at Cortland Applebee’s for seven years before deciding to attend Tompkins Cortland Community College to pursue a career in law enforcement.

“I majored in criminal justice and switched to human services to become a social worker because my parents were foster parents when I was a child,” Destany said. “I graduated in 2019 with a liberal arts degree instead and was the first person in my entire family to graduate from college. I met my boyfriend, Andrew Gillette, in 2020 and we’ve been together since.”

Destany said she enjoys working at the bank because “it’s community-based and has a family atmosphere. It feels welcoming to be here, and we all work as a team.”

Tom and Christie Brown raised two GCS alumni: Christopher ’98 and Nick ’01. It seemed that Nick was destined for his future in banking, influenced by his business course at GCS taught by Mona Forney, having Steve Gobel as his Little League baseball coach and graduating with Andrew Gobel.

“Because of all of that, plus the fact that my parents suggested it, I thought it would be a good idea to apply at the bank,” Nick said with a chuckle.

In 2003, Nick married his wife, Shelly, and they have two sons, Aiden and Landon. Nick said he regrets that he didn’t do anything in high school himself, but now he enjoys watching his sons play sports.

Nick began his career as a teller at the bank before moving up to become a lending services coordinator more than seven years later. After another seven years, Nick became a lender, and is now a retail banking officer.

“I love working here,” Nick said. “It’s a family environment and everyone in management accommodates family commitments. It’s always ‘family first’ with them. Our customers are great. It’s a small-town feel in this bank, and I appreciate that.”

Having grown up helping out on his family’s farm on Sovocool Hill Road, Matt DeGraw ’00 still found time to play baseball, football and golf and sing in chorus in high school. He also worked part-time at the Groton Nursing Home as a night cook.

Matt is the oldest of Milton and Durcy DeGraw’s sons. His brothers, Justin ’03 and Waylon ’06, are also GCS alumni, and Matt now has two children there: Hunter, who is a junior, and Madison, a sophomore.

After his graduation in 2000, Matt worked full-time at the nursing home, but then he learned of an opening at the bank that October.

“I always liked math and science, plus Steve Gobel had been my tee-ball coach back in the day,” Matt said. “So, I applied. I started out as an administrative services professional doing bookkeeping, board reports and payroll.”

Matt later became a lending coordinator, and in February 2007, he moved over to the Moravia branch of the bank as its assistant branch manager. He is now its assistant vice president and manager.

“From the beginning, the bank was like family,” Matt said. “Things have changed some since then with technology and all, but it’s still a family atmosphere, and Moravia is also a nice little town.”

Donny and Charlie (Crispell) Evener are husband and wife, both GCS 2013 alumni, and both work at the bank. They were high school sweethearts who married in October 2016. They have three small children: Chloe, Callie and Eloise.

Charlie’s parents are Brandy and Charles Crispell, and her siblings are Charles, Alice and Autumn. Donny’s parents are Rick and Patricia Evener. Donny’s sister, Jennifer (Evener) Parker is a 2011 GCS alumna.

“In high school, I played volleyball and basketball, and graduated from TC3 with an associate degree in exercise studies,” Charlie said. “I worked at Mark’s Pizzeria in high school as a phone girl and then got promoted to manager.” 

Donny was a three-sport athlete at GCS, playing football, basketball and baseball. He also sang in chorus and was a member of drama club. He played Little Jake in “Annie Get Your Gun” in 2010.

Donny worked part-time during high school at the Benn Conger Inn and mowing private lawns. Immediately after graduating, he started his own lawn care business, Evener’s Lawn Care.

Charlie left the pizzeria in October 2021 to become a teller at the bank. In less than a year, she became an information service representative (ISR), and six months later, an ISR II.

Meanwhile, Donny was working as a cleaner at Cayuga Medical Center. He began mowing foreclosure properties for the bank and discovered that the bank needed a part-time cleaner. That was August 2022, and he became the bank’s full-time cleaner one month later.

“I’m a firm believer that opportunities come into your life at the right time,” Donny said. “These last two years have been fun because of the great people I work with and seeing and talking to the customers.”

“I really enjoy working at the bank in that it’s a friendly workspace,” Charlie said. “Everyone is always so inviting and welcoming, and I really appreciate Steve, the president. He comes around almost every morning and greets you and wishes you a good day. It always makes me feel so welcome and that I am important to the bank’s daily function.” 

Andrew (Andy) Miller ’98, grew up working on his family’s farm in Summerhill. Andy is the oldest of Ed and Peggy Miller’s children, followed by his GCS alumnae sisters, Megan and Carolyn.

Andy was a member of the National Honor Society, sang in chorus and participated in drama club at GCS. He played the role of John Brooke in “Little Women” in 1997, but his most notable activity was color guard in the marching band.

In years past, the bank had a wonderful internship program for the GCS students, and Andy started his career there as an intern in 1998. After graduation, Andy worked part-time at the bank because he became a semi-professional in drum corps out of Rochester and New Jersey, so traveled a great deal.

“When I came back to inquire about working full-time at the bank in August 2004, I couldn’t get in because the bank had just been robbed that day!” Andy said. “It was all locked up, but I went back again and got a job as a floater, and then a loan officer. I transferred to the Moravia branch in 2009 because they needed me there. It’s very fulfilling to be able to work with the community you grew up in and make a living here.”

Don and Rene Palmer raised three GCS alumni — Mark, Matt and Ashley — but it is Matt ’01 who began his career at the bank in September 2020 as a credit risk officer. In December 2021, Matt moved up to vice president of lending and customer service.

In high school, Matt played football, baseball and basketball and attended TST BOCES’ Auto Technology program. He had part-time jobs at Groton Agway, Ron Wood’s Auto Parts, Groton Community Healthcare and Linda’s Diner in Lansing.

He earned his associate degree in 2003 from TC3 in liberal arts and social sciences, and his bachelor’s in economics from SUNY Fredonia in 2005.

To be closer to his brother, Mark, and his newborn niece, Matt moved to North Carolina and began his banking career as a teller at the North Carolina State Employees’ Credit Union.

“I never got used to the traffic, and I missed Groton, the rest of my family and the rural atmosphere,” Matt said. “So, I contacted the Cornell Federal Credit Union (CFCU) and moved back as a teller there in 2007.”

Matt had met his wife, Emily, at Fredonia. They were married in 2008 and have two children, Hailey and Cameron.

In 2010, Matt became a business lending credit analyst at the CFCU headquarters on Craft Road, where he remained until his start at the Groton bank.

“I am grateful and thankful to be working here and coming back to my roots, and working with a few people I graduated with,” Matt said.

Melissa Reynolds ’03 spent her growing up years with her parents, Gary and Sharon Reynolds, and her siblings, Nicholas Armstrong and Michelle Reynolds. While in high school, Melissa was focused on varsity bowling and working part-time at A.C. Moore. She left her position there and had her children, Kory Hilker, who is a 2023 GCS alumnus, and Laci Hilker, who will graduate from there in June.

Never losing her love for bowling, Melissa bowls in a Friday night league in Weedsport. She now enjoys watching Kory and Laci compete on the varsity bowling team, just as she once did.

Melissa was a stay-at-home mom until her children were in school. She then worked several retail jobs through the years until she became a teller at the bank in January 2020.

“The bank went to half-staff when COVID hit, but I was one of the tellers who worked through it all,” Melissa said. “That November, I was promoted to a lending services coordinator, and I love it! We’re all like a big family here, and the family orientation is what I like the most.”

Be sure to come back next week for Part III of this series, which will include the GCS alumni on the bank’s board of directors!

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:

Books delivered to your door!

The Groton Public Library (GPL) is starting a homebound service! Are you stuck at home, or do you know a friend or family member who can’t make it to the library for books? Sign up for this program and the friendly staff at GPL can help to bring items right to your door!

Reach out to director@grotonpubliclibrary.org, call 607-898-5055 and ask for Sara; or ask a friend, family member or neighbor how to sign up.

Groton Recreation seeks pool help

Lifeguard positions for the Groton Memorial Park pool on Sykes Street will be posted soon. Groton Recreation is also hoping to offer water aerobics this summer. If you are an instructor or know someone who is, email recreation@grotonny.org about this position or for more information about the lifeguard positions.