Candace Pereira Named Vice President / Commercial Lender

Candace Pereira of East Longmeadow has been promoted to the role of vice president / commercial lender after working with us as assistant vice president / commercial portfolio manager in the Commercial Lending department since 2017. 

In her new role, Candace will concentrate on commercial and industrial lending, and lending to women-owned businesses. 

She holds an associate degree in finance from Springfield Technical Community College and a bachelor’s in business administration from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Candace is currently pursuing an MBA from Isenberg as well.

Her career in banking began in 2003, and she has held various roles since at mutually held and stockholder-owned banks in Western Massachusetts in both residential and commercial lending. 

Working at Florence Bank as a lender excites Candace because she believes customers are better served with a mutual bank. “Decisions are made locally. The management team knows the market,” she says. “A mutual bank is also more invested in the community and its overall success. We give back to the community.”

Recently named an ambassador for the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce, Candace is also a member of the 2017 class for BusinessWest’s 40 under Forty, and she attended the Springfield Leadership Institute. She has served on various local boards over the last several years and has also volunteered as an athletic coach in East Longmeadow, where her daughter is a student.

Matt Garrity, president and CEO of Florence Bank, said of Candace, “She has a solid foundation in working directly with customers and understanding their financial situations. We are pleased to welcome her to our team of commercial lenders.”