Carol Bickford announces retirement.
After 37 years, Carol Bickford, the Senior Vice President and Retail Lending Officer for Meredith Village Savings Bank (MVSB), Merrimack County Savings Bank (the Merrimack) and Savings Bank of Walpole (SBW) is retiring. Bickford currently stewards the mortgage and personal lending programs for all three banks. Her last working day is December 18, 2020.
Bickford joined the MVSB lending team in 1983 and quickly moved up through the ranks. She was promoted to Senior Vice President of Retail Lending at MVSB in 2009; and was promoted to include the Merrimack in 2014, and again to include Savings Bank of Walpole in 2019. She has been a valued member of the senior level staff for over fifteen years.
Bickford’s success is attributed to her quick understanding and assessment of NH’s unique home market. As a community banker, she has led her team to become experts in the region, helping them appreciate the challenges and rewards of building, buying and owning a home locally. The highly skilled mortgage specialists of MVSB, the Merrimack and SBW offer personal, tailored support that fit individual needs. They specialize in first-time home-buying, construction lending and second homes. They also manage many partnerships with an array of vendors and businesses involved in the home buying process.
“For almost four decades, Carol’s leadership in our residential lending area has been a cornerstone to the success of our company, making thousands of dreams come true with home ownership in our state,” said Rick Wyman, President of Meredith Village Savings Bank. “Her leadership and service has made us stronger and better through the years. Carol will be very missed, and we wish her the best in retirement.”
“It has been an absolute honor to spend my banking career at such a remarkable organization,” said Bickford. “Our three banks have each recorded a significant amount of success over the past 150 years. I am deeply fortunate to have worked with such incredible colleagues and have been blessed to connect with so many people over the years. Now I’m looking forward to many new experiences with family and friends and opportunities that will allow me to continue making a difference.”
Carol Bickford is a member of the Mortgage Market Committee for American Bankers Association. She also previously served on the Mortgage Committee for New Hampshire Bankers, and was a Board Member of Lakes Region Community Developers (formerly Laconia Area Community Land Trust) as well as the Lakes Region United Way. She has also been involved with several past projects with the Town of Meredith, including an update of the town’s Master Plan. Bickford attended New Hampshire College for business and is a graduate of the ABA Graduate School of Banking at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.