THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2021 Page 3 Sarah O’Toole takes the helm at Everett branch of Members Plus By Christopher Roberson W ith Century Bank in the process of merging with Eastern Bank, Sarah O’Toole decided to make the move to Members Plus Credit Union after 25 years with Century. “It was a really hard decision,” she said. Although Eastern had offered her a position, O’Toole knew that a smaller financial institution would be the better choice – Members Plus was the answer. “I loved the intimacy of a small, local organization,” she said. In addition to becoming the manager of the Everett branch last month, O’Toole has been a customer at Members Plus for the past 10 years. She has also admired the commitment that the credit union has to the city, citing the donation of 50 backpacks to the Parlin School and being involved in the annual Everett Kiwanis Golf Tournament. O’Toole said that on one occasion John Murphy, the president and CEO of Members Plus, visited the Everett branch to address an issue with the elevator. While there, he also helped a customer at the drive-thru window and assisted O’Toole with balancing the branch’s ATM. “They value teamwork from the very top,” she said. O’Toole said she got her start in banking in 1996 as a parttime teller at Century’s Cambridge branch. “I needed a job with flexibility so I chose banking,” she said, adding that she was raising her two daughters at the time. “I really enjoyed getting to know people and finding out what their needs were.” From there, O’Toole worked her way up the ranks and became the branch manager in 2006, a position she would hold for the next 15 years. O’Toole said being a manager afforded her the opportunity to spend more time with customers to determine the exact service that was needed. Councillor DiPierro announces Ward 3 Celebrity Bartending event Y ou might have heard that the award-winning Everett Crimson Tide Marching Band has been invited to perform at the 80th commemoration event of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii this December. Fundraising efforts have been well underway throughout the community all summer long. To compliment those efforts, Ward 3 Councillor Anthony DiPierro, School Committee Chair Frank Parker and Councillors-at-Large Richard Dell Isola and Michael Marchese will be cohosting a Ward 3 Celebrity Bartending event on Sunday, September 12 from 2-6 p.m. at Stewart’s Pub on Elm Street. The four will be taking turns behind the bar and hope to draw a good crowd for a day that promises to be full of fun and camaraderie for a good cause. The event marks the fourth Celebrity Bartending event hosted by the Ward 3 group. In years past, they have raised more than $8,000 for the youths of the Devens School to fund field trips and other activities. They would like to thank proprietor Anne Stewart for her continued community support, by once again offering her establishment to benefit the students of Everett. If you are unable to attend, but would still like to donate, checks can be made payable and sent to “Everett Public Schools – Music Dept.”, Attn: Penny Yebba, 100 Elm St., Everett, MA 02149. Sarah O’Toole recently took over as the manager of Members Plus Credit Union on Broadway. (Advocate Photo by Christopher Roberson) “I loved building relationships with people and being able to help them,” she said. She recalled one instance when a gentleman came in to apply for an auto loan. However, a loan was not possible at that time as his credit score was too low. In response, O’Toole signed him up for a secure credit card, and over time that customer was able to restore his credit and purchase a car. O’Toole also helped a young couple get their first mortgage and has helped numerous children open their first savings account. “It’s actually pretty awesome,” she said.
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