Shannon Hyzer CTFA
5 Ford Avenue
Oneonta, NY 13820
Bio
Shannon transferred to the trust department in 2015 from the loan department where she supported our commercial bankers as a Commercial Loan Document Specialist. She has both a B.S. in Political Science from SUNY Oneonta and Paralegal Certificate from Herkimer Community College. Upon joining our department, Shannon successfully completed the required coursework and testing for attainment of her Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA) designation.
While successfully overseeing traditional trust relationships within our department, Shannon has also demonstrated an aptitude for managing a number of nuanced accounts for the department as well. These include cooperative insurance companies, cemetery trusts, guardianships and Supplemental/Special Needs Trusts.
Sean Houghton CTFA
28 Cottonwood Drive
Williston, VT 05495
Bio
Sean is responsible for our Northern Vermont and Plattsburgh NY area markets and supervises the Trust team based in Williston. He is an industry veteran since 2000, beginning his career at Chittenden Bank and joined Merchants Bank as a Trust Officer in 2010. A strong believer in doing what's right for his clients, he knows how important it is to truly understand their financial picture, values and goals - so he can guide them to making the best decisions about their future.
He obtained his Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Vermont, and attained the Certified Trust and Financial Advisor (CTFA) designation from the Institute of Certified Bankers in 2006. He is also a graduate of Cannon Financial Trust School.
Sean is a very active volunteer in communities around Vermont and has held a variety of positions for non-profit organizations including; Chairperson, Endowment & Planned Giving Committee, United Way of Northwestern Vermont, Investment Committee - Boy Scouts of America Green Mountain Council and Treasurer & Vice President, Far Post Soccer Club Essex Junction, VT.
Andrew Beaumier CTFA
28 Cottonwood Drive
Williston, VT 05495
Bio
Andrew joined our team as a Trust Officer in 2020. He employs his 30 years of experience in the accounting, finance, and investment services fields in every client relationship, to protect and grow their wealth. His focus is on building multi-generational relationships with his clients and their family. He seeks to engage his clients in a trusted and collaborative partnership, to produce a financial plan that will meet their goals through each stage of life, and to secure the future of the next generation.
Prior to joining us Andrew accrued a combined 20 years of experience in institutional fixed income management. He worked 6 years with Goldman Sachs Asset Management as Vice President and Stable Value Operations Manager, leading the oversight and operational management of institutional client assets totaling more than $50 Billion. Prior to Goldman Sachs he worked 14 years with Dwight Asset Management, including 11 years as a Vice President & Stable Value Client Service Officer. He also worked in tax and audit roles in public accounting, and with BankNorth Group working on Trust, Estate and Non-Profit taxes.
Andrew earned his BS in accounting and an AS in Business Administration from Lyndon State College in 1991 and attained the Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA) designation from the American Bankers Association Institute of Certified Bankers in 2024.
Andrew lives in Williston with his wife and two children, enjoying the best of Vermont outdoors, skiing, mountain biking, and adventures on beautiful Lake Champlain! Andrew is also active in the community volunteering with local non-profit organizations.
Monica Merrihew
28 Cottonwood Drive
Williston, VT 05495
Bio
Monica is a Trust Officer in our Williston location. She has spent the past 25 years in banking, beginning as a teller for Chittenden Bank. She began her tenure in Trust in 2000 working in operations before moving to a Trust Admin position in 2007. Monica joined Merchants Bank in 2016 and has since taken on responsibilities as a Trust Officer.
Monica was born and raised in Germany, coming to Vermont in 1988.
Ericka DeMars
Ericka is our most recent hire and is training under Karissa to support the development of a formal FI desk. She graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh in the spring of 2021 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Finance.
In addition to supporting Karissa, she provides an array of support in a variety of other investment group initiatives and is strong technologically.
Upon graduation obtained her Life & Health Insurance license, working as a Transamerica agent before responding to our job posting. She joined the Trust team in November of 2021. Our plan is to continue her development in asset management with an emphasis on fixed-income. Her energy, ability and enthusiasm are great assets and she has already made many favorable impressions here signing up for virtually any volunteer opportunities the bank presents.
Kristopher Hacker CFA®
19 Corporate Woods Blvd
Albany, NY 12211
Bio
Kris is based in the Capital District’s Commercial Lending office at Corporate Woods. He is our head equity strategist and is responsible for our positioning across both individual equity accounts and our mutual fund models. He is also one of our portfolio managers and is responsible for managing some of our larger institutional relationships.
He came to us from the NYS Teachers Retirement System where he served as an officer within their Investment Analytics Department. In this role he managed a team of quantitative analysts responsible for financial projections, investment research and risk analytics for the $120 billion public pension fund. Prior to that, Kris spent time with Goldman Sachs where he was responsible for managing client portfolios with a minimum asset size of $15 million.
In addition to his CFA designation, Kris holds an MBA and MS in Finance from Northeastern University in Boston and a BS in Business Administration from Drexel University in Philadelphia.
Carrie Winfield AFIM
Carrie is the newest member of our Oneonta-based investment team. She began working for Community Bank in 2017 as a floating teller while attending college. Shortly after receiving her B.A. in Economics from Binghamton University, Carrie accepted the position of Trust Investment Administrator in July, 2020. She received her Accredited Fiduciary Investment Manager (AFIM) designation from Cannon Financial Institute in January, 2022. In March, 2022, Carrie was promoted to Trust Investment Officer.
In her new role, Carrie is responsible for the oversight of approximately 1,000 “low-touch” investment accounts that are invested in our model portfolios. She monitors these accounts for overdrafts, cash needs and regulatory compliance. Carrie provides support for our various investment committees including Trust Investment Committee, Equity Review Committee, Mutual Fund Committee and Annual Investment Review Committee.
Karissa McDonough CFA®
28 Cottonwood Drive
Williston, VT 05495
Bio
Karissa has 26 years of experience in investments through a variety of capital market cycles. She manages fixed income asset allocation as well as specific bond investment strategies for clients, including total return, income, municipal and captive insurance.
Previously she served as fixed income strategist for People’s United Advisors. She also held a variety of credit analyst roles with Sentinel Advisors [Montpelier], John Hancock [Boston] and Stein Roe & Farnham [Chicago].
She has the Chartered Financial Analyst Designation and earned her BA in Political Science from the University of Chicago.
Andrew Cross FPQP®
28 Cottonwood Drive
Williston, VT 05495
Bio
Andrew started his banking career in 2015 as a teller with Merchants Bank. His passion for assisting others led him to the Trust Department in 2020 as a Trust Administrator. By 2023, Andrew had advanced to the role of Trust Officer, where he oversees personal trust administration, estate planning and settlement, retirement planning and acts as a relationship manager for individual investment management accounts. Andrew also leads the Trust Administration team in Northern Vermont.
Andrew holds a Financial Paraplanner Qualified Professional (FPQP®) certification from Kaplan College for Financial Planning and is currently pursuing his Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA) certification through the Cannon Financial Institute Trust School, focusing on complex trust planning and administration.
Andrew enjoys developing long-term relationships with his clients by helping them identify and achieve their financial and estate planning goals. Outside of his professional duties, Andrew enjoys volunteering at various events throughout northern Vermont and serves as a trustee of the Community Bank, N.A. Foundation of New England.
Kristen R. Noll
1300 Wyoming Avenue 350 Liberty Plaza
Scranton, PA 18509 Wilkes Barre, PA 18702
Bio
Kristen has over 20 years experience in Wealth Management. In her current role, she is responsible for administration of Trusts and Estates and serves as a Relationship Manager for Investment Management Accounts.
Kristen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting/ Taxation and a Masters of Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and Investments. She is a graduate of the Pennsylvania Bankers Central Atlantic School of Trust and Investment Management and holds a designation as a Certified IRA Specialist
She has been active in the community throughout her career previously serving on the boards for First Night Scranton, Corporate Fiduciaries, Inc., Scranton Civic Ballet, Santa Parade, Inc., Leadership Lackawanna, and Bread Basket of NEPA. She currently serves of the Board of Trustees of Lackawanna Industrials Fund Enterprises (LIFE) for the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce and the Perkins Stakeholder Committee for Lackawanna College.
Alexander K. Ognenovski II Esq.
659 S. Main Street 1501 Pittsford Victor Road, Suite 201
Canandaigua, NY 14424 Victor, NY 14564
Alexander is an accomplished Trust Officer and brings a wealth of experience from private legal practice in the Trusts & Estates sector as well as wealth management fiduciary services experience. Currently contributing his expertise to Nottingham Trust Company, Alexander is known for his dedication and client-centric approach. He excels in guiding clients through intricate financial landscapes while focusing his practice by exhibiting the highest standards of an ultra Client-centered focus.
In his role, Alexander takes pride in administering and managing trusts and estates, ensuring meticulous compliance with legal and regulatory guidelines. His ability to build and nurture strong client relationships is a testament to his commitment to providing tailored fiduciary services that align with each client's unique financial goals.