Overseeing Dean Bank’s charitable efforts is part of the job description for Michael Carroll, but supporting the nonprofit community is a priority that transcends Carroll’s workplace assignments.
Carroll has been a director of New Hope Inc., Massachusetts’ second-largest agency for domestic violence and sexual assault victims, for seven years. When he joined Dean Bank in 2010, Carroll was quick to ask his new employer to retain his role with the Attleboro-based organization so he could continue his leadership role.
“He cares,” said Kevin DeNorscia, Dean Bank’s senior business development officer. “He doesn’t get involved in things because it’s his job.”
Carroll serves as emcee for Gourmet Guys, New Hope’s largest annual fundraiser, in which a group of 50 leaders from the local business community prepare their signature dish for guests. The event raises approximately $25,000 each year.
“It’s far from gourmet, but it’s a lot of fun,” DeNorscia said. “Mike coordinates that and is always cooking at that as well.”
After an initial job in circulation and distribution at the Providence Journal, Carroll made the switch into banking at the Warwick, Rhode Island-based Home Loan and Investment Bank. He’s spent the rest of his career in the community banking and credit union sectors.
“The approach to the customer and the mission is virtually identical,” Carroll said. “The philosophy of the community bank just feels right for me. We make a fundamental difference compared with if you’re just a number in one of the large banks, and it always suited me and my personality.”
Carroll administers Dean Bank’s charitable giving campaign, which distributes the vast majority of its funds to the communities in which it operates. He also reaches out to local school systems by teaching financial literacy courses at local high schools and credit score adult education workshops. Most recently, Carroll was elected to the board of trustees of the Milford Regional Healthcare Foundation, an outreach arm of Milford Regional Medical Center.
Carroll is always one of the first people to reach out to newcomers at business networking events, DeNorscia said. Before they worked together, DiNorscia met Carroll through Milford Area Chamber of Commerce events.
“One of the first things that impresses me about Mike is his approachability,” DeNorscia said. “He has worked hard to get to this professional level, but when you see him interact with the community, he’s always willing to listen, gives advice when appropriate and he really takes time to learn what’s going on.”
