Marcus Weeks joined Meredith Village Savings Bank (MVSB) at 16, working as a student teller through a program at his school, Moultonborough Academy. Twenty-nine years later he leads the growing bank. “I knew this is where I wanted to be,” Weeks says. “I found the right one first.”
Weeks took the reins of MVSB, a mutual bank that has served the Lakes Region since 1869, two years ago after steadily rising through the ranks. MVSB has 13 offices in 11 communities throughout the Lakes Region, the Mount Washington Valley, and the Seacoast.
Over the years, Weeks has played an integral role in the bank’s growth. In 2012, he served as the branch and business development manager for the then-new Wolfeboro office where he was largely credited with the branch’s success in the new market. Weeks, who was promoted to senior VP and senior retail banking officer in 2018, led the effort to open a new branch office in Rochester in June 2022. The impact it had on the community in its first year led the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce to name MVSB as Business of the Year in 2023.
Weeks is leading the construction of two new bank branches in Exeter and in North Conway which will open in 2024. Weeks says the bank will not grow for growth’s sake. “We will continue to grow so the organization remains relevant and modern,” he says, allowing it to make more investments in technology. Weeks says while MVSB will continue to branch into new communities, it will keep its hyper-local focus.
“During his tenure with MVSB, Weeks has provided solid ethical leadership, growing the bank while keeping the original culture alive and flourishing,” says Jeffrey S. Downing, president of Conneston Construction in Gilford.
As a mutual bank, investing in the community is at the core of MVSB’s mission, which also drives Weeks. A lifelong resident of the Lakes Region, Weeks spent his career giving back to a region he loves. He currently serves as vice chair of the board of directors of the Lakes Region Visiting Nurse Association, as a board member of Geneva Point Center, as a member of the executive committee of Boys & Girls Club of Central NH, as a board member and member of the governance committee for Spaulding Academy & Family Services, and serves on the NH Bankers Association’s Legislative Affairs Committee.
And that is just his current volunteer efforts. In the past he has served as board president of Wentworth Economic Development Corporation and president of Meredith Area Chamber of Commerce. He has also served on the boards of Eastern Lakes Region Housing Coalition and Habitat for Humanity, was a member of the Turkey Plunge Committee for the Salvation Army, and served a as volunteer for the American Red Cross.
“There is hardly a worthy cause here in the Lakes Region that Marcus will not commit the resources of Meredith Village Savings Bank and its employees to support,” says Marc Bard, CEO of mB2 in Holderness and an artist. “When the location of my annual charitable art show was rendered uninhabitable by a frozen pipe, Marcus, without a moment’s hesitation, directed the resources of MVSB to host the show that benefited the Meredith Food Pantry. If that wasn’t enough, he also committed the bank to match the first $5,000 raised by the show. In all, the proceeds from a very successful art show raised over $10,000 for the pantry, all because of the generous spirit of Marcus and his wonderful staff. Marcus has committed the bank to hosting the annual show in the future and is expanding the reach and scope of its benefit.”
Weeks says he is proud to be part of a team that is invested in the success of the community. “We have an employee base who came to the bank because they believe in our mission,” he says. Under Weeks’s leadership, MVSB committed $463,000 to 252 organizations through contributions, sponsorships, CDFA tax credit purchases, and grants. MVSB’s giving in the past year has included a focus on organizations that address food insecurity and affordable housing.
In 2023, MVSB supported the efforts of four partnering Strafford County nonprofits—Community Action Partnership of Strafford County, The Salvation Army of Rochester, SHARE Fund and Grace Community Church—to provide holiday meal packages for those in need. MVSB donated $15,000, as well as advertising support, volunteers and reusable shopping bags for an inaugural fundraising event for the project. In total, the organizations raised an additional $5,000 and served more than 1,000 families.
Weeks says the state and the region face several challenges. Chief among them is the lack of affordable housing. He says the Lakes Region’s natural beauty attracted more people to the region during the pandemic, and while that creates opportunities for the region, it has also put pressure on the local housing market, making it difficult for people from the region to afford rents and making home ownership even more difficult.
As Weeks looks forward to the future, he says the bank will continue to invest in organizations addressing these critical issues and will continue to prioritize and support homeownership. That includes employing a full mortgage lending staff, even as many competitors move away from home mortgage lending, and promoting the bank’s robust construction loan program.
The lack of affordable childcare also concerns him. “If people can’t afford to live here, we will not have the workforce we need,” Weeks says. “We’re fortunate as an institution to have a platform and resources. As a mutual bank, we can put those resources to work in a way that benefits our communities.”
Current Issue - June 2024