WARSAW, N.Y., Feb. 25, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Financial Institutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:FISI), the parent company of Five Star Bank, announced today that Kim VanGelder has been nominated for election as a member of the Board of Directors at the Company’s 2016 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Ms. VanGelder brings over 30 years of business and technology experience to the Board, including developing and executing critical information technology and cybersecurity strategies to deliver business results. Ms. VanGelder will serve as an independent director.
“We’re pleased to nominate an executive of Kim’s caliber to our Board,” said Robert N. Latella, Chairman of the Board of Financial Institutions, Inc. and Five Star Bank. “Kim’s expertise in cybersecurity and information technology will add a unique and important perspective as we continue to strengthen our regulatory compliance procedures, and ensure that our technology security systems and standards are best-in-class. Kim’s appointment also underscores our efforts to attract talented, experienced and diverse professionals to our Board, including adding three new independent board directors in the last two years. As an active member of the local community, Kim shares our dedication to supporting the many communities that we serve. We look forward to working with her and benefitting from her expertise.”
Ms. VanGelder commented, “Financial Institutions has built a strong platform for growth, and I look forward to leveraging my business experience and industry knowledge to help the Company meet its strategic goals and drive shareholder value.”
Martin K. Birmingham, president and chief executive officer of Financial Institutions, Inc. and Five Star Bank, said, “Kim’s proven business leadership and technology acumen will be value-additive assets to the Board. We welcome the opportunity to leverage her critical expertise and community relationships to help us to meet our strategic goals.”
Ms. VanGelder is currently chief information officer and senior vice president of Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester. She was previously director of information technology for Kodak’s Research & Development organization, overseeing the strategic and operational aspects of information technology for worldwide R&D. Her previous responsibilities at Kodak have included driving a more customer-centric, information-enabled go-to-market operating model and building the technical organization to support Kodak’s move to a standardized set of global business processes on a single SAP platform. Ms. VanGelder joined Kodak in 1984.
Ms. VanGelder holds a B.S. in Mathematics from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). She is a member of RIT's Board of Trustees, the Dean's Advisory Council for RIT's Golisano College, the Board of Directors of the Rochester Area Community Foundation, and a member of the Rochester CIO Roundtable.
Financial Institutions also announced that James Robinson informed the Board that he will not stand for re-election at the Company’s 2016 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Mr. Robinson, who has served as a member of the Board since 2007, will be retiring from the Board.
Mr. Birmingham continued, “On behalf of Bob and the Board, we’d like to thank Jim for his dedication and leadership to the company, including his service on our Audit Committee. He has been instrumental in helping us drive growth over the years and we wish him well in his retirement.”
About Financial Institutions, Inc.
Financial Institutions, Inc. provides diversified financial services through its subsidiaries, Five Star Bank, Scott Danahy Naylon and Courier Capital. Five Star Bank provides a wide range of consumer and commercial banking services to individuals, municipalities and businesses through a network of over 50 offices and more than 60 ATMs throughout Western and Central New York State. Scott Danahy Naylon provides a broad range of insurance services to personal and business clients across 44 states. Courier Capital provides customized investment management, investment consulting and retirement plan services to individuals, businesses, institutions, foundations and retirement plans. Financial Institutions, Inc. and its subsidiaries employ approximately 700 individuals. The Company’s stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol FISI and is a member of the NASDAQ OMX ABA Community Bank Index. Additional information is available at the Company’s website: www.fiiwarsaw.com.