Meet your Alumni Board: Timothy D. Kwiatkowski '86 BA

Tim Kwiatkowski ’86 BA has settled in nicely in his new position as Vice President at Five Star Bank. Previously a high-ranking executive with Bank of America, Kwiatkowski left that pace to focus on what is really important to him.

“Family is absolutely the most important thing to me and even though I was not unhappy at Bank of America, I was dissatisfied with all the travel,” Kwiatkowski says. “I have a 15 year old daughter at Orchard Park High School. I found myself missing a lot of her activities. So I made a conscious decision to move to Five Star Bank.”

At Five Star Bank, Kwiatkowski manages and directs the entire small business lending department of the bank. That includes about 50 branches that cover the Western half of New York State. It has allowed him to rediscover the importance of connecting with those you serve.

“Working at Five Star Bank is exactly what I love to do,” Kwiatkowski says. “It is a small community bank where the customer is always first. Clients call and get great customer service right away. We really have that personal touch. It is the way banking used to be and has brought be back to the roots of banking.”

Kwiatkowski attended Medaille because he liked the small class settings and the ability to earn his degree very quickly. His Medaille degree helped him get promoted to his first Vice President position, and the Alumni Board is one way he can give back to the school.

“Being on the Alumni Board has reconnected me with the College and allowed me to be involved on a higher level with relation to the present and future happenings at the school,” Kwiatkowski says. “It has also allowed me to become associated with past graduates and make new acquaintances in my professional life.”

Kwiatkowski sees colleges like Medaille as a key player in the future of Western New York.

“What really bothers me about Western New York is that a very high percentage of graduates are literally leaving town and looking for jobs in other places,” Kwiatkowski comments. “I believe colleges, including Medaille, need to get involved with politicians in this community and the state to figure out how we can stir development to get back into a growth phase. We need to give graduating students hope that they don’t have to leave mom and dad, that they can find a job with a good salary and a career growth path here in Western New York.”

Graduates would be fortunate to work under Kwiatkowski, who treats his employees with a great deal of respect.

“I treat people as professionals,” Kwiatkowski says. “You get the best production out of people when you treat them as professionals. I know that if they are treated like professionals, that they will portray themselves as such to prospects and clients.”