The Amesbury-based bank reported solid growth and profitability throughout Dave Mansfield's 9-year tenure. The decision followed news of losses tied to the bank's move into digital-asset lending, though the bank has yet to file a 10-Q for the third quarter.

Despite a slow year overall, banks announced several substantial merger and acquisitions in 2022.

The $23 million deal, announced more than a year ago, was terminated following regulatory delays.

The bank hired Thomas Geisel to take over as president and chief executive, effective immediately. He succeeds Harry Madonna, who had been interim leader after the ouster of Vernon Hill.

The state's Department of Financial Services issued proposed guidelines on how banks and mortgage lenders should manage climate-related risks. But the guidance was quickly slammed by a trade group representing community banks.

A handful of banks and credit unions with assets under $3 billion each rolled out or expanded its use of distinctive technologies, including a contactless-payment ring.

Robert Fehlman, who has worked with the bank since 1988, will succeed George Makris Jr. at the start of 2023.

Dicier credit conditions, recession fears and tougher regulatory scrutiny combined to weaken merger activity in 2022. A push for scale is bound to resume when interest rates level off — at least among smaller banks, analysts say.

A group of shareholders in the Dubuque, -Iowa-based bank, including a former chairman and CEO, have agreed to quit advocating for a sale of the $19.7 billion-asset company

In a new survey, executives at banks and credit unions registered the highest level of anxiety about a forthcoming data-collection rule in small-business lending.