Orange Bank & Trust Company has announced a strategic expansion of its commercial banking team, hiring three accomplished industry veterans — Steven Drobysh, Marc Cooper, and Craig Kincade — who join the firm as Commercial Loan Officers. The appointments underscore the bank's ongoing commitment to expanding its commercial presence and building deep business relationships throughout Westchester and the Hudson Valley. The move also highlights the institution's broader strategy of building its commercial banking franchise through experienced, locally rooted relationship bankers.

“As we continue to advance our Bank's strategy to expand our commercial banking footprint and build new relationships with businesses in these vital markets, we are thrilled to welcome Steven, Marc, and Craig to our team,” said Michael Gilfeather, President and CEO of Orange Bank &. “These new hires reflect our continued investment in experienced and local relationship bankers who possess deep knowledge of the local business landscape.”

About the New Appointees

Steven Drobysh brings more than 40 years of experience in commercial lending, business development, relationship management, and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) lending. Prior to joining Orange Bank & Trust, he served as Vice President of Commercial Lending at Ulster Savings Bank. His extensive career features senior leadership roles focused on driving portfolio growth and developing high-performing SBA lending initiatives. SBA programs, in which the U.S. Small Business Administration guarantees portions of loans made through participating lenders, are an important financing channel for smaller businesses — a capability that maps directly onto the bank's stated focus on business banking in its home markets.

Marc Cooper is a seasoned commercial real estate banking specialist with over 28 years of experience spanning commercial lending, portfolio management, and cross-functional business collaboration. He most recently served as Senior Vice President and Loan Officer at Israel Discount Bank, where he specialized in structuring complex commercial real estate transactions, managing large-scale client relationships, and driving deposit growth. That transaction-structuring background adds depth in precisely the commercial real estate discipline the bank identifies as central to its commercial lending franchise.

Craig Kincade is an accomplished banking professional with a proven track record of growing client portfolios and driving revenue across major financial institutions. He brings deep expertise in credit risk management, business development, and commercial lending. Throughout his career, Kincade has originated, structured, and negotiated commercial lending solutions for business clients throughout the New York metropolitan area — a footprint that overlaps with the Westchester and Hudson Valley markets where the bank is concentrating its commercial push.

Together, the three appointments immediately strengthen Orange Bank & Trust's capability to deliver tailored commercial lending, cash management, and advisory services to business owners across the region, reinforcing the bank's stated investment in experienced, local relationship bankers. With senior expertise now spanning SBA lending, commercial real estate finance, and credit risk management, how the expanded team converts that depth into new business relationships across Westchester and the Hudson Valley will be the next phase to watch as the bank advances its stated commercial expansion.

About Orange Bank & Trust Company

Orange Bank & Trust Company is the Hudson Valley's premier financial institution, focusing on commercial lending, business banking, payment processing, and wealth management services. For more than 133 years, the bank has served as an economic engine of its community, holding more than $2.7 billion in assets. It plays a vital role in increasing opportunities for local businesses, creating jobs for generations of residents, spurring region-defining developments, and maximizing investments in neighborhood-serving nonprofits. The bank is regularly recognized as one of New York's top places to work. The senior, locally based hiring push is consistent with the relationship-driven model the bank describes as the foundation of its commercial franchise.

This article was originally published by Global FinTech Series.