“We are honored to have John join our board. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the banking industry and is highly regarded among his peers as president and CEO of the New Jersey Bankers Association,” said Edward J. Gentry, chairman, president and CEO of CRA Partners. “We will benefit greatly from his vast experience and are excited about the positive impact he will bring to our organization.”

CRA Partners, which is powered by the Senior Housing Crime Prevention Foundation, announced today that John E. McWeeney Jr. was appointed to our board of directors.

“We are honored to have John join our board. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the banking industry and is highly regarded among his peers as president and CEO of the New Jersey Bankers Association,” said Edward J. Gentry, chairman, president and CEO of CRA Partners. “We will benefit greatly from his vast experience and are excited about the positive impact he will bring to our organization.”

McWeeney had a 28-year career with Bank of America and its predecessor, Fleet Bank. Previously he was market president for Southern New Jersey, market executive for Government Banking, executive vice president and director of the Professional Services Group, and executive vice president and regional director of Small Business Services for metropolitan New York. He also served on the board of trustees of New Jersey Bankers representing Bank of America.

McWeeney also serves as the chairman of Bankers Cooperative Group, Inc., the licensed insurance brokerage facility of NJBankers, and chairman of NJBA Service Corp., the for-profit subsidiary of NJBankers created to provide members with access to quality products and services. He serves on the board of directors of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and on the board of the Center for Financial Training which offers continuing education for banks and related financial services. McWeeney holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Stonehill College and a Master of Business Administration from Boston College.

“CRA Partners, through the Senior Crimestoppers program, protects our nation’s most vulnerable citizens like the elderly and veterans,” said McWeeney. “I am honored to serve on the board to support their mission.”

CRA Partners provides protection and an enhanced quality of life for vulnerable senior housing residents through a turn-key CRA compliance solution for community focused banks. Participating banks earn guaranteed CRA credit in the form of CRA-qualified loans, investments or grants through the operation of the nationally-acclaimed crime prevention program, Senior Crimestoppers. This program protects low-and-moderate income individuals and provides safe and secure living environments for our nation’s senior housing residents, HUD communities and Veterans homes. Banks enjoy guaranteed CRA credit, flexible funding options, no overhead or administrative burden, and positive public relations exposure in their communities.

Funded exclusively by the banking industry, CRA Partners has 225 bank partners who have purchased $340 million in collateral on behalf of our programs that have made a positive community impact to low- and moderate-income communities. It is hard to overstate the transformative effect a bank can have on the lives of seniors by removing the fear of theft and neglect from their lives while also earning CRA credit for your bank.