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9 TheSouthShoreMagazine.com likes to say that she has "grown up" in the Braintree Cooperative family. She knew early on in her roles as a teller and Customer Service Representative that working with the customers of the bank was her favorite part of the job. As she transitioned into her management role, she knew that the key to the bank's success was to put a team of professionals together who all believed as she did, which is that caring for their customers and their community is an essential part of the job. "Working in this community, and especially seeing the management teams' commitment to the community, gives us all such a strong desire to get involved and help give back. This bank is so supportive of my deep commitment to the Braintree Rotary Club, whether we are talking about working with Braintree school programs and senior citizen activities or traveling down to the Dominican Republic to help work on a clean water project, all of this work is my thank you to the bank. The Bank has afforded me the opportunity to expand my role to serve our community; this is a part of who I am." Having recently been chosen to receive a Humanitarian Award from the Rotary Club, it is easy to see why Pecci describes Tully as "Braintree's answer to Mother Teresa!" Susan Burns, Assistant Vice President of Retail, also has an impressive resume at Braintree Cooperative, as she has been with the bank for over 37 years. Working closely with the Braintree Chamber of Commerce, Burns helps serve as an advocate for small businesses in the community, providing many of them with a voice. At the bank, Burns acts as a link between the executive office and the retail managers, overseeing the three branches within the bank. She loves this time of the year, however, as she has had the pleasure of being in charge of the "Holiday Open House" at the Braintree Town Hall. This is an event free-of- charge for the community, where they continue to have a great turnout. In addition to great events like this, Burns has also helped launch the town's Pizza Palooza program, where all of the funds raised go toward Braintree's 4th of July event. "I have been here so many years," Burns says, "that I feel as we have all grown as a bank and a family. We all have the passion to make this a successful business." The next member of the team that I had the pleasure of meeting is Charlene Luciano, who serves as the Assistant Vice President for Consumer Lending and has been with Braintree Cooperative Bank for more than 20 years. Not only does Luciano oversee residential and consumer lending and makes sure that the day-to- day operations go smoothly, but she also helps lead the "Credit for Life' fair at Braintree High School for its seniors, which helps them get ready for the next stage of their lives, where she assists them in finding jobs, buying cars and living within their means after graduating. Pecci said that she "enhances financial education within the community," and that a "well-educated community is a successful community." Luciano is a large part of that success, as not only does she help lead the Credit for Life and Savings Makes Cents program, but also helps people get back on track by providing financial literacy. "Some adults just need the basics to help get them back on track, and we truly believe in leaving no member of the community behind, regardless of their past. We also feel that a community bank works hard to keep borrowers in their homes." Of course, if you ask Luciano which community project she enjoys most, she says that it would hands-down be her work playing Mrs. Claus at Christmastime at the Braintree Town Hall for the past 12 years. "I try to give a lot, but these kids really give back to me even more," says Luciano. "Seeing the growth of some of these children makes it all worth it." Charlene B. Luciano Jeannette Travaline Susan R. Burns