panoramic photo of Trenton from the Delaware river

Central New Jersey

David DiStefano

FSVP/Regional President

Bio

Denise Goetting

SVP/Regional Branch Manager

Bio

Elizabeth Scozzari

FVP/Market Manager

Bio

Central New Jersey is First Bank's largest region in NJ, with seven branches throughout. It is also home to the Bank's Headquarters, which is located in Hamilton, NJ.

Ewing

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Flemington - Route 31

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Flemington - Main Street

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Hamilton - Kuser Road

Central New Jersey Banking Team

1340 Parkway Avenue

Ewing, NJ 08628

609-643-0470

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Lobby Hours

Mon-Fri: 9 am - 5 pm

Sat: 9 am - 12 pm

Drive Through Hours

Mon-Fri: 8:30 am - 5 pm

Sat: 9 am - 12 pm

When the region was first settled by a mixture of European and American colonists Around 1699, it was part of Hopewell Township, and continued under that name until the City of Trenton was established in 1719. From 1719 until 1834, the area was named Trenton Township. On February 22, 1834, the name was changed from Trenton Township to Ewing Township in honor of Charles Ewing, who was posthumously honored for his work as Chief Justice of the New Jersey State Supreme Court from 1824-1832.

Today, Ewing Township holds a diverse community of residents, along with a business economy that is strongly emphasized with local and state government, light manufacturing, and many small businesses. It is conveniently located with easy access to Philadelphia and New York, as well as acting as a corridor for air, rail, and land transportation; including the West Trenton Train Station, The Trenton-Mercer Airport and Interstate 95.

Keysha L. Berry

VP/Branch Manager

(609) 643-0473

Keysha Berry is a VP/Branch Manager located at our Ewing branch. She is responsible for business development and consumer relationships in the Ewing area. She is also responsible for managing day-to-day operations of the branch, providing excellent customer service, and supporting the Ewing team. Keysha works on organizing financial workshops and implementing other coaching strategies to improve her teams’ confidence, sales, and service.

Ms. Berry has been in banking for 19 years, 6 of which were spent in her current field. Prior to joining First Bank, Keysha was a VP/Branch Manager for TD bank, as well as Investors Bank.

She is a member of the Abundant Life Family Worship Church Community Development Corporation, VP of the Hyde Park Association, board member of the CARES foundation, and a board member of the Infinity Financial Ministries in Freehold NJ. Keysha graduated from Monmouth Regional High School in Tinton Falls, NJ.

Flemington Branch - Route 31

334 Highway 31

Flemington, NJ 08822

908-751-0318

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Lobby Hours

Mon-Fri: 9 am - 5 pm

Sat: Closed

Drive Through Hours

Mon-Fri: 8:30 am - 5 pm

Sat: Closed

Flemington has a rich agricultural history, originating from a purchase of 9,170 acres of land by William Penn and Daniel Coxe. Today, Flemington is the County Seat of Hunterdon County and is completely surrounded by Raritan Township, making it one half of the 21 "doughnut" towns in New Jersey.

The Flemington Branch is located conveniently on Route 31 in Prestige Plaza.

Patricio Martins

VP/Branch Manager

908-751-0318

Patricio Martins is the VP/Branch Manager located at our Flemington Branch on Route 31. He is responsible for managing daily branch operations, sales strategies, team coaching, and community involvement.

Patricio has been in banking for 25 years, all of which were spent in his current field. Prior to joining first bank, he was a Branch Manager at Northfield Bank & PNC Bank, and an Assistant Branch Manager at TD Bank.

Mr. Martins has served as the Treasurer for Friends of Samuel Fleming House, and Member of the 200 Presidents Club. Patricio is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, and French.

Flemington Branch - Main Street

224 S. Main Street

Flemington, NJ 08822

908-751-1003

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Lobby Hours

Mon-Fri: 9 am - 5 pm

Sat: 9 am - 12 pm

Drive Through Hours

Mon-Fri: 8:30 am - 5 pm

Sat: 9 am - 12 pm

Set in the Borough of Flemington, our Flemington Main Street branch is located conveniently near the Flemington Circle.

Christopher McDaniel

VP/Branch Manager

908-751-1044

Christopher McDaniel is a VP/Branch Manager located at our Flemington Main Street Branch. He is responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations of the branch, and building strong relationships both with his customers and with the community.

Christopher has been in banking for 12 years, 5 of which were spent in his current field. Prior to joining First Bank, he was a manager at Citizens Bank, Banking Center Supervisor at Provident Bank, and a Senior Mortgage Consultant at NewRez Home Mortgages.

Mr. McDaniel is a volunteer for Meals of Love at Beverly United Methodist Church, and a member of the First Baptist Church of New Market. Christopher attended Morgan State University upon graduation from Piscataway High School.

Hamilton - Kuser Road Branch

2465 Kuser Road, Suite 101

Hamilton, NJ 08690

609-528-4400

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Lobby Hours

Mon-Fri: 9 am - 5 pm

Sat: 9 am - 12 pm

Drive Through Hours

Mon-Fri: 8:30 am - 5 pm

Sat: 9 am - 12 pm

Hamilton, formerly called Nottingham, was named after Alexander Hamilton at a time of anti-British notions originating from the War of 1812.

The Hamilton Branch is located off of I-195 and is convenient to I-295 as well as Routes 130 and 33. It shares a building with First Bank's Lending and Human Resources Teams.

Sharon Bokma

VP/Branch Manager

(609) 643-4113

590 Lawrence Square Blvd. South

Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

609-587-3111

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Lobby Hours

Mon-Fri: 9 am - 5 pm

Sat: 9 am - 12 pm

Drive Through Hours

Mon-Fri: 8:30 am - 5 pm

Sat: 9 am - 12 pm

First Bank’s Lawrenceville Branch is located at 590 Lawrence Square Blvd So., situated in a strip mall facing Quakerbridge Road. Opened in 2009, the Lawrenceville branch was First Bank’s initial introduction to Mercer County.

The Township of Lawrence was formed in 1697. It was originally called Maidenhead. The eastern boundary of Maidenhead, the Province Line, was the dividing line between the two original colonies of East and West Jersey. The name was changed to Lawrence on January 24, 1816 in honor of Captain James Lawrence, a naval hero of the War of 1812.

Robert Gossenberger

VP/Branch Manager

(609) 528-7415

Branch Manager Bob Gossenberger oversees the daily operations of First Bank’s Lawrenceville branch, monitors and coaches the branch personnel and assists in the efforts focused on new business development in the market.

Bob joined First Bank in March 2015 as the manager of the Trevose Branch and has more than 30 years of experience in the banking industry working with both consumer and small business clients. Prior to joining First Bank, Bob worked for PNC Bank for over 16 years in various capacities including Business Banking Sales Manager for the bank’s South Jersey and Bucks County, Pa. regions.

Bob is a longtime resident of East Windsor, NJ and has served on his condominium association’s Board of Directors for over 20 years. Bob also currently serves as the Treasurer for the Monmouth Symphony Orchestra’s Board of Directors, which he joined in 2019.

Monroe Township Branch

1600 Perrineville Road

Concordia Shopping Center

Monroe Twp., NJ 08831

609-642-1238

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Lobby Hours

Mon-Fri: 9 am - 5 pm

Sat: 9 am - 12 pm

Drive Through Hours

Mon-Fri: 8:30 am - 5 pm

Sat: 9 am - 12 pm

Monroe Township was officially founded in 1838 and named in honor of President James Monroe. Nearly a century and a half prior, James Johnstone from Scotland was the first foreign settler to immigrate to the area, which was at the time called "East Jersey". Upon his arrival in 1685, was offered 50 acres of land and 25 acres for each additional family member that came along with him.

Monroe Township is not officially broken down into traditional neighborhoods, but over the years, residents have given names to various parts of the township. Common names heard in the township are Mill Lake Manor (an area centered on Monmouth Road and 10th Avenue) and Outcalt (in the northern part of the township, near Spotswood and Helmetta).

Monroe Township is easily accessible from I95 and Routes 33 & 130.

Andrea Lazarus

Branch Manager

(609) 642-1240

Andrea Lazarus is a Branch Manager located at our Monroe Branch. She is responsible for business development, building customer relationships, ensuring high levels of customer service, and overseeing day-to-day branch operations.

Andrea has been in banking for over 30 years, 25 of which were spent in her current field. Prior to joining First Bank, she was a Branch Manager for Investors Bank, Provident Bank, TD Bank, and First Union Bank.

Ms. Lazarus has been a member of the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce and the Monmouth Chamber of Commerce. Andrea received her Bachelor’s Degree from Kean College.

3 Tree Farm Road

Pennington, NJ 08534

609-281-5808

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Lobby Hours

Mon-Fri: 9 am - 5 pm

Sat: 9 am - 12 pm

Drive Through Hours

Mon-Fri: 8:30 am - 5 pm

Sat: 9 am - 12 pm

Recorded history of the area dates back to the 1600s, when it was a sojourn between Philadelphia and New York called Queenstown. As lodging could be had in one of the town taverns for pennies, the town name was changed to Penny Town in the early 1700s. Not much of a leap, by the middle of the 18th century, it settled into its current name of Pennington. Together with Hopewell Borough and Hopewell Township, the greater Hopewell Valley is steeped in history and tradition, including covering part of the trail Washington’s troops traveled on their way to the Battle of Trenton.

The Pennington branch is located just off of Route 31, only a couple of miles from the Route 295 interchange.

Ruth Powell

VP/Branch Manager

(609) 281-5809

Lobby Hours

Mon-Fri: 9 am - 5 pm

Sat: 9 am - 12 pm

Drive Through Hours

Mon-Fri: 8:30 am - 5 pm

Sat: 9 am - 12 pm

LAURETTA LUCCHESI

Phone: (609) 269-1625

SVP/Relationship Manager

Lauretta Lucchesi is a Senior Vice President and Relationship Manager in the Central New Jersey region of First Bank. She is responsible for managing her existing loan portfolio as well as generating new business in the Central New Jersey market.

Lauretta has over 40 years of experience in banking, starting at Yardville National Bank before moving on to Grand Bank, where she held the Chief Lending Officer position. She is a graduate of Taylor Business Institute in Chicago, IL.

CHRISTOPHER KELLY

Phone: (609) 643-0575

FVP/Commercial Lending Relationship Manager

Christopher Kelly is First Vice President of Commercial Lending, responsible for the management, administration and development of a multi-million dollar commercial loan portfolio.

Prior to joining the First Bank team, Mr. Kelly served as a Portfolio Manager for Trustco Bank, Glenville, NY from February 2002 through August 2007. While at Trustco, he was part of a team that managed a fixed income and equity portfolio of $1 Billion.

Mr. Kelly earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Policy from Hamilton College and a Masters of Business Administration from Clarkson University. In addition, he has completed external training programs through the American Bankers Association in topics such as commercial real estate lending, managing credit quality and loan portfolio management.

MARGE CALLAHAN

Phone: (609) 220-0713

VP/Commercial Lending Relationship Manager

Marge Callahan is a Vice President and Commercial Lending Relationship Manager in the Central New Jersey Region of First Bank. She is responsible for complete relationship management of business loan and deposit clients.

Ms. Callahan has over 40 years of experience in banking. She began at Yardville National Bank as a CSR and held various positions before becoming a Commercial Lender.

Marge is a life-long resident of Mercer County. She attended Hamilton High West and is currently a member of the Rotary Club of Hamilton Township and Mercer County Chamber of Commerce. She holds certifications in cash flow and financial statement analysis.

MICHAEL P. CAHILL

Phone: (609) 643-0050

VP/Commercial Lending Relationship Manager

Michael Cahill is a relationship manager at First Bank and currently works at the Hamilton office. Mr. Cahill specializes in providing business loans to small and mid-sized companies located primarily in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Mr. Cahill serves on the Board of Directors of a ComforTree, a non-profit organization. He is a graduate of Widener University.

ROBERT GOLDZMAN

Phone: (609) 643-0097

FVP/Commercial Lending Relationship Manager

Robert Goldzman is a First Vice President and Commercial Lending Relationship Manager in First Bank's Central New Jersey region. He is responsible for working closely with his clients and understanding their needs in order to optimally support their business' financial needs.

Bob has over 20 years of business banking experience, having been a veteran of Wells Fargo and its predecessor banks. He has held a variety of positions within Business Banking Divisions, both in management and individual relationship management functions.

Mr Goldzman earned his Bachelors of Science in Accounting from Rutgers University. He is active with the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce.

JASON FISCHER

Phone: (908) 295-0064

SVP/Team Leader & Market Executive

Jason Fischer is a Senior Vice President and Commercial Lending Team Leader in First Bank's Central New Jersey region. He is responsible for maintaining relationships with his lending clients, as well as generating new clients in the C&I and Investment Real Estate sectors.

Jason has over 15 years of banking experience. He began his banking career as a BSA/AML analyst before moving into the lending sector, an area he has now been experienced in for over ten years.

Jason earned a degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology from Rutgers University before going on to complete his MBA with a concentration in Finance. In 2021, he completed NJ Bankers Association's “Leading on the Cutting Edge” training program. Jason has served on the steering committee for CIANJ's Young Professionals Group, where he helped organize networking and educational events for young professionals in Northern New Jersey.

Jason was awarded the New Leaders in Banking Award from the New Jersey Banker’s Association in 2014.

KYLE SLICKERS

Phone: (609) 643-0222

VP/Commercial Lending Relationship Manager

Kyle Slickers is a VP/Commercial Lending Relationship Manager at our corporate offices in Hamilton, NJ. He is responsible for assessing business loan applications, interviewing & evaluating applicants, and creating customized loan packages for our customers.

Kyle has been in banking for 12 years, 6 of which have focused on commercial credit. Prior to joining First Bank, he was a Research Analyst at Quadrant Capital Management and a Portfolio Manager at OceanFirst Bank.

Mr. Slickers has been involved with Habitat for Humanity and volunteered with youth ice hockey programs, and currently does work with the Pine Beach Yacht Club. Kyle received his Bachelor’s Degree from Florida Gulf Coast University, and his Master’s degree from Montclair State University.

DAVID DISTEFANO

Phone: (973) 895-5827

FSVP/Regional President

David DiStefano is the Regional President and First Senior Vice President for the Northern New Jersey Region of First Bank. He is responsible for overseeing all commercial banking activity in the market. Mr. DiStefano played a key role in the Bank’s first acquisition in 2014 successfully integrating both organizations and expanding the bank’s presence in Northern New Jersey. He has made significant contributions to the growth of First Bank’s business and served as commercial lending Team Leader in Central New Jersey before transitioning north.

Prior to becoming First Bank’s first employee at recapitalization in 2008, David served as Assistant Vice President/Business Advisor for PNC Bank and held various positions in commercial lending and credit administration at Yardville National Bank. He received the New Leaders in Banking Award from the New Jersey Bankers Association in 2012, and most recently was named one of NJBiz's 40 Under 40 in 2021.

Mr. DiStefano earned a Bachelor’s degree from Franklin and Marshall College where he majored in Accounting and Finance and minored in Economics. At F&M, he was awarded the William H. Hager Prize for showing the highest attainment in the field of business, marketing, and merchandising. He received his MBA from Rider University and attended the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the University of Pennsylvania. David is a licensed New Jersey Realtor. He and his family reside in Allentown, NJ. Mr. DiStefano is active in many volunteer organizations including his service as Treasurer for The Allentown Village Initiative.

DENISE GOETTING

(973) 895-5824

SVP/Regional Branch Manager

Denise Goetting is responsible for the overall attainment of goals, objectives, and financial performance within the Central NJ & Northern NJ First Bank branches.

Ms. Goetting has over 25 years of experience in banking, including sales and branch management, loan portfolio management, and general operations. She has worked at several banks in the Northern New Jersey area, including PNC, Provident, and Peapack-Gladstone.

Denise is a past president of both Morris Plains and Mendham Rotaries. She has an extensive history of community involvement.

Elizabeth Scozzari

(908) 751-1065

FVP/Market Manager

Elizabeth Scozzari is a Market Manager, First Vice President with First Bank. She is responsible for overseeing her market of 4 branches in the Central New Jersey Region, helping to attain goals and focus on business relationships, retention, and growth.

Elizabeth Scozzari has been in banking for over 20 years. She has spent most of her years in banking on the retail branch management side of the bank. Liz has opened numerous de novo branches throughout her career and has managed multiple branches at one time successfully. Elizabeth has been a leader in branch sales and relationship development throughout her career.

Elizabeth began her career in the Mercer County Market and moved into the Hunterdon County market over 15 years ago.

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Central New Jersey

Central New Jersey is First Bank's largest region in NJ, with seven branches throughout. It is also home to the Bank's Headquarters, which is located in Hamilton, NJ.

Central New Jersey Banking Team

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