CEO Message
Thomas J. Shara
President and Chief Executive Officer
Lakeland Bancorp, Inc. and Lakeland Bank
Lakeland’s Mission Statement was established over a decade ago and was one of the guides to keep us in line with the Bank’s long-term strategies.
Over that time, we have experienced tremendous growth and advanced technology has dramatically changed the way we conduct business. For these reasons, we knew it was time to update our Mission Statement as well as establish a Vision Statement. The decision was made shortly after the Bank’s 50th Anniversary Celebration in 2019 and the timing complemented the Bank’s digital strategy rollout.
The Bank’s new statements and values are a result of a six-month project completed by a team of about 20 associates participating in the Bank’s Leader Engagement and Development (LEAD) program. LEAD participants are selected based on their potential to be influential and effective future leaders. After the team presented the project results in early 2020 to the Executive Management Team and Board of Directors, it was unanimously agreed to adopt the new ideologies which truly represent the voice of our associates.
It is hard to believe that these new statements were developed and approved before the economic and social challenges of 2020 disrupted our lives, and I am extremely proud that our new Mission, Vision and C.A.R.E.S Core Values express how our Lakeland Team aims to address these current issues and support the communities we serve.
