JEFFERSONVILLE, NY — Jeff Bank announced the following promotions at its February organizational meeting.
Amber Benson was promoted to the role of senior vice president, and Melinda Stratton, Edwin Neumann and Melanie Karkos were promoted to the role of vice president.
Benson has been with Jeff Bank since 2004 and currently serves as the compliance officer and audit coordinator. Over the years, she has progressed through several positions, including teller, staff auditor, assistant vice president and vice president. Benson holds a bachelor’s degree in business economics and has been accredited as a certified regulatory compliance manager and certified community bank compliance officer. She is also a recent graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking.
Stratton is the branch manager of the Monticello office on Route 42, and has been with Jeff Bank since 2016. She graduated from Monticello High School and attended Orange County Community College for business management. Stratton has 31 years of banking experience. She is a member of Monticello Rotary and the Monticello Elks Lodge. Stratton also serves as auditor for the Monticello United Methodist Church.
Neumann is the senior credit analyst/commercial portfolio manager and has been with the bank since 2011. He holds bachelor’s degrees in accounting and finance from King’s College, and is a member of the Kenoza Lake Fire Department and the Kenoza Lake Fire District.
Karkos is the deposit operations manager and has been with the bank since 1999. Throughout her tenure, she has held a variety of roles, including teller, head teller, customer service representative, senior deposit operations assistant and deposit operations supervisor. She has a supervisory certificate from the Center for Financial Training and earned an accredited professional certification from ACH in 2024.
“Amber, Melinda, Edwin and Melanie each exemplify the leadership, dedication and commitment to excellence that define Jeff Bank,” said George Kinne Jr., Jeff Bank president/CEO. “Their continued growth within the organization reflects both their individual accomplishments and the strength of our team.”
Learn more about the bank at www.jeff.bank.