Board of Directors

Michael P. Puorro

Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Puorro has over 30 years banking experience and over 25 years as a senior banking executive in all facets of developing successful financial institutions. Since 2012, Mr. Puorro has served as the Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer of Hanover Community Bank, and its holding company since its inception in 2016. Mr. Puorro coordinated an effort to reorganize and recapitalize Hanover through a revamped Board of Directors and new management team. Under his leadership, the Bank’s capital position has increased by $85 million while the Company’s tangible book value per share has more than doubled. Further, during this time, Hanover has grown in assets fifteenfold and has consistently displayed a track record of record earnings and best in class asset quality. Today, Hanover is one of New York’s fastest growing community banks and is class leading in many financial metrics.

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Ahron Haspel

Mr. Haspel is an active investor and an attorney and CPA specialized in the tax area.  He retired from Jones Day in January 2011 where he served as a partner specializing in the corporate tax and mergers acquisitions area.  Prior to joining Jones Day in February 2005, Mr. Haspel was a partner at KPMG and served on its Board of Directors and in a number of leadership positions.  While on the Board of KPMG, Mr. Haspel served on the firm’s Audit, Compensation and Strategic Planning Committees.  Mr. Haspel was the lead tax partner on some of KPMG’s most prestigious accounts, including Pfizer, Icahn Holdings and Norwest Financial (Wells Fargo).

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Frank Carone

Mr. Carone is an executive partner in the full-service law firm of Abrams, Fensterman, Fensterman, Eisman, Formato, Ferrara, Wolf & Carone, LLP.  Prior to joining his current firm, Mr. Carone was a founding partner in the Law Office of Seddio & Carone, LLC.  Mr. Carone earned his Juris Doctor from Brooklyn Law School, where he graduated in the top of his class and received the award for American Jurisprudence in Legal Ethics.  Mr. Carone has extensive experience in many complex areas of the law including complex Civil and Criminal matters for Individuals, Corporations, Governmental Agencies, NFPs, Professional practices and Family offices, as well as counselling clients in various government relations strategies.

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John Sapanski

Mr. Sapanski possesses over 50 years of banking, commercial lending and commercial real estate experience.  Mr. Sapanski began his banking career at The Dime Savings Bank of New York where he served in the positions of Chief Information Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and finally President and Chief Operations Officer, before leaving in 1987.  In 1988, Mr. Sapanski joined Florida Federal Bank as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

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John Sorrenti

Mr. Sorrenti, FAIA, is Founder and President of JRS Architect, P.C., a full service architectural, interior design and preservation firm serving the greater New York City region.  Since its inception in 1986, the firm has received numerous design awards under his leadership.  Mr. Sorrenti has served on many committees both for American Institute of Architects (AIA) and National Council of Architectural Registration Board (NCARB) rising to the President of the New York State AIA, Vice President of the National AIA and Regional Director for the NCARB’s national board.

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Dr. Michael Katz

Dr. Katz is an active financial institution investor and highly experienced and accomplished board-certified otolaryngologist and possesses extreme business development capabilities in the Long Island marketplace.  Dr. Katz has been in practice with Ear, Nose, and Throat Associates of New York, P.C. since 1969.  For over 35 years, he served as President of the group practice which is one of the largest multi-specialty practices of its kind with offices located throughout Queens, Nassau, Suffolk, and the Bronx.  While serving as President, Dr. Katz oversaw a growing practice of over 200 employees in multiple locations including over 30 physicians and physician assistants/nurse practitioners, specializing in otolaryngology, allergy & immunology, facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, audiology, sleep disorders and speech and swallowing disorders.

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Philip Okun

Mr. Okun is a founding director of Hanover Bank.  Additionally, he has been Chairman of the Loan Committee since the Bank’s inception.  Mr. Okun has been in the commercial real estate industry for more than 30 years.  As President of Polimeni International, Mr. Okun was responsible for the Company’s development program in Poland, having successfully completed numerous shopping centers throughout the country.  As President of its affiliate company, Skyline Management Corp., he was responsible for the management of a 3,000,000 square foot portfolio of office buildings and shopping centers on Long Island and the east coast.

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Robert Golden

Mr. Golden’s family is the legacy co-founder of the Snapple Beverage Corporation which produced one of the nation’s leading flavored beverages.  By the time the Company was purchased by the Quaker Oats Company in 1994, it produced annual sales revenue of $700 million.  Today, Mr. Golden is the Founder and CEO of TREO Brands, an innovative beverage company focused on plant-based hydration.  Mr. Golden is President of Golden Properties Group LLC which is an active investor in commercial office buildings and retail and residential properties in New York City and the surrounding areas, as well as throughout the Midwest.

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Varkey Abraham

Mr. Abraham is a founding director of Hanover Bank.  Mr. Abraham is the principal owner and Chief Executive Officer of the Eric’s shoe stores chain in the United States, Abraham and Sons Leather Company and VA Smith Shoe Company International.  Further, Mr. Abraham is a real estate investor and serves as Chairman of the Pravasi television channel and is the President of the Queens Village, New York Chamber of Commerce.

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