Shop Talk - OCEANFIRST

“AFTER 32 years in banking,” Jeffrey Ropiecki said, “I have chosen to spend the past 10 years here at OceanFirst Bank because of their unwavering dedication to the community.”

Jeff – the vice president and relationship manager of OceanFirst Bank’s South Jersey region – first came to know the bank through a merger at his previous employer. With numerous locations throughout the state, OceanFirst has acquired alternate businesses through these types of mergers and acquisitions.

Learning firsthand of OceanFirst’s motivating leadership, investment in their employees, and efforts to provide the necessary amount of education, training and tools for a job well done, it was a no brainer for Jeff to make OceanFirst Bank his permanent home.

Initially established in 1902 by 18 local business people with the primary focus on mortgages and savings, the development of OceanFirst Bank has been nothing less than extraordinary. It has been an upward trajectory and expansive growth.

Giving back to the community is important to OceanFirst Bank. They are the first bank to create a foundation as a part of its own initial public offering (IPO). Shifting from being accountable for only their depositors to a publicly traded company was just the beginning of OceanFirst Bank’s efforts toward giving back. It was imperative that they gained approval from these depositors, regulators and the FCC. This process was new territory for everyone involved, but these steps have proved to be an essential part of the business and foundation’s success.

“We were fortunate enough to get those approvals,” Jill Apito Hewitt, senior vice president and director of corporate communications and marketing, said. “We carved out a percentage of our IPO and made that a onetime donation to establish the OceanFirst Foundation.

“OceanFirst Foundation was created with $13.1 million worth of stock, which is 100 percent invested in OceanFirst stock, rather than alternate companies,” Jill continued. “Although they are completely separate entities, the success of OceanFirst Bank drives the ability of OceanFirst Foundation to give back to the communities.”

Thankfully, with continuous success for both, the foundation has grown into the powerful and communityfocused organization it was initially created to be. Every year, OceanFirst Foundation gives $1.8 million to local nonprofits. Since 1996, $45 million has been raised.

As there is always an ongoing effort to help the community around them, OceanFirst Bank encourages their “WaveMakers” employees to volunteer whenever they can. Closing the office for their annual CommUNITYFirst Day in 2022, 750 employees across five different states spent the day supporting local nonprofits in a variety of different ways. With excitement and true appreciation, OceanFirst is already looking forward to this year’s event, hoping to increase numbers and leave an even bigger imprint.

At his first CommUNITYFirst Day, Jeff remembers having the opportunity to volunteer for an organization that is near and dear to his heart – and his son’s.

“My family and I have always supported Hearts Therapeutic Riding Center,” Jeff explained, “but I had the opportunity through OceanFirst to go out with some of my coworkers at the Linwood Regional Office and create an obstacle course for clients to ride the horses through. I will forever be thankful to be a part of a corporation that offers such incredible opportunities.”

Outside of this day of community love, OceanFirst Bank is always aiming to broaden the horizons of volunteer work. With a volunteer database full of opportunities for their employees, OceanFirst even implemented Volunteer Time Off (VTO) throughout the organization to emphasize a priority on the community.

The work toward improvement does not stop there, as OceanFirst places significant value on diversity, equity and inclusion within its workforce, too. Chairing the bank’s Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) Committee, Jill touches on the numerous programs and achievements in the area.

“As inflation was starting to get a little crazy last year, our focus on our employees remained. All of our workers received additional support,” she said. “Individuals making under $100,000, there was a five percent increase to their salaries, and those making above obtained a one-time payment of $1,000.

OceanFirst Bank has made strides to evolve and as the world of technology advances, they work to follow.

“Banking is a relatively simple business. We take money in the form of deposits and push it out in the form of loans, but understanding this flow of money and the current needs of the market is essential," Jeff said. "Serving the consumers in the businesses, having an understanding of this and being able to respond in such a way is imperative for our success.”

Text by By Ava Saric