President

Edward J. Merritt is the President of Mt. Washington Bank, one of the oldest and fastest growing community banking institutions in Boston. Since Merritt's appointment in 1999, Mt. Washington Bank has grown into a full service financial institution with over $525 million in total assets and 130 employees. Serving the communities of South Boston, Dorchester and Jamaica Plain, Merritt has overseen the expansion of the bank's infrastructure from a two branch operation to six with the most recent acquisition of the Roxbury Highland Bank of Jamaica Plain.

During his ten year tenure, Merritt has created a culture of excellence at Mt. Washington Bank both in the areas of customer service, as well as community service. Based on his business philosophy that to be a great corporate leader you need to be a great corporate citizen, he founded the Mt. Washington Charitable Foundation in 2002. Through the Foundation, ten percent of the bank's annual profits are dedicated to non profit organizations that support educational, youth and cultural programs in the communities in which it serves.

Prior to his appointment at Mt. Washington Bank, Merritt served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Abington Savings Bank from 1986-1998. After establishing a record of success in the key financial areas of the bank, in 1992 Merritt assumed the additional responsibility of building the bank's brand in the marketplace which he accomplished by strategically improving its marketing, public relations and retail banking operations.

A twenty year veteran of the banking industry, Merritt is a member of the Board of Directors of the Caritas Carney Hospital Foundation and the Massachusetts Bankers Association (Community Banking Committee). He also serves on the University of Massachusetts Boston's College of Management's Advisory Committee. Merritt earned his bachelor's degree from Salem State College and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Senior Vice President of Residential and Consumer Lending & CRA Officer

Laura Dorfman is the Senior Vice President of Residential and Consumer Lending & CRA Officer. In this capacity, she oversees the entire mortgage banking and consumer lending division. She joined the bank in 2002 and was responsible for creating a stand alone mortgage function and enhancing the bank’s consumer lending activities. Named “One of the Top Ten Bosses in 2006” by Women’s Business, Dorfman oversees a staff of fourteen professionals. With over twenty years of banking experience, particularly in the areas of retail and lending, she is also responsible for Mt. Washington Banks Community Reinvestment Act activities and programs including developing affordable housing programs and maintaining relationships with the local community development corporations and non-profit home buying counseling agencies.

Prior to joining Mt. Washington Bank, Dorfman served as the Senior Vice President for Residential Lending for two regional banks, where she was responsible for merging three separate mortgage divisions into one as a result of two acquisitions and advancing the bank’s market position by positively impacting the customer service experience.

Dorfman is a member of the Massachusetts Mortgage Bankers Association and The Boston Club, which is a professional woman’s association. Community involvement is also a high priority for her as evidenced by her involvement in Aid for Cancer Research, a non-profit woman’s organization that raises funds for cancer research and equipment. She is a graduate of Providence College and received an MBA from Bentley College.

Senior Vice President of Retail Banking

James Morgan is Senior Vice President of Retail Banking, with responsibility for managing all of the bank's branches, which includes three in south Boston, two in Dorchester and one in Jamaica Plain. He is also responsible for the bank's “Ultimate Service” call center. He helped establish the Mt. Washington Bank Charitable Foundation in 2003. The Foundation is funded with 10 per cent of the bank's profits each year, and the proceeds are then used to fund many programs and charitable organizations in the communities Mt Washington serves. A banking veteran with over twenty years of experience, Morgan has successfully built a productive and diverse workforce and identified unique opportunities to offer financial services in the neighborhoods of Boston.

Morgan joined Mt. Washington Bank in 2002. Before that, he held the position of Director of Retail Banking at BankBoston's First Community Bank, where he started as a branch manager. There he managed a 42 branch network located in low to moderate income urban neighborhoods in southern New England. First Community Bank was nationally recognized as a model for delivering financial services in low to moderate income urban communities. Earlier in his career he held several positions with First Mutual of Boston.

He holds a B.A. degree in Political Science from Boston College. In addition to being very active in all facets of his parish, St. Mary's of Winchester, Morgan and his family annually host the “Donald and Eddie Morgan Memorial Golf Tournament” to benefit the Cranberry Hospice of Plymouth.