Needham Bank announced that George Drugas has joined the Commercial and Industrial (C&I) Banking team as First Vice President, Small Business Team Leader. Reporting to James Daley, Executive Vice President, Director C&I Banking, Drugas will lead the Small Business team and be responsible for developing strategies to expand and strengthen client relationships.

Drugas brings extensive experience in credit strategy, business development and relationship management to his new role. Most recently, he served as Vice President, Small Business Team Leader at HarborOne Bank, where he managed a team of business development officers and oversaw the prescreening and evaluation of credit requests across various products. Prior to that, he was the Vice President, Customer Credit Advocate at Citizens Bank.

"We're thrilled to welcome George to the C&I Banking team," said Daley. "His deep industry experience and leadership will be instrumental as we continue to grow our Small Business division. I'm confident he'll deliver meaningful results for our customers and the Bank."

"I'm excited to join Needham Bank and lead such a talented Small Business team," said Drugas. "Supporting and empowering small businesses is important to me, and I look forward to contributing to the success of our clients."

Drugas earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Massachusetts Boston and completed the Risk Management Association's Loan Officer Resident Seminar. He currently volunteers for the Somerville Homeless Coalition and the BUILD Boston program.