Tioga State Bank Celebrates 160 Years

It’s an extraordinary achievement when any institution surpasses 100 years of service, much less 150 years. But this year, Tioga State Bank, N.A., in Spencer, N.Y., has gone beyond even that impressive milestone. The $565 million-asset community bank is celebrating its 160th anniversary, thanks to its adaptability and deep connections with the communities it serves.

Since it opened in 1864, Tioga State has seen it all—both world wars, two global pandemics, the Great Depression and the Great Recession—and it has withstood the test of time. Part of Tioga State’s longevity comes from its proactive embrace of technology.

“We never want technology to be too far out of sight when it comes to adding convenience, but we also want to keep that personal touch,” said Jennifer Moraczewski, SVP of deposit operations and technology at Tioga State Bank.

Preserving that personal touch, Tioga State Bank also credits its success to its members putting customers at the forefront of everything they do. “The success of the community is our success,” said Sarah Rayle, marketing manager. “We want customers for life and for generations to come, so [to] do that, we have to provide exceptional customer service and those innovative solutions.”

Nobody agrees with that more than Robert Fisher, president and CEO of Tioga State Bank, whose family has been a part of the community bank since 1884. He aims to keep the bank running strongly and resiliently, so that others can benefit from its helping hand well into the future. He said, “Even as a young banker, [my father] told me to not view myself as an owner but as a steward of the business, and that my job was to leave the bank better for the next generations.”