Florence Bank Hires Commercial Loan Officer and Branch Manager
FLORENCE—Florence Bank is pleased to announce it has hired a commercial loan officer and a branch manager.
Xiaolei Hua, of South Hadley, has joined the bank as vice president / commercial loan officer, while Shadia Coley, of Enfield, Connecticut, has been named branch manager / branch officer of the bank’s new Holyoke office set to open in 2026.
Hua has 20 years of banking experience, and prior to joining Florence Bank, he held the positions of commercial credit officer, assistant vice president / portfolio manager and vice president / commercial lending. He is skilled in business development, relationship management, financial and credit analysis and underwriting.
In his new role, Hua will develop, manage and deepen client relationships while supporting the bank’s strategic growth goals.
Hua holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a master’s in business administration from the same institution. He also attended the New England School for Financial Studies at Babson College, which trains banking professionals.
He is a board member and Finance & Investment Committee member for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and a board member and Finance Committee member for Tech Foundry. Hua has also been named a 40 Under 40 by BusinessWest.
Coley has over 10 years of banking experience and previously held the positions of assistant branch manager / business specialist and branch manager. In addition to managing Florence Bank’s newest branch, she will oversee community outreach and engagement, team leadership and coaching and customer service.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Southern New Hampshire University and a master’s in business administration with a concentration in finance, also from SNHU. She sits on the board for Dress for Success Western Massachusetts.
President and CEO Matt Garrity is pleased to welcome the bank’s newest team members. “Xiaolei and Shadia come to us with a wealth of experience in banking,” said Garrity. “With their prior experience and stellar skillsets, I am confident they will provide exceptional service to Florence Bank’s customers.”
About Florence Bank
Florence Bank is a mutual savings bank chartered in 1873. Currently, the bank serves the Pioneer Valley through 12 full-service branch locations in Florence, Northampton, Easthampton, Williamsburg, Amherst, Hadley, Belchertown, Granby, Chicopee, West Springfield and Springfield. A Holyoke branch will open in the spring of 2026. Additionally, Florence Bank offers 23 ATMs and a wide range of financial services, including investment management through Florence Financial Group to consumers and businesses.
