Thomas Howley — who grew up in Matawan, N.J., a borough in Monmouth County renowned for a shark attack in 1916 that inspired the classic film Jaws — is a Commercial Lending Relationship Manager, AVP at C&N Bank, where his clients range from small and mid-sized businesses to real estate investors.

Howley, who began working when he was 17 years old as a food runner at a restaurant, earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Saint Joseph’s University. He credits a mentor, Kelley Cwiklinski, with having the biggest impact on his career.

“Over the last 10-plus years, Kelley has always provided me with strong leadership and career guidance,” said Howley. “Her knowledge in commercial lending has been a great resource for me. She has also trusted me with a variety of responsibilities, and that has allowed me to gain valuable experiences across the bank.”

His proudest professional achievement was joining the former MileStone Bank in 2015.

“I, along with several colleagues, took a leap of faith and joined MileStone Bank (which rebranded as Covenant Bank before merging with C&N),” said Howley. “MileStone was underperforming at the time and in need of new leadership. We re-organized the bank’s commercial lending and positioned the bank as a strong, relationship-based bank. It took five years of dedicated hard work with some long days, but in the end, the bank doubled in asset size and became a high-performing, profitable company.”

Howley’s favorite Chester County restaurant is Nectar in Berwyn.

Howley and the rest of the 2022 Class of VISTA Millennial Superstars will be honored at the Awards Reception & Celebration held outdoors on Tuesday, May 10 at Penn State Great Valley. The in-person event will feature food trucks, drinks, touchless registration, a VIP tent, and boundless opportunities to network. It will also be live-streamed.

Sponsors are still being sought. Click here to learn more about the various opportunities available to partner with VISTA Today as it celebrates Chester County’s next generation of leaders.