News

Sugar River Bank is pleased to announce the return of Travis Craig to the lending team, where he will be serving customers in the Warner and Concord areas as a Loan Origination Officer. Travis is replacing the role held by Ellen Lessard following her recent retirement. 

With over 25 years of banking experience, Travis brings a wealth of knowledge, dedication, and personalized service to meet customer’s financing needs. His expertise and strong commitment to successful outcomes make him a valuable resource for individuals seeking tailored lending solutions.

A 2024 graduate of Leadership Greater Concord, Travis is also deeply committed to professional growth and community involvement. He currently serves as Treasurer for InTown Concord and is actively engaged in volunteer initiatives throughout the region. 

Halloween 2025
Our employees were super creative once again this year! The Newport branch transformed their hall and lobby with another amazing scary themed experience for the Richards School children to enjoy during their annual parade. Thank you to everyone who helped make the day fun, festive, and memorable for the kids!

Congratulations to Mackenzie Cutting on her well deserved promotion to Senior Teller! Her hard work, dedication, and positive attitude have truly paid off. We are excited to see all the great things ahead for you in this new role!

Congratulations to Brittany Hamel, Applications Specialist for being elected to the New England Regional User Group Board! Your dedication and leadership are truly inspiring. Excited to see all the great things you'll accomplish in this new role!

September 2025

Sugar River Bank proudly announces the retirement of Ellen Lessard, who concluded her successful banking career on August 29, 2025.

We thank Ellen for her years of service and commitment to the Bank, her coworkers, and her customers. Please join us in wishing her a happy, healthy, and well-deserved retirement.

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Paul Brown to the Board of Directors at Sugar River Bank. With his wealth of experience in finance, Paul brings valuable insights and leadership that will help guide our continued growth and commitment to serving our customers and communities. 

Paul Brown

Paul has spent 32 years serving the Town of Newport in many capacities. Beginning in 1992, Paul served as the Finance Director and Assistant Town Manager before becoming Town Manager in 2011. He currently consults with the Towns of Newport and Sunapee to perform bookkeeping and annual reporting. In addition, Paul serves as the President of the Newport Chamber of Commerce, Vice President of the Economic Corporation of Newport, and Treasurer of the Jake Maxfield Connection. He is a prolific volunteer for many organizations and was bestowed the honor of being named Newport’s “Citizen of the Year” in 2025. Paul lives in Newport.

Sugar River Bancorp, the mutual holding company of Sugar River Bank, is pleased to announce the recent appointment of new board director Paul Brown and the election of four new Corporators,  at its 130th annual meeting held on April 16th.  

Derek Medlin

President & Chief Growth Officer

Katapult Holdings, Inc

Derek Medlin has over 20 years leading teams for financial and technology firms, spanning product, technology, operations, business development, legal/compliance and strategy functions. Currently, he is the President and Chief Growth Officer of Katapult Holdings, Inc, a publicly traded financial technology company, since August 2024 and previously was Chief Operating Officer of Katapult and other operational roles since July 2017.  Prior to Katapult, he spent nearly 15 years in roles that spanned strategy, go-to-market, operations, finance and advisory responsibilities at companies including J.P. Morgan Chase, Elavon (U.S. Bank) and Ernst & Young.  He has a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and a Master of International Business from Georgia State University.  Derek is also active in the community recreation programs in Sunapee, volunteering and coaching for activities alongside his wife and three children. They live in Georges Mills.

Brett Barselle

President

Colby Insurance Group

Brett started his insurance career in 1999 with Colby Insurance Group, a family business, and he has been the owner and President since 2011.  Colby is a community-oriented Independent Insurance Agency, serving over ten thousand clients from its offices in New London, Sunapee, Lyme and Woodsville, NH.  He’s Treasurer for Lyon Brook Community Association in New London, and he’s proud to be able to support various local non-profits in the communities Colby serves.  He graduated from UNH in 1994 with a BA in Political Science.  He lives in Bradford, NH with his wife and two children.

Sandy Demeis

Owner

Universal Physical Therapy, LLC

Sandy has owned and operated Universal Physical Therapy, LLC in Newport for the last 28 years. Through her business, she has been a vital supporter of her surrounding community by sponsoring numerous town events. She is a 1990 Magna Cum Laude graduate of the University of Connecticut with her BS/PT degree, where she received the McMillian Scholarship.  The managing partner, chief physical therapist and Clinical coordinator roles keep her busy, but treating her patients remains her passion. Sandy has two children; her son has moved back to New Hampshire to raise her new granddaughter, and her daughter, currently living in LA, always enjoys coming home to visit. Sandy lives in Newport.

Melissa Biagiotti

Owner

Pumpkin Blossom Farm

Melissa owns and operates Pumpkin Blossom Farm with her husband Mike. She previously worked as a real estate agent for Camarda Premier Properties and Active Florida Realty. She has 25 years of realtor experience in luxury real estate sales, investment, and property renovations throughout Florida.  She is now a licensed real estate broker in both New Hampshire and Florida. Pumpkin Blossom Farm has been the center of her family's gatherings, special events and family weddings since 2007. It initially began as a vacation retreat and was rented to guests from over 40 states and 7 different countries over the span of 9 years. In 2016, the Biagiotti’s began improving the features of the 14-acre farm, which is now home to over 10,000 lavender plants. In 2024, the farm welcomed over 7,000 visitors to pick lavender, enjoy the fields and shop their expanding line of lavender products which are now showing up in stores across the county. Their unique property has been featured on NH Chronicle, in NH Business Magazine, NH Home Magazine, and several other state wide publications.  Melissa lives in Warner.