A trailblazer, breaking through the traditional barriers to women in the financial industry, Faye T. Pantazelos has risen to the top as one of Chicago’s leading authorities on commercial real estate finance.  Over her 35-year career, she has originated, underwritten and managed in excess of $3 billion in commercial real estate loans for hotels, industrial facilities, community shopping centers and office buildings.  Among developers, builders, bankers and members of the media, Pantazelos is a top expert for advice on forecasting real estate trends, interest rates and the economy.  A sampling of her career accolades include: Crain’s Chicago Business naming her the Who’s Who for the past seven years, Today’s Chicago Woman inducting her into its 20th Anniversary Hall of Fame and the Anti-Defamation League presenting her with the “Woman of Achievement” Award.

Most impressive is that after her 25-year climb up the corporate ladder, she founded a full-service commercial bank from the ground up.  With Pantazelos serving as President and Chief Executive Officer of New Century Bank and Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of its parent company, NCB Holdings, Inc., the bank she founded has now over $473 million in assets. 

A lifelong and third generation Chicagoan, Pantazelos is active in the community through business organizations and philanthropic endeavors.   She co-founded the Edgewater Uptown Builders Association and New Century Bank is a founding sponsor of DePaul University’s Real Estate Center.  She is a member of the prestigious Lincoln Park Builder’s Club and the Advisory Board for Roosevelt University’s Chicago School of Real Estate.  She serves on several boards of civic and charitable organizations, including the President’s Council for the Museum of Science and Industry and the Board of Visitors at the University of Illinois at Chicago Liberal Arts and Sciences from which she received the first-ever “Donor of Distinction” Award.  Pantazelos is also an active member of the Greek-American community, receiving the Professional Achievement Award from Hellenic Bar Association.  Under Pantazelos’ leadership, New Century Bank financially supports programs giving children expanded and innovative educational opportunities and social services needs to Chicago’s physically and mentally challenged citizens.

Whether as panelist or lecturer, Pantazelos is a popular speaker.  She has spoken at the University of Chicago Economic Development and Site Selection group; The DeNovo Banking Forum in Washington, D.C.; International Women’s Day Luncheon at the Union League Club (Keynote Speaker); the Women’s Business Development Center; the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce; the Association of Chicago Bank Women; the Lincoln Park Builder’s Club’s Real Estate Forum; the Real Estate Institute Association (REIA); the Chicago Real Estate Association’s Commercial Forum; the Chicago Architectural Club; the Hellenic Professional Society; the Hellenic American Women’s Council; Step Up Women’s Network; and the Midwest Real Estate News Commercial Real Estate panel.

Pantazelos is a long-time steward of St. Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Church.  She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

James Hubbard is Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer of New Century Bank, a Chicago-based, full-service commercial bank. In this role, Hubbard is responsible for all of New Century Bank's private, business and commercial real estate lending activities. Hubbard also serves on the Board of Directors for New Century Bank and on the Board of its parent company, NCB Holdings, Inc. James Hubbard, 54, has more than 30 years of experience, including 15 years at American National Bank, where he served as Senior Vice President and head of 10 commercial banking divisions. Prior to New Century Bank, Hubbard served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Diamond Bank, a $200 million commercially-oriented federal savings bank located in Chicago. In this leadership role, Hubbard was involved in the purchase, delisting and management of this publicly traded thrift, increasing its commercial lending capabilities and significantly growing the bank's assets.

Before Diamond Bank, Hubbard served as President and Chief Executive Officer for the Chicago region of Old Kent Bank and as Senior Executive Vice President and the head of Corporate Banking for the parent company, Old Kent Financial, a $20 billion regional bank. During his tenure at Old Kent, the Chicago region grew its assets by more than $4 billion. Hubbard started and spent the majority of his career at American National Bank where he moved up the corporate ranks from Credit Analyst to Senior Vice President.

Hubbard earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Military Academy and obtained his MBA in Finance from DePaul University. He currently lives in Skokie, Ill. with his family.

Larry Johnson is Executive Vice President of Commercial Real Estate at New Century Bank. In this role, Johnson is responsible for the origination of new business and the management New Century Bank's portfolio of loans secured by a variety of high-quality commercial real estate assets. He also leads and oversees the bank's Commercial Real Estate team.

Johnson, 62, has more than 37 years of financial services and real estate experience. Prior to New Century Bank, Johnson worked in the Chicago office of Charter One Bank, a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Scotland. As Executive Vice President of Commercial Real Estate for Charter One, he was responsible for the origination and management of the bank's real estate loans for Illinois-based developers and investors.

Previously, Johnson served as Executive Vice President for Real Estate at National City Bank in Chicago, where he was responsible for directing the successful growth and development of the bank's investment real estate business. He also worked as First Vice President at Corus Bank of Chicago, a $9 billion commercial bank, where he sourced and developed new real estate lending relationships, investors and entrepreneurs.

He earned his bachelor of arts in economics from St. Olaf College in Minnesota and his masters in business administration in banking and finance from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.  Johnson lives in Glen Ellyn, Ill.

Tom Schroeder is Senior Vice President of Commercial Real Estate at New Century Bank, a Chicago-based, full service commercial bank with more than $465 million in assets.

Tom Schroeder joined New Century Bank with more than 25 years of relationship management and commercial real estate lending experience. Most recently, he was Senior Vice President and Division Head at LaSalle Bank in Chicago that was recently acquired by Bank of America. At LaSalle, Schroeder was responsible for the management of a team of lenders targeting middle market developers and owners of real estate with total commitments of more than $550 million.

Previously, Schroeder served as Vice President of Real Estate at TCF Bank in Burr Ridge, Ill. where he was responsible for expanding their lending platform throughout the state. Schroeder has held previous Vice President positions at U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo Bank in Chicago.

Schroeder, 50, earned his bachelors of business in management from Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois. Schroeder resides in Orland Park.

Thomas J. Maier is Chief Financial Officer at New Century Bank, a Chicago-based, full-service commercial bank. In this role, Maier oversees all of New Century Bank's financial management functions, including financial reporting, capital management and treasury operations.

With more 32 years of accounting and capital markets experience, Maier most recently served as President of Elder Essex Capital, a Winnetka, Ill.-based investment banking firm. In this role, he was involved in 22 public and private equity transactions for banks and other financial companies raising $1.2 billion of common and preferred equity, 11 trust preferred securities transactions totaling $200 million and eight merger advisory assignments with an aggregate value of $300 million.

Prior to Elder Essex, Maier was Managing Director of Howe Barnes Hoefer & Arnett, a Chicago-based brokerage firm. Maier has also held senior executive positions with Chicago-based corporations Everen Securities, The Chicago Corporation, First Colonial Bankshares and W.N. Lane Interfinancial.

Maier, 59, earned his bachelor of arts in international politics from Princeton University and his master's degree in accounting from New York University Stern School of Business. He also is a graduate of the bank executive management program at Columbia University. Maier lives in Winnetka, Ill.

David Wejroch is Senior Vice President and Chief Credit Officer at New Century Bank. In this role, he is responsible for managing and monitoring all commercial loans, overseeing construction loans and training New Century Bank loan officers and credit analysts.

With more than 17 years of banking experience, Wejroch most recently served as Senior Vice President and Chief Credit Officer at Inland Bank and Trust in Hillside, Ill, where he was responsible for leading the bank's credit department and refining its underwriting, risk management and commercial real estate lending functions.

Previously Wejroch worked at Chicago-based Builders Bank where he served as Senior Vice President, Director of Portfolio and Construction Management where he oversaw over $450 million committed portfolio and later was promoted to Senior Vice President, Director of Credit Risk Management and was responsible for managing the credit risk management department.  Wejroch also served as Vice President for Commercial Real Estate Lender at Chicago-based LaSalle Bank.

Wejroch, 37, is a member of the Risk Management Association and the Admissions committee at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.  He is also currently working toward becoming a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM), a recognized expert in the disciplines of commercial and investment real estate.

Wejroch earned his bachelor of arts in business administration from University of Michigan and his masters in business administration from the University of Chicago. Wejroch lives in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood.

Mr. Abney is Senior Vice President and Cashier at New Century Bank with over 37 years of commercial banking experience. He is currently managing Bank Operations, Information Systems, Compliance and Human Resources. Mr. Abney is also a Director of New Century Bank.

Prior to joining New Century Bank in 1998, Mr. Abney served as Vice President of McHenry State Bank, where he managed the Retail and Operations divisions. He also served as Vice President, Retail Division Manager with Grand National Bank and Senior Vice President, Cashier, and Branch President with First Chicago.

Mr. Abney received a Bachelor of Science and MBA from Northern Illinois University. He obtained the designation of Certified Financial Planner in 1994.

Tony Spears brings years of business banking and loan experience to New Century Bank. He spent 5 years as a Vice President/Relationship Manager with Citibank where he managed a loan portfolio of $15MM and 50 customers and developed owner operated businesses with gross sales volumes of $20MM or less. Prior to that, he served as Vice President/Commercial Lending Officer at Cole Taylor Bank where he managed a loan portfolio of over $15mm and 150 customers. Mr. Spears served as Assistant Vice President for the BankAmerica Commercial Corporation where his asset-based loan portfolio totaled $30MM. Mr. Spears graduated from Louisiana State University with a bachelor of science in accounting.

Robert Braun is First Vice President of Private Banking at New Century Bank. In this role, Braun is responsible for all of New Century Bank's retail and private banking functions, including overseeing the bank's three Chicago branches in River North, Bucktown and Lincolnwood.

Robert Braun, 56, has 35 years of experience in financial services, most recently serving as Manager of Retail and Wholesale Mortgage Operations for the Chicago-based Alliant Credit Union, the largest credit union in Illinois, and President and Chief Operations Officer for Chicago-based Edgebrook Bank. Braun has also held senior positions at Harris Bank, Old Kent Bank and Columbia National Bank.

Braun has participated in many professional organizations, including the Illinois Mortgage Bankers Association, the Illinois Association of Mortgage Brokers, the Financial Institutions Marketing Association and the Bank Marketing Association. He has also taught banking classes for the Institute for Financial Education.

Braun earned his masters of business in marketing from Roosevelt University and received his bachelors of science in business administration from North Park University in Chicago. Braun resides in Northbrook, Ill.

Lindsey Bouton has over 20 years experience in the banking and mortgage industry. Prior to joining New Century Bank, Ms. Bouton was Branch Manager for WestMark Mortgage Corporation where she began their Midwest retail origination division. Previously she was Vice President of Security Bank of DuPage where she implemented a secondary market mortgage origination department and handled all aspects of mortgage transactions. She also worked at Old Kent Bank where she was responsible for business development in the Business Banking Division. Ms. Bouton began her banking career with Gary-Wheaton Bank, subsequently First Chicago Bank, where she managed commercial account relationships totaling over $42 million. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Secondary Education from Coe College.

As a Vice President and Branch Manager at New Century Bank, Gene Khalimsky is responsible for the oversight of the Lincolnwood branch. Gene has more than 12 years of experience in the banking and mortgage industry. Prior to joining New Century Bank, Mr. Khalimsky was Private Banking Officer for LaSalle Bank/ ABN AMRO Group, Chicago IL where he help developed small business loan origination and managed $25 million in retail and small business lending. He began his career at Bank of America as a manager of commercial account relationships and later became an Assistant Branch Manager for TCF National Bank of Arlington Heights, IL, where he implemented home equity and secondary market mortgage origination division between 2 local branches. Mr. Khalimsky holds a Bachelors Degree of Science in Finance/International Business from Elmhurst College.

Mary Maltese joined New Century Bank in 2004 and brings years of insurance and banking experience. Mary spent two years at Prudential Insurance as a Client Service Representative and an insurance agent. After Prudential, Mary worked as a client financial analyst for Citibank where she was responsible for managing customer relationships and analyzing client financial data. Mary received her Bachelor Arts Degree with an emphasis in Business from DePaul University.

As Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager at New Century Bank, Len is responsible for the oversight of the Bucktown branch. Len has more than 12 years of experience in the banking, mortgage and investment industry. Prior to joining New Century Bank, Mr. Mayersky was a Client Financial Analyst and Manager at Citibank, managing client relationships while overseeing personal bankers throughout the downtown region. Prior to Citibank, Len worked as a Sales Representative for then Kemper Investments assisting clients and brokers. Mr. Mayersky holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University, Bloomington.