Lakeside Bank opens branch in Elmhurst

Lakeside Bank recently opened its first branch outside of Chicago. The seventh branch for the financial firm is in Elmhurst in the Elmhurst City Centre at 165 S. York St.

Philip Cacciatore, Lakeside Bank chief executive officer, and President and Vice Chairman David Pinkerton are both longtime Elmhurst residents.

Established in 1966, Lakeside Bank is a locally owned, community-oriented business that reinvests nearly 100 percent of its deposits back into its communities. Cacciatore credits the financial institution's success to forward-thinking, convenient services tailored to small and medium-sized businesses.

"Opening a branch in Elmhurst was a natural next step. We are the core of the neighborhoods we serve and we invest in each and every one. Our relationships - married to powerful, individualized services - are what set us apart and establish us as a force for growth in our valued communities," Cacciatore said.

There are many connections to Elmhurst at the bank.

• Dan Welz, senior vice president and director of administration for all of Lakeside, has lived in Elmhurst for 17 years. He volunteers throughout the community, serving on boards for organizations including those for the Elmhurst Memorial Hospital Foundation, Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce and Lions Club. Welz also mentors business students of Elmhurst College and serves on the Visitation Catholic Church finance committee.

• Angela Villegas, vice president and branch manager, is a 15-year Elmhurst resident and Immaculate Conception Catholic Prep graduate. Her daughter is a York High School alumna and her son is currently a junior there. Villegas also volunteers through the Elmhurst Kiwanis Club.

• Dan Bles, assistant branch manager, is a York High School graduate who has lived in Elmhurst for 27 years.

• Dan Van Prooyen, vice president of commercial lending, attended Timothy Christian Schools. His wife did, too, and their kids are enrolled there now. He has spent more than 15 years as a community banker.

Lakeside Bank opened in 1966 on what is now Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Chicago. Lakeside Bank survived the 2008 financial crisis with zero government assistance and for years has operated thriving branches in the Board of Trade, North Loop, South Loop, Chinatown, Near West Side and Lakeview/Lincoln Park and now, Elmhurst.