A Message From Our CEO

Amid the holiday season, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for choosing us as your trusted financial partner. From new to decades-long, our relationships with you are what drive our more than 600 teammates forward each day. We have been honored to stand as a pillar of strength and stability for individuals, families, businesses, nonprofits and municipalities throughout the communities we have served for over two centuries. 

Building Deeper Community Ties

Throughout 2025, our focus remained on empowering you to reach your financial goals. We took pride in fueling thriving local economies and meeting a wide array of banking and lending needs across the markets we serve. Our grant programs backed remarkable organizations tackling the most pressing challenges facing their communities. Meanwhile, our team members shared their free time and expertise by volunteering with and serving on boards of charitable organizations throughout Western and Central New York.

I encourage you to explore our Community Report, which highlights the meaningful impact we've made together and celebrates the strong bonds we've formed with the people, businesses and partners across the communities we're privileged to serve. Among those: 

• In Western New York, we proudly supported organizations like the Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology, the Buffalo Urban League and the Rural Outreach Center through grant funding. Our team has volunteered for more than 50 local organizations in the last year, in addition to serving on more than 35 nonprofit boards. See pages 12 -13 for more details.

• In Greater Rochester, we provided grants to organizations like The Center for Youth Services. We also helped provide or secure funding for affordable properties, including Churchview Commons by PathStone Development Corporation, and those that provide supportive services, like Southridge Landing by Family Promise of Greater Rochester. See page 14 for more details, including the many local nonprofits we volunteer for and serve on boards of.
  

• In the Southern Tier, we launched a new scholarship fund with the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) to support local students pursuing careers in healthcare. We also provided Providence Housing Development Corporation with financing for a new affordable housing community. Our associates proudly gave back to the community through volunteering with organizations, like Chemung County Habitat for Humanity and board service with the Hammondsport Chamber of Commerce. See page 16 for more details.
  

• In Central New York, we partnered with Catholic Charities of the Finger Lakes (CCFL) to support the community of Ovid following a devastating fire in January 2025. Five Star Bank provided a $10,000 grant to CCFL with 100% of the funding going directly to individuals affected by the fire, which destroyed several buildings, including the area’s sole grocery store. Our associates also volunteered with nonprofit organizations throughout the region, including the Beverly Animal Shelter and the Living Well Mission. See page 17 for more details. 
  

• In the Mid-Atlantic, our associates serve customers through the greater Baltimore and Washington, D.C. area. They voluntarily serve on boards and with organizations like Hope International and NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Corporation, which they partnered with to assemble care packages for our nation’s troops. Read more on page 18 of the Community Report.

Building Momentum for Tomorrow

We continue to deliver strong financial results as a company, allowing us to reinvest in Five Star Bank and Courier Capital in order to continue delivering the simple, connected and trusted experience that you expect. Today, we are a more than $6 billion-asset financial institution. Five Star Bank has approximately $4.6 billion of loans and $5.4 billion of deposits, while Courier Capital oversees more than $3.5 billion in assets under management. This combination of scale and local focus sets us apart from other community banks.^[1] We also completed renovations to our Warsaw, NY headquarters, reinforcing our long-standing commitment to the community where our story began. Courier Capital also launched a new Sarasota, FL location, strengthening our ability to serve clients wherever they are.

The dedication and accomplishments of our 600-plus associates throughout 2025 fill me with pride. I'm fortunate to work alongside them, and I know they join me in appreciating your continued partnership.

Wishing you happiness and success throughout 2026. I'm excited about what we'll achieve together in the year ahead.