James Hastings Named Vice President, Chief Financial Officer at Bennett College

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Bennett College has named banking industry veteran James Hastings as Vice President, Finance and Business Operations and Chief Financial Officer. His financial management expertise includes more than 20 years in senior leadership positions at several financial institutions across the U.S.

Hastings served most recently as Executive Vice President and CFO at Ulster Savings Bank in Kingston, New York, and before that, Executive Vice President and CFO at Naugatuck Valley Financial Corporation in Naugatuck, CT. In both instances, he was a member of the executive management team which returned the troubled institutions to profitability and good regulatory standing.

From 2008 until February 2013, Mr. Hastings was the Executive Vice President and CFO at Southern Community Financial Corporation in Winston-Salem, N.C., and before that, he served in executive management roles at community banks in New England and Washington State.

Hastings is a Certified Public Accountant currently licensed in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and member of the American Institute of CPAs. In addition to banking-related industry activities, he has been active with several community organizations including Rotary International, United Way and Habitat for Humanity.

He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and holds an MBA degree with a concentration in finance from the University of Washington in Seattle.