Susan C. Ballard

Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc., the holding company for Lake Shore Savings Bank, announced this week that Susan C. Ballard has been named to the newly created role of Executive Vice President for Retail, Sales and Marketing. She began her new role on Aug. 1, focused on growing the bank’s 11-branch retail division.

Ballard comes to Lake Shore Savings after having served since 2016 as branch director for Hunt Real Estate ERA, an integrated home ownership services company based in Erie County. She was responsible for managing branch operations, hiring, training and market share development.

Ballard joins Lake Shore Savings with great familiarity, having served on Lake Shore Bancorp’s board of directors since 2012. During her board tenure, she served on its Compensation, Loan and Nominating & Governance committees. Given her new role, she stepped down from the board on July 31.

“Susan has extensive experience in real estate, construction, development and sales, as well as strong general management skills,” said Lake Shore Bancorp President and CEO Daniel P. Reininga. “These talents, along with her deep knowledge of our company and markets gained from eight years on our board and a career in Western New York, made her an excellent choice to lead this important team.”

Prior to joining Hunt, Ballard served as chief operating officer of National Fire Adjustment Co., Inc., and oversaw all of its operations throughout the U.S. and Canada. She also served as a regional sales manager for Essex Homes of Western New York, and a vice president with Patrick Custom Homes.

“I’m truly excited to lead Lake Shore’s retail team and implement a results-driven marketing program across our branches,” Ballard said. “I’ve always had an intense focus on improving market share. I’m a ‘numbers person.’ I love finding opportunities. Anyone can follow the pack, competitively, but I want us to search for gaps in our community, and then consider ways that we can fill those gaps. Let’s look for strategic advantages – where there’s a vacuum in the industry and needs can be filled.”

“We’re looking to drive market share, brand awareness and revenue growth, but not at the expense of customers,” Reininga added. “We will never simply sell someone the ‘product of the day’ because we are incentivized to do so. Instead, we listen and fully understand the customer’s needs, and then recommend the product that meets or exceeds the customer’s expectations. ‘Putting People First’ isn’t just our tagline; it means helping our customers, energizing our employees, respecting our shareholders and serving the communities in our region.”

“We see this as an opportunity to grow, especially in Erie County,” added Lake Shore Bancorp Board Chair Kevin Sanvidge. “As we grow, we need additional management team members to accomplish that growth. This will complement our commercial growth nicely.”

Ballard currently serves as president and director of the Buffalo Niagara Builders Association and has served on the board of the Town of Clarence Industrial Development Agency. She is also a member of numerous business and community organizations, and earned a bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Notre Dame.