Ascendia Bank's new commercial lending and information security leaders join management to strengthen lending and technology.
Hawthorne, NJ, September 11, 2025
Ascendia Bank has appointed two senior executives to strengthen commercial lending and information security. Jonathan Jacobs will lead commercial lending, overseeing underwriting, construction loans, loan approvals and a team of lenders and analysts, drawing on more than 20 years of industry experience. Paul Skinner joins as senior vice president and chief information security officer to manage IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, system integrations and disaster recovery, bringing over four decades of technology leadership. These hires support the bank’s regional expansion, align credit growth with secure systems and complement ongoing leadership succession and digital banking investments.
Ascendia Bank has added two senior leaders to its management team: Jonathan Jacobs as vice president / commercial lending manager and Paul Skinner as senior vice president / chief information security officer. Both executives will begin overseeing the bank’s commercial lending operations and technology and security functions, respectively.
Jonathan Jacobs will take charge of all aspects of the bank’s commercial lending activity, including underwriting and evaluating commercial real estate loan applications, preparing loan approval memoranda, and managing ongoing commercial credit client relationships. His remit explicitly includes oversight of construction loans and leading a team composed of commercial loan administrators, commercial credit analysts, and commercial loan processors.
Paul Skinner will manage the bank’s information systems, technology infrastructure, and data processing operations. He will oversee development and implementation of IT and information security policies, system design and programming, network and database administration, cybersecurity measures, and disaster recovery planning. The role is intended to ensure secure, efficient and reliable technology systems that support operations and customer service.
Jacobs brings more than 20 years of experience in commercial lending and credit analysis. His recent position included managing loan portfolios that exceeded $90 million while serving as assistant vice president portfolio manager at a regional bank. He has also worked as a commercial lender and account manager at a federal credit union, and he has held progressively senior roles at several community banks. Jacobs holds a B.S. in Finance from Morgan State University.
Skinner brings over four decades of IT and operations leadership in the banking industry. His background includes leading core banking system conversions, technology infrastructure upgrades, launches of digital and mobile platforms, complex system integrations, cybersecurity protocol enhancements, and disaster recovery planning. His career has emphasized improving operational efficiency while meeting regulatory and security standards.
Ascendia Bank, previously known by a different local name, completed a branding change in recent years that reflected a broader regional strategy. The rebrand was presented as a new, forward-leaning corporate identity rather than a change in ownership or staffing. The bank traces its origins to an institution established in 1922 and later adopted the Glen Rock–area name in 1937. Over the decades it built an administrative headquarters in Hawthorne and completed an acquisition in 2015.
Publicly available reporting includes differing snapshots of the bank’s scale: earlier reports referenced about four branch offices and assets in excess of $260 million, while a more recent operating report listed five full-service branches and reported total assets near $394 million as of late March 2025, along with roughly three dozen full-time employees. These variations reflect different reporting dates and the bank’s ongoing growth and investments in products such as internet banking, mobile apps, online bill pay and commercial real estate lending.
The bank has been updating executive roles as part of broader leadership succession plans. A new president and chief executive officer has been identified to take the helm in the coming months, with current senior leaders scheduled to transition to advisory and board roles prior to retirement. Ascendia’s leadership additions in lending and information security are described by bank management as part of efforts to strengthen the institution’s commercial lending capabilities and technology infrastructure as it expands regionally.
The hires are positioned to support loan origination and portfolio oversight on the commercial side while advancing cybersecurity, system resilience, and customer-facing digital services on the technology side. The combination of a seasoned commercial lending manager and a veteran IT/security executive is aimed at aligning credit growth with secure, modern processing systems and digital delivery channels.
The bank maintains an official website with details on products, branch locations and corporate contacts. The bank’s public statements about organizational changes and service offerings are available through its corporate communications channels.
Jonathan Jacobs has been named vice president / commercial lending manager. Paul Skinner has been named senior vice president / chief information security officer.
Jacobs will oversee underwriting and evaluation of commercial lending, preparation of loan approvals, construction loan management and a team of commercial lending support staff. Skinner will oversee information systems, IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, system development, database and network management, and disaster recovery planning.
Jacobs has more than 20 years of commercial lending and credit analysis experience and has managed loan portfolios in excess of $90 million. Skinner has over 40 years of IT and operations leadership in banking, including core system conversions and cybersecurity program development.
The bank completed a rebrand to a new name in recent years to reflect a broader regional focus. The rebrand was presented as a change in identity and not a change of ownership.
Branch locations, deposit and lending products, and digital banking services are listed on the bank’s official website.
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| New hires | Jonathan Jacobs — VP/Commercial Lending Manager; Paul Skinner — SVP/Chief Information Security Officer |
| Jacobs: primary focus | Commercial lending underwriting and approvals, construction loans, client relationship management, team leadership |
| Jacobs: experience | 20+ years in commercial lending; managed portfolios > $90M; B.S. in Finance |
| Skinner: primary focus | IT/IS management, cybersecurity, system design, disaster recovery, infrastructure upgrades |
| Skinner: experience | 40+ years in banking technology and operations; led core conversions and digital platform launches |
| Bank profile | Community bank with a rebrand from earlier local name; history dating to 1922; expanded product set including online and mobile banking and commercial real estate lending |
| Scale notes | Reported branch and asset counts have varied across reporting periods; recent reporting listed assets near $394M and about five full-service branches as of March 31, 2025 |
| Website | www.AscendiaBank.com |
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