First Niagara Announces New Avon Branch Manager

First Niagara Financial Group (Nasdaq: FNFG) today announced the hiring of Elizabeth D. Horyn as Branch Manager of its Avon branch, located at 232 West Main Street.

Horyn will be responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations at the branch and developing community, customer and business relationships in Greater Avon. She will report directly to Martha Burgess, First Vice President.

“Elizabeth brings to the table more than 32 years of hands-on experience in the banking industry, including extensive work in operations, business development and management,” said Burgess. “We are confident those skills will allow her to effectively deploy First Niagara’s wide array of banking and finance resources to our customers and are excited that she has joined our talented team of bankers.”

Prior to First Niagara, Horyn served as Vice-President, Junior Regional Manager and Multi-Site Branch Manager at RBS Citizens Bank in West Hartford and Hartford. She has also served in similar capacities at local branches of Bank of America and Fleet Bank.

Horyn is also committed to several community organizations; she is a member and past president of the West Hartford Rotary Club and is a member of the Market Leadership Program. Fluent in Polish and Russian, Horyn has been a member of the Polish-American Congress and received the Immigrant of the Year Award in 2000.

She received an Associate of Science degree in Business Administration from New England College of Finance and holds a teaching degree from Studium Wychowania Przedszkolnego in Poland.

A native of Chociwel, Poland, Horyn currently resides in Newington with her husband.