Stamford Advocate- Business People

First Niagara has named Chad Stewart and Kim Rodney as vice presidents of commercial lending for Fairfield County. They will report to First Vice President David Cantor, who manages business banking for First Niagara in Fairfield and New Haven counties. Rodney, a Bridgeport resident, joins First Niagara from Wells Fargo/Wachovia Bank, where she worked since 2005, most recently as vice president, business banking. She received her B.A. from New York University and has been a Women’s Business Development Council of Connecticut board member for the last four years. Stewart, of Fairfield, joins First Niagara from HSBC Bank, where he was vice president, senior relationship manager. He is treasurer of the board of trustees for St. Vincent’s College in Bridgeport and is a member of the Joint Finance Committee for St. Vincent’s Health Services. Stewart received his B.A. from the University of Connecticut, a graduate degree in banking studies from Stonier Graduate School of Banking and earned his certified financial planner designation in 2007.