70th Annual Citizen of the Year Celebration honoring Michael Rauh

Please join us for a celebratory dinner as we honor Michael Rauh, President and CEO of Chelsea Groton Bank, as our 70th Citizen of the Year. This award is presented annually by the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut to an extraordinary individual(s) in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the civic and business community in our region. 

About Michael:
B. Michael Rauh, Jr.
Michael is President & CEO of Chelsea Groton Bank, a mutual bank in southeastern Connecticut, comprised of 15 locations and $1.5 billion in total assets, with approximately 225 outstanding employees. Founded in 1854, the Bank’s focus on customer service and community development has made it the largest independent bank in New London County. The Bank has been recognized as the “Best Bank” in the community by readers of The New London Day, a Top Connecticut Workplace by the Hartford Courant, and carries a 5-Star “Superior” rating for financial strength by Bauer Financial. Michael is responsible for the strategic, operational, and fiscal leadership of the organization.

2021 marks Michael’s eleventh year at the helm of Chelsea Groton Bank. Prior to joining the Bank, Michael spent 19 years at the Washington Trust Company, Rhode Island’s largest independent bank. Michael served most recently at Washington Trust as Executive Vice President-Sales, Service & Delivery. He was responsible for the bank’s retail branch network, call center, internet, ATM and phone activities, as well as all deposit products and cash management. Prior to joining Washington Trust, Michael spent ten years in sales and marketing with various companies, including five years with the Providence-based advertising firm of Chaffee-Bedard.

Michael is a 1981 graduate of the University of Rhode Island, where he earned a BA in Economics. In 2020, he was named to the board of directors of the American Bankers Association (ABA). He is also on the boards of the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, The Yale New Haven Health System, the Norwich Free Academy Foundation, the Norwich Community Development Corporation, URI Harrington School of Communication and Media, and the Providence Mutual Insurance Company, in addition to the Chelsea Groton Bank board and Chelsea Groton Bank Foundation board. He is a past Chairman of the Connecticut Bankers Association, the Board of Directors for L&M Healthcare and the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT.

He has been an active board member over the years in many organizations including Save The Bay, Grow Smart RI, Quonset Point Development Corporation, South County Center for the Arts, The Washington County Regional Planning Council, The Westerly-Pawcatuck Downtown Development Task Force, The Jonnycake Center, The RI Governor’s Commission on Bays, Rivers and Watersheds, The URI President’s Communications Advisory Committee and The Advisory Committee to the URI Dean of Arts and Sciences.
He has been honored by the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT as its Citizen of the Year, the Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce as its Citizen of the Year, the Boy Scouts of America Connecticut Rivers Council for Outstanding Leadership, the RI Chapter of the American Planning Association for Distinguished Leadership and by the RI Sea Grant Program for Community Service.

Michael resides in Mystic, CT and Narragansett, RI with his wife, Annette. Their son, Ben, a graduate of University of Utah, lives and works in New York City. They enjoy skiing, golfing and boating.


Connect with the Community as an Event Sponsor:
Help the Chamber create a well-deserved, memorable experience for our guest of honor while sharing your organization's brand and messaging with a key local audience. To learn more or reserve a sponsorship, contact memberships@chamberect.com or call (860) 701-9113.

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