First County Bank Spotlight – Owen Anastasia
Learn more about Owen, Trust and Investment Officer for First County Advisors.
Tell us a little about yourself!
I grew up outside of Boston with four siblings in a traditional Irish-Catholic family. Traditional as in loud and boisterous, we policed ourselves, and could do what we wanted as long as we made it to mass on Sunday. My mom is proudly Irish, she’ll tell you, and I have great memories of visiting her hometown in Ireland every summer. For college, I went to a small business school, Babson College, which the Wall Street Journal now considers the 2nd best college in the country. A circumstance I’m not above reminding friends and family regularly.
My professional life brought me to New York City and the Westchester County area, which was where I called home for 10 years. A little over 8 years ago my family and I moved to Fairfield County. Having spent significant time in the burbs of Boston, Westchester and Fairfield, there is no doubt that the towns of Southern Coastal Connecticut have the others beat.
These days I spend as much time as I can with my 15-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter. When not on fields and in gyms, you’ll catch us spending time outdoors hiking with our dog Duck, at the beach, and skiing the slopes throughout the Northeast. Years ago I got involved in coaching flag football and now I’m helping to create more opportunities for girls who enjoy the sport. Recently I’ve been speaking with the New York Giants about bringing high school girls’ flag football to Fairfield County. It’s the fastest growing sport in the country and I’m invested in building a network of interested parents, coaches and players at both the youth and high school levels.
Do you have any secret talents or hobbies?
I wouldn’t call it a talent, but I very much enjoy DIY projects around the house. An ongoing project of mine has been building and maintaining an unnecessarily large vegetable garden. There’s satisfaction in growing your own food that I didn’t really expect. If I wasn’t managing your money I’d be in your backyard pruning your peppers.
What is your favorite part of your role with First County Advisors?
I love watching the financial markets and I love seeing growth from market investments, which is essentially the main focus of my position. As a Trust and Investments Officer, it’s very fulfilling to me when I can put a plan together and help individuals and families meet their financial goals. The reward is even greater when investing on behalf of nonprofits, and in a small way I feel that through my guidance the charity can benefit more people.
Do you have a favorite First County Bank moment? This can be any moment at the Bank that has made an impact on your life.
Being a fairly new employee I think my favorite moment so far was my experience as a customer. Before I started, I went into my local First County Bank branch looking to open a checking account. I asked lots of questions about the account I was opening, the neighborhood and the clientele. Everyone at the branch was so accommodating and knowledgeable. I felt the difference in the level of service I received from this community bank. Local businesses and customers are lucky to have this level of personalized expertise so readily available.
What can your clients come to you for?
My clients can come to me for honest and approachable professional money management and advice, that best aligns with their personal financial goals. Additionally, I have a few globally recognized, industry-leading financial certifications, which I am proud of as they were rigorous to attain. What these certifications really mean is that I am curious. Curious about the people, places and things, that drive financial markets one way or another. Investment management is a life-long learning pursuit and I enjoy sharing what I learn with my clients.
Anything else you’d like to add about your experience with First County Bank or First County Advisors?
I don’t take the term ‘mutual community bank’ lightly. This institution has been reciprocally working to improve the local community for over 170 years. There have been many Banks around that have been bought out and sold, while First County continues to stay true to our clients, customers, and community throughout Fairfield County. I’m looking forward to growing with the bank and making a positive impact within the organization and for my clients.
