Edward O. “Ned” Handy III grew up in Providence with parents who instilled in him the idea that it’s a natural thing to give back to the community and look out for others.
With Westerly-based The Washington Trust Co., Handy has found the perfect melding of professional and personal purpose.
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Handy joined the nation’s oldest community bank in 2013 as president and chief operating officer, after serving as Citizens Bank’s president for Rhode Island and Connecticut.
His involvement in the community has been extensive from the start. He’s equally adept working with business leaders and those dedicated to serving the state’s most vulnerable residents. He’s served on numerous nonprofit boards and advisory councils, including the Rhode Island Foundation, Crossroads Rhode Island and Amos House. He chaired a capital campaign for the latter for a $5 million community center that opened in 2016 and earned a Corporate Citizenship award from PBN the same year.
He took over as chairman and CEO at Washington Trust in 2017, continuing the bank’s long run of stellar quarterly earnings, as well as its commitment to employees and community service.
And as competitors in the banking industry looked to scale back on branch services in early 2021, Handy noted the ongoing importance of brick-and-mortar branches in the community.
It’s a message he reemphasized throughout the pandemic.
“We have found that the human connection is more important than ever,” he said.
