John Crisafulli of Toms River, who has more than 20 years of experience in many banking positions, including 15 years in management, has been promoted to Vice President, Senior Business Development Officer of First Commerce Bank, 105 River Avenue, Lakewood.
With 10 offices state-wide, including a new expansion in Jackson, First Commerce is considered a community-based, full-service commercial bank that emphasizes the banking needs of small to medium-sized businesses, professional entities, governmental agencies and individuals, offering a broad range of consumer and commercial banking services. As Vice President, Senior Business Development Officer, Crisafulli is responsible for business development in all 10 branches of First Commerce Bank.
Crisafulli takes pride in being community minded. He is the founder (2016) and a board member of Central Ocean Business Association (COBA), which he formed to support small businesses in Ocean County with focus on the Route 9 Corridor. COBA is a formal 501(c) with more than 150 active members. A non-exclusive business association working with municipalities, COBA’s mission is to drive economic development, support small business, and draw attraction to developing communities.
He is an active member of the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce, Monmouth Regional Chamber of Commerce, Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce, New Jersey Jewish Business Alliance, Rockland Business-2-Business Network, and handles Business Development for the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce, an internationally recognized Chamber of Commerce.
Crisafulli also serves as a board member of the Strand Center for the Arts, Lakewood; Community Affairs Resource Center, Asbury Park (since 2022); and the Burlington Mercer Chamber of Commerce (since 2019). He served as a board member of the Fanwood-Scotch Plains Rotary Club as president; the Union Rotary Club; the Girls Scouts of the Jersey Shore; and was District Chairman for the Joshua Huddy District of The Boy Scouts of America Jersey Shore Council. He was honored as a Hometown Hero at the 2018 Ocean County Awards Gala.
Crisafulli grew up in Cedar Grove and attended high school at Montclair Immaculate where he was a Peer Minister and graduated as a member of the National Honors Society. He was also a State Champion for the 1996 Montclair Immaculate H.S. Football team. John attended Kean University for two years, focusing on accounting and small business.
Recently, First Commerce Bank received performance recognition in the banking community. The Bank was the fastest growing bank, headquartered in New Jersey, for 2013, 2014 and 2015.