A year after she was announced as incoming president and CEO of the Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank, Janice Morse officially took leadership this week, making her the first female president of the 156-year-old institution.

Morse succeeds Richard Eaton, who had served as president and CEO for 17 years before transitioning to chairman of the board. Morse was previously executive vice president and treasurer, and had started at the bank 34 years ago as a teller before working her way through a number of different branches and positions. During her tenure at the $620.4 million-asset institution, she’s been a branch manager, bank marketer and even started the bank’s initial IT department.

That broad experience is useful knowledge for a CEO to have, and her long career at the bank makes her well-suited to carry on its successes, she said. The role of branch manager, in particular, requires an employee to become acquainted with many aspects of the bank, or "wear a lot of hats," so to speak. It also engenders respect among other employees, Morse added.

Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank has an enthusiastic workforce, and the bank has been very successful, she said, and as CEO she intends to maintain that track record: "It’s a great atmosphere here, and I’m going to try my best to continue."