Suffolk County National Bank exec resigns

The chief lending officer of Suffolk County National Bank, which regulators have criticized for its lending practices, has resigned.

Robert Dick, 61, an executive vice president of the bank, stepped down for personal reasons that were unrelated to issues the bank is dealing with, said Douglas Shaw, senior vice president of the bank's parent company, Suffolk Bancorp of Riverhead.

"It was a personal decision on his part," Shaw said.

Dick has been with Suffolk County National for 30 years and in banking for 45 years, Shaw said. Dick had served as Suffolk's chief lending officer for more than a decade.

Michael J. Sabala, a senior vice president, will serve as interim chief lending officer until the company fills the position permanently, Shaw said.

Earlier this year, the bank and its federal regulator, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, signed an agreement that orders the bank to retrain top managers if necessary, adopt a plan to set aside sufficient money to cover potential bad loans and avoid concentrating too much of its business in any one area, particularly commercial real estate loans.

The bank has assets of $1.7 billion and 30 branches in Suffolk County.