By Joshua Burd
A veteran loan officer has joined Cross River, a Fort Lee-based bank with a growing multifamily and commercial real estate division.
The bank announced recently that Christopher Blake had joined its ranks after more than 20 years with New York-based Astoria Bank and experience in the region. With Cross River, he will be responsible for managing and growing its roster of multifamily and commercial real estate clients.
“As we look to continue to grow our multifamily and commercial real estate business, the breadth and depth of Chris’s residential and commercial real estate expertise, as well as his management and operations experience, will make him an invaluable asset to Cross River,” said Shimon Eisikowicz, chief lending officer for Cross River. “We look forward to having him on our team.”
Blake most recently served as head of the sales division and director of the residential loan production department for Astoria Bank, according to a news release. In that role, Blake increased production by 15 percent in all three of the bank’s leading channels — retail, wholesale and correspondent lending.
Prior to that position, he served as Astoria Bank’s wholesale/correspondent senior account executive for New York, Connecticut, Missouri, California and Washington, the news release said. Blake began his career at Astoria Bank as a commercial loan officer, immediately after graduating from Hofstra University.
