For three generations of New Jersey’s McClane-Treshock family, Kearny Bank has felt like home
February 5, 2025
FAIRFIELD, NJ (Feb. 5, 2025) – Talk about a front-row seat to history. For nearly 60 years, no one has had a better view of Kearny Bank’s steady growth throughout New Jersey than three generations of the McClane-Treshock family.
It began in 1967, when North Arlington resident Matthew McClane was hired by what then was Kearny Federal Savings and Loan. At the time, the bank operated only a handful of branch locations in and around Kearny. By 1994 McClane had been elevated to the role of president … which wasn’t always as prestigious a position as it might sound.
“He had a station wagon, and I remember him going to each branch and collecting their paper receipts,” says his daughter, Nutley resident Jennifer Treshock. “He’d fill up the whole back of his car, then transport them over to the main office.”
Jennifer also notes that if a security or fire alarm malfunctioned at one of the branches, her father received an immediate call – even in the middle of the night. And he’d drive to whichever location was involved to ensure everything was under control.
It’s not surprising that Jennifer has such clear recollection of those days – in 1995, she was hired as a teller at Kearny Bank’s Rutherford branch.
“My father could be tough on me – he never wanted anyone to think he was favoring me because I was his daughter,” Jennifer recalls. “Eventually, I had to say to him, ‘Hey – don’t overlook me for a promotion just because I’m your daughter. I deserve the same chance as everyone else.’”
It’s impossible to say whether Jennifer’s demand struck a chord with her father. But not long after she addressed the issue of advancement with him, he remarked to her that she’d be a good fit for a position that had opened up at the corporate office, which was then located in Kearny. It was 1997 when she was hired for the new role, and it meant that for the first time she and her father would work in the same building.
“When we were home, we’d talk about work – though certainly not all the time,” Jennifer recalls. “Mostly, we kept it light. My dad would ask me how certain people he’d known for a long while were doing. And we always shared stories about funny things that happened.”
McClane retired in 2002, though he remained on Kearny Bank’s board of directors until 2020. He passed away in 2024 at the age of 87.
“Looking back, it’s clear how influential my father was,” Jennifer says of the executive who introduced checking accounts and ATMs to Kearny Bank. “He shaped me, both as his daughter and in my career, and he also helped steer a direction for those who worked for him. He was loved and respected, mostly because he just really enjoyed helping people.”
During the pandemic, Jennifer’s daughter, Melissa Treshock – McClane’s granddaughter – was looking for a new job. Her mother suggested she apply for a position at the Fairfield office location that, in 2004, had become Kearny Bank’s corporate office. Melissa did, and she was hired.
“In some ways, having Melissa as a colleague is similar to working with my dad,” Jennifer explains. “We don’t shy away from discussing work, but we don’t dwell on it either. More than anything else, we’ll discuss amusing stories we’ve heard or things that have happened.”
The mother and daughter live together in Nutley, and while they work remotely on different days of the week, they also regularly carpool into the office.
“I’m sure Melissa appreciates that she’s in a unique situation, working for the same company her mother does, and where her grandfather was once the president and a board member,” Jennifer says. “It’s not something any of us ever thought would happen – it just worked out this way. Our family has witnessed quite a bit of Kearny Bank’s history, and I know Melissa’s proud.”
About Kearny Bank
Combining the finest traditions of community banking with the industry’s latest, most effective financial products and services, Kearny Bank provides business and personal clients with the tools for success. Established back in 1884, and now operating from corporate offices in Fairfield, NJ, Kearny Bank’s footprint covers most of New Jersey, along with Brooklyn and Staten Island. Additional information is available at kearnybank.com or by visiting Kearny Bank’s social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn and YouTube.