Munster-based Finward Bancorp named Martin Alwin, Jennifer Evans and Carolyn Burke to serve as directors.

Alwin, Evans and Burke will serve on the board of Finward Bancorp and Peoples Bank. Finward is the holding company for Peoples Bank. The three new directors assume their roles effective Sept. 9. 

Alwin and Burke will serve on the audit committee of the boards of the bancorp and the bank. Evans will serve on the risk management and compliance committee. 

“We are happy to welcome our three new directors and look forward to collaborating with them and the entire board to achieve Finward’s strategic goals,” said Ben Bochnowski, president and CEO of Finward, in a press release.

Evans and Burke were appointed to fill vacant directorships. In connection with Alwin’s appointment, the board approved an increase in the size of the board from 10 to 11 directors.

Alwin is the senior analyst at PL Capital Advisors and principal and managing member of RISE Commercial Self-Storage Fund Managers. Prior to joining PL Capital, he was a vice president of investment banking for Piper Jaffray & Co.

Alwin earned a bachelor’s degree from Lawrence University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He previously served on the board of Community West Bancshares.

Evans is the former executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Private Bancorp. When Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce acquired Private Bancorp in 2017, she assumed the role of general counsel. Previously Evans worked at MAF Bancorp Inc. and Mid America Bank. Evans retired in 2020.

Evans earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Brown University. She received a J.D. from the Boston University School of Law.

Burke currently serves as the CFO of Exron Capital. She has spent her career working in the financial services industry. Burke began her career as a certified public accountant with KPMG in Chicago. She has worked at Van Kampen, Brinson Partners and Mesirow Advanced Strategies.

Burke earned a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in accounting from the University of Notre Dame. She received an MBA with concentrations in finance and strategy from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

Finward Bancorp holds the stock of Peoples Bank. Peoples Bank has 26 locations in Lake and Porter Counties and in the Chicagoland area. The bank was founded over 110 years ago.