Directors and Officers

Board of Directors
Executive Committee

Pat Lawton

Chairman

Pat Lawton serves as Director of Fixed Income Capital Markets at Robert W. Baird & Co. He is responsible for all areas of Fixed Income Capital Markets, including Public Finance and Sales and Trading. Pat is a member of Baird's Board of Directors and serves on the Executive Committee. Prior to joining Baird in 1988, Pat spent seven years with Merrill Lynch Capital Markets Group. Additionally, he is a member of the Board of Trustees at Marquette University, where he is also an alumnus, having earned an MBA.

Ellen S. Bartel

Ellen S. Bartel holds the position of President of the Kinship Community Food Center Board of Directors in Milwaukee. She previously served as President of Divine Savior Holy Angels (DSHA) High School from 1998-2018; prior to that, she held the role of Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Alverno College, where she also contributed in other capacities from 1986-1997. She is also past President and current member of the TEMPO Foundation Board of Directors. A dual alumna of the University of Notre Dame, Ellen received her B.A. in American Studies and Philosophy and furthered her education with an M.S. in Administration.

Douglas S. Gordon

Douglas S. Gordon joined WaterStone Bank in 2005, initially serving as President and Chief Operating Officer. Subsequently, in 2007, he took on the roles of President and CEO. Doug retired as CEO in 2023, continuing to contribute as a valued member of the WaterStone Bank Board of Directors. His financial background includes senior positions at Security Bank, where he established the institution’s first commercial lending department, and later Marshall & Ilsley Corp., where he headed the commercial real estate division at M&I Bank.

Doug, who holds degrees in business and mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, earned an MBA from Marquette University in 1981. Actively involved in community initiatives, Doug contributes to Local Initiatives Support Corp., SecureFutures and the Marquette University Banking Curriculum. Doug also served on the Community Banking Advisory Board for the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank from 2018-2020.

Michael L. Hansen

Michael L. Hansen, a business investor, holds substantial ownership stakes in Jacsten Holdings LLC. Michael’s role as Chair of the Audit Committee at WaterStone Bank and his 13-year background in auditing, both publicly and closely held companies, including seven years of tax consulting services, are bolstered by his credentials as a Certified Public Accountant. Michael earned his BBA from the University of Notre Dame.

Kristine Rappé

Kristine Rappé is the former Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of WEC Energy Group (2004 to 2012). Her roles at WEC Energy Group also included Vice President and Corporate Secretary (2001 to 2004) and Vice President of Customer Services (1994 to 2001). In these roles Kristine had responsibility for shared services, including information, technology, human resources supply, chain management, business, continuity/corporate security and the WEC Foundation. Kristine has a long-standing history of community involvement and public service serving as trustee of Marquette University and the boards of directors of the Froedtert Health System, the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee, Seton Catholic Schools, United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha and the United Performing Arts Fund. She also served on the boards of State Financial Services Corporation, Integrity Mutual Insurance Corporation and Catholic Financial Life. Kristine has an M. A. From Northeastern University and a B.A. From the University of Wisconsin—Oshkosh.

Stephen Schmidt

Stephen Schmidt is the CEO of Schmidt and Bartelt Funeral and Cremation Services. Stephen has entrepreneurial experience and extensive relationships throughout the communities served by WaterStone Bank. He earned a degree in business from the University of Wisconsin—Stevens Point before attending the New England Institute in Boston to earn his degree in Funeral Service.

Derek Tyus

Derek Tyus is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Versiti, Inc. Prior to this role, Derek was the Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of West Bend Mutual Insurance Company.

Derek has a 25-year background in the insurance industry, holding investment positions in private debt and equity, real estate, wealth management as well as strategy and administration. Derek is a graduate of Marquette University and received his MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.

Bill Bruss

President and CEO

Bill Bruss, President and CEO of WaterStone Bank and Waterstone Financial, Inc., joined the company in 1997 as General Counsel. Promoted to Senior Vice President in 2006, Bill took on additional responsibilities when he was promoted to Chief Operating Officer of WaterStone Bank and Waterstone Financial, Inc., in 2013. In 2022, he began serving as President, before assuming his current role in 2024. Prior to joining the company, Bill spent three years in private legal practice, including representing WaterStone Bank in a variety of legal matters, and brings a robust legal background to his leadership at WaterStone Bank. A Marquette Law School J.D. graduate in 1994, he also holds a B.A. from St. Olaf College (1991).

Mark R. Gerke

Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

Mark R. Gerke joined WaterStone Bank as Corporate Controller in 2005 and progressed to Vice President, Controller and Principal Accounting Officer of Waterstone Financial, Inc., the holding company of WaterStone Bank in 2014. In June of 2016, he was appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of WaterStone Bank and Waterstone Financial, Inc. Prior to his tenure at WaterStone, Mark worked in various capacities at Ernst & Young LLP, a global professional services firm, including as Senior Manager in Assurance Services.

Mark is engaged in community service, holding a position on the Advisory Board for Best Buddies Wisconsin. A Certified Public Accountant since 2002, Mark graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay with degrees in accounting and business administration.

Julie Glynn

Executive Vice President, Chief Retail Officer

Julie Glynn joined WaterStone Bank in 2016, bringing more than 30 years of high-level banking experience. Throughout her banking career, Julie has held various positions, including her current role as Executive Vice President and Chief Retail Officer, showcasing proficiency in corporate strategy, colleague experience, and retail management. Her background spans business development, sales leadership, operational integrity, and active community service.

Currently, Julie holds positions on multiple boards, including serving as a board member for the Waukesha County Community Foundation and for Milwaukee Women, Inc., and as Executive Chair for the Susan G. Komen Southeast Wisconsin Leadership Committee.

Ryan Gordon

Executive Vice President, Chief Credit Officer

Since joining WaterStone Bank in 2008 as an intern, Ryan Gordon progressed through various roles in the credit department, including supervising the bank’s credit analysts to ensure quality underwriting of loans. Ryan currently serves as WaterStone Bank’s Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer, chair of the Officer Loan Committee, and as a member of the Board of Directors of Waterstone Mortgage Corporation. A graduate of Marquette University, Ryan holds a B.A. in Real Estate and Finance, complemented by an MBA with a finance emphasis, and is now a member of the Advisory Board for Marquette’s Commercial Banking Program.

Don Bray

Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer

Donald Bray holds the title of Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at WaterStone Bank, where he has been an integral part of the company’s information technology realm for the past 16 years. His dedication to professional development is evident through his extensive list of certifications including Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) and Certified Community Bank Technology Officer (CCBTO). A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Don earned his BA in History.

Marlene Molter

Senior Vice President, Director of Human Resources

Marlene Molter, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, has been an integral part of WaterStone Bank’s leadership team since joining the company in 2016. With more than two decades of human resources expertise, Marlene fosters alignment between HR initiatives and business goals, providing insights on best practices, analytics and leadership development.

Actively engaged in the community, Marlene serves on the Finance Industry Advisory Board for Employ Milwaukee and is a member of the Milwaukee Industry Liaison Group. A UW-Madison graduate with a BBA in Human Resources, she remains at the forefront of industry advancements, holding certifications as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM-CP).