NEW YORK – Sovereign Bank announced recently that Lewiston native Roy J. Lever has joined the bank as executive vice president and managing director of retail banking.

Lever will report directly to president and CEO Joseph P. Campanelli, and will play a key role in the company’s accelerated growth initiatives throughout the company’s eight-state region. It is a newly created position, effective immediately.

Lever will oversee retail banking and marketing activities, including Sovereign’s 750 community banking offices across the Northeast.

Lever brings more than three decades of retail banking experience to Sovereign, with an extensive background in managing large business divisions. Prior to joining Sovereign, he held executive management positions at Bank of America in its global consumer and small business bank division. Prior to its acquisition by Bank of America, he spent 29 years at FleetBoston Financial in management roles, including director of delivery support and director of branch banking. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Northeastern University in Boston.