A Word from President Mike Vincent

THE DIVERSITY OF OUR BUSINESS MODEL IS KEY
I also credit much of our success to the diversity of our business model. As a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), we have been effective at maximizing the opportunities that certification has provided over the past decade. Our use of affordable housing and New Markets Tax Credit tools drives our understanding of our markets and communities. This distinguishes us from other banks and drives our focus.

Not a week goes by that I don’t get a call from investors or prospects asking how we’re making this work. We became a CDFI 11 years ago and it has made such a difference in our bank. It is complex, which is why many other banks don’t get involved. It’s been rewarding for those who have embraced the unique opportunity that we have.

PUTTING EMPLOYEES FIRST
Life is too short to be unhappy where you work. I want our employees to come to work, have fun, enjoy what they do and feel good about serving customers. They get more job satisfaction because of the difference they’re making.

I’m passionate about creating a positive culture of engaged employees. By empowering our employees to make decisions and effect change, we can truly create a culture where all employees feel valued for their contributions.

It’s true: inflation makes it hard for our employees, but our model has done well so we increased starting salaries for new employees and conducted off-cycle salary adjustments. We also enhanced our benefits by granting additional vacation days for long-term employees, establishing a sick leave donation program, and expanding our tuition reimbursement program to include a Master’s degree.

There are things you can do to show loyalty to employees. They have dug in and committed, so we made an extra effort to recognize and reward them for their commitment. Life is challenging, and we recognize the stress and uncertainty of recent years. I’m pleased to do what we can to show them how much we appreciate and care for our employees and their families.

Even with the challenges of 2022, we’re positioned well for the immediate and long-term future. Our growth isn’t a result of good luck or happenstance. Our business model is working, and we’re able to reward our shareholders, our team members and the communities we serve, now and in the future.