Pub. 9 2019-2020 Issue 3

O V E R A C E N T U R Y : B U I L D I N G B E T T E R B A N K S - H E L P I N G C O L O R A D A N S R E A L I Z E D R E A M S September • October 2019 7 There you will find video profiles of several talented individuals who are proud to be bankers and who will make you proud, too. They work in functions ranging from digital strategist to agribusiness lender and from head of retail banking to communications director. They also work at banks of all sizes, some in big cities, others in small towns. And no matter what role they serve in, these bankers believe the opportunity, impact and rewards associated with their jobs are hard to beat. “It’s a satisfying feeling at the end of the day to be driving down the road and see a new building or a new business or someone out with a new farm machine and know they came to you to help with that,” says Tyler Stevenson, commercial and agribusiness lender with First National Bank of Omaha. “There’s so much opportunity here. This is where I want to be. I want to be part of this change in making things better for customers in giving broader access, and developing tools that can help people save, small businesses grow and communities develop,” says Ashley Nagle Eknaian, chief digital strategist and head of Eastern Labs at Eastern Bank. “Banking is wonderful because you get to see the impact that you have on the community around you. ... That gratification is enough to just say, wow — I’m doing something important,” says Julio Figueroa, who within five years advanced from teller to security officer at Windsor Federal Savings. These individuals and the others profiled came to banking by different paths. Two transitioned into banking after serving in the military. One started as an intern and quickly found he had tremendous professional growth potential. Yet another spent time in the fashion business. Thei r backg rounds, role s and testimonials shatter banker stereotypes and show what it really means to be a banker in today’s modern world. And they are a wonderful complement to ABA’s America’s Banks website (aba. com/AmericasBanks) that tells the story of banking today and the industry’s economic impact. We couldn’t have asked for more compel l ing spokespeople for our industry. When we asked these banking leaders to describe their careers in one word, they answered with adjectives like, “life-changing,” “impactful,” “fulfilling,” “incredible” and “entrepreneurial.” Our job now is to let the world hear their stories, and we’re counting on you, the state associations and social media to help. Please consider showing the collective or individual videos to job applicants at your bank and at local job fairs. Share themwith local colleges and career placement offices, and encourage your employees to do the same. These videos, combined with all that banks individually and collectively have to offer—including training, professional d e v e l o pme n t a n d c ommu n i t y involvement—make a compelling case for banking as a career choice. And the more we can help talented individuals find their future in banking, the more we, too, will be rewarded. n E-mail Rob Nichols at nichols@aba.com .