Communities across Pennsylvania are growing and thriving because their community banks care. The service and commitment demonstrated by community bank employees keeps customers faithful, and their sincerity keeps others hopeful. It is because of these employees that communities across the Commonwealth are thriving and becoming better places to live and work.
When it comes to community banking in Pennsylvania, the uniqueness, talent and attributes of the 14,000 individual community bank employees combine to make the entire industry greater than the sum of its parts.
As we travel across Pennsylvania, we meet community bank employees from many different backgrounds. Some are new to the industry, others have worked their entire careers in it. No matter how long these employees have been involved in community banking, they all share a common thread – a love for their community. They truly are the ones responsible for #KeepingTheLightsOn in their hometown.
As part of an ongoing series, each month we will be featuring brief interviews with these community bank employees, these “Hometown Champions”. Through these interviews, we hope to gain some insight into what makes the community banking industry great in Pennsylvania.
This month, we chat with the hometown champions from Coatesville Savings Bank. With branches located in Chester and Lancaster Counties, Coatesville Savings Bank is a local mutual bank with a story beginning almost 100 years ago. The trustees and employees of Coatesville Savings Bank are committed to providing outstanding customer service, competitive products and services, and involvement and support for the communities they serve. It’s how Coatesville Savings Bank defines community banking. It’s how you can define Coatesville Savings Bank.
Shylene Jackson
Assistant Branch Manager
How did you get into community banking?
Shylene: By fate! I was looking for a full time job at the time. So I was driving by one day put an application in and I’ve been here since.
What is the most rewarding aspect of working in community banking?
Shylene: Being able to be involved in the community.
People always want a definition of “community bank,” what’s yours?
Shylene: My definition I would have to say is not just helping people with their banking needs. But also by helping your communities improve the quality of life and growth. By being involved in your community and by building a personal relationship with the residents and business owners of your area.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.
Shylene: I was a tomboy growing up… The boy toys where way cooler to play with.
What is the 5th picture in your camera roll on your phone, and can you please share the story behind it?
Shylene: The 5th picture on my phone is a picture of my son. He played in a musical called “13”!
Robyn Lance
Executive Administrative Assistant
How did you get into community banking?
Robyn: Coatesville is the 2nd community bank I have worked for actually. Both times honestly the banks came to me. Here I knew our Senior Lender from previous companies and he told me they were looking for an Executive Assistant. I sent in my resume and met with Fred. I have been here almost 4 years now.
What is the most rewarding aspect of working in community banking?
Robyn: The community and family atmosphere. Our Retail staff knows the customers by name and really get to know them on a personal level. I like being close to home and where my kids go to school.
People always want a definition of “community bank,” what’s yours?
Robyn: A community bank to me is a bank that is involved in the community and cares about their customers. Community banks have a connection that big banks can’t have with their customers.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.
Robyn: This question was hard. Most people know I was a very involved band mom when my daughter was in high school. Something they don’t know about me that I met some wonderful best friends on the internet 17 years ago. Our children loved this group called the Wiggles. A group of moms from all over the world connected on the Wiggles Message board. We still talk and get together even though our children have all grown up. We don’t live near each other but we get together once a year and you would never know it had been that long since we have seen each other.
What is the 5th picture in your camera roll on your phone, and can you please share the story behind it?
Robyn: I have attached the picture. My daughter, who is in her first year of college, was home on spring break. We had been out getting our nails done and having lunch. We decided to stop in Toys R Us because it is closing and just walk around. When we saw the power wheel cars, we saw this Minnie Mouse car. I convinced my daughter to get in the car so I could get a picture. She barely fit and then was disappointed because the battery was dead and she couldn’t drive it around the store.
Ember Schnader
Senior Deposit Operations Specialist
How did you get into community banking?
Ember: I started in community banking almost nine years ago. I really started at the bank because I needed a job and the local bank was hiring a teller. I had money handling experience and so I applied. Little did I know how much the experience would mean to me. Over the years I have moved out of the retail side of banking and into the operations of banking. As I’ve moved from the different jobs that I have held within the bank, I have been given the chance to learn and to grow. I have enjoyed my experience tremendously and I’m very grateful that my community bank was hiring that teller.
What is the most rewarding aspect of working in community banking?
Ember: When you work in a community bank, your customers become like family. You know what they are doing for the holidays, you know their family and you know what their summer vacation plans are. They are not just an account number. They are not just a person depositing their paycheck at the end of the week. I could not imagine, not having the opportunity to work in a community bank. As a community bank we are given the greatest opportunity to help our cities, towns, and the people in them to grow, to thrive and this is exactly what we want to do, because we too are members of that community. We get to see the customer wanting to start a business in our town which we may provide the financing for or maybe we just provide the account, but then we get to watch that business grow. We have parents bring their children in to open savings accounts for college and then we get to see those children, years later, coming in to open their checking accounts because they are headed off to college. We have the opportunity to be at community events, we have a mini library in one of our offices so that no child has to be without a book, we go into schools to teach children the importance of money and how it works. We are not just employees at a bank, we are members of the community investing in our communities.
People always want a definition of “community bank,” what’s yours?
Ember: Community banking, I would define as, a bank that cares about the community, the members of those communities and whose employees strive to help those members become financially successful. A community bank invests in the community.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.
Ember: Before starting in the banking industry, I worked on a farm for five years. The farm I worked on was a thoroughbred farm and we did everything from foaling to weaning to sale prepping. I’ve had the experience of seeing an ultrasound performed on a horse, to treating wounds and even getting to see a horse prepped for surgery. This was one of the hardest jobs that I ever had but also is the one I’m most thankful for. I learned that hard work is important. I learned patience. I learned that sometimes the first step to success is believing you can and then taking that step outside of your comfort zone. I never knew how much I would learn from my experiences in that industry.
What is the 5th picture in your camera roll on your phone, and can you please share the story behind it?
Ember: The fifth photo in my camera roll is of my daughters, Mackenzie (7 years old) and Reese (4 years old). My parents took them to the Crayola factory for the day so that I could complete a final exam in one of my classes. My husband and I work opposite shifts and he works every other weekend. This weekend was his weekend to work and I had a huge final to take. On top of working full-time, being a mommy to my girls and a wife I’m also in college full-time to finish my bachelor’s degree. These two girls are my inspiration every single day. Without their love and support and the love and support from my husband, I could never accomplish what I have.
Pamela Jones
Assistant Branch Manager
How did you get into community banking?
Pamela: I worked in retail management for many years and 7 years ago had the opportunity to begin working in banking. I worked for a local bank that was taken over by a large bank that did not operate out of Pennsylvania. I wanted to get back to a smaller bank where the people making the decisions understood the needs of their local customers. At that point, the opportunity came to work for Coatesville Savings Bank.
What is the most rewarding aspect of working in community banking?
Pamela: I feel like I am truly helping my customers. I work in a very small community where I know my customers and they know me. In our branch, the relationships we have with our customers are more than just banking. They come in to take care of their banking needs and sometimes just drop in to the office. They understand that we are here for them and will help them in any way we can.
People always want a definition of “community bank,” what’s yours?
Pamela: A small bank that is locally operated and works to meet the needs of the community where it is located. Cares about and helps out in the community.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.
Pamela: If I wasn’t a banker, I would love to have my own business baking or creating home cooked meals for my clients.
What is the 5th picture in your camera roll on your phone, and can you please share the story behind it?
Pamela: I have a picture of a puzzle I did of downtown Pittsburgh which is my hometown.
Lori Bennett
Branch Manager
How did you get into community banking?
Lori: Early in my career, I thought about going into banking, but instead joined our family business, a gift and furniture store. After running and growing the business for over 20 years, I decided it was time to make a change. As I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do, my banker and friend told me that she thought I would be great in the banking industry. The rest is history.
What is the most rewarding aspect of working in community banking?
Lori: For me, I have a heart for people. With all the things that I am involved in, people are the common denominator. I love getting to know my customers, helping them grow and building relationships with them. I love seeing them meet their goals and being there for them when they need assistance.
People always want a definition of “community bank,” what’s yours?
Lori: A community bank is a bank where we serve your banking needs, know you as a “name”, not a just a “number”, and where we can support our community together.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.
Lori: I love theatre. I am a volunteer usher at our local theatre, the Fulton Theatre, in Lancaster, PA just to be able to enjoy more great shows!
What is the 5th picture in your camera roll on your phone, and can you please share the story behind it?
Lori: I treasure spending time with my family, but busy lives sometimes get in the way. I was happy to be able to take a day to take my mother and youngest daughter to the Philadelphia Flower show this year. We had a great time!
