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 F&M Trust. Since 1906, F&M Trust has been committed to meeting the needs of its customers as an independent community bank. Bank employees don’t just say that they’ve got a passion for helping their customers; they prove it daily. They recognize that finances are just part of the big picture. More important are the dreams, hopes, and aspirations of their neighbors and friends. F&M Trust employees spend over 800 hours annually volunteering at community events and serving on boards and committees with non-profit organizations.
Renee Preso
Vice President & Regional Market Manager for Southern Franklin, Fulton, and Huntingdon Counties
How did you get into community banking?
Renee: I began my career at F&M Trust 28 years ago, working for several consumer lending officers while completing my education at Wilson College. I always wanted to live and work in the community I grew up in, and wow, this has been a great experience for me.
What is the most rewarding aspect of working in community banking?
Renee: For me, working in a community bank allows me to build relationships with our customers and community members, volunteer and give back to the community, and, most importantly, help customers turn their goals into a reality.
People always want a definition of “community bank,” what’s yours?
Renee: A community bank advocates for its local businesses and residents, helps them meet their financial goals, invests in the community through volunteer work and monetary donations, and offers innovative services that our customers need and expect. At a community bank, we value our relationships with our customers and know them by name.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.
Renee: Last summer, I took a horseback ride through Bryce Canyon in Utah with my family. I’m not a fan of heights, and being on a horse going down into a canyon on a little narrow path was just a bit nerve-racking for me. The experience with my family is one I will never forget, so that made it worth the ride!
What is the 5th picture in your camera roll on your phone, and can you please share the story behind it?
Renee: Oh, this is a great picture to share! The picture is of some of my coworkers on a trip we took to a local business — a flower garden where we enjoyed the outdoors on a beautiful summer day. Everyone was able to pick a bouquet of flowers. More than that that, it was a time spent together, learning about each other and helping one another arrange flowers into a bouquet to take home. A little time outside of work is always good for building employee relationships.
Pamela Johns
Vice President, Loan Servicing Manager
How did you get into community banking?
Pamela: While I’m originally from Pennsylvania, my banking career began at a large financial institution in Florida. I missed the change of seasons, though, so I began looking for a job back home in PA. After sending out dozens of applications, I was finally hired by a small community bank where I worked for 18 years. I started as a part-time teller and then held different roles in various departments before landing in operations. Bank leadership saw potential in me and promoted me to vice president of operations, a position in which I managed multiple business units. A bank merger prompted a career change and a new role at F&M Trust. I am celebrating my 10th anniversary with F&M Trust and look forward to the next 10 years.
What is the most rewarding aspect of working in community banking?
Pamela: What sparks me the most is taking a challenging situation and finding a resolution that works for all parties involved. Working for a community bank allows me to be creative and find solutions for our customers while also making sure the bank and shareholders are taken into consideration. And nothing beats it when someone says, “That’s my bank!” after they learn I work for F&M Trust. It always brings a smile to my face.
People always want a definition of “community bank,” what’s yours?
Pamela: When I think of a community bank, I don’t necessarily think of one with smaller assets. I think of how that organization interacts with the communities it serves. And I believe it is that service to the community that makes us stand out. We live and play in the communities we serve — we are your friends, your neighbors, we sit beside you at the ball field, or share space at the gym. We volunteer and serve in leadership roles with non-profit organizations. We work with our customers to improve their financial knowledge and stability. We look for ways to provide solutions for a variety of financial needs ranging from a child’s first savings account to a commercial loan when a business owner wants to expand their business.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.
Pamela: Some time ago, a friend encouraged me to join a community chorus. The first year I did so, we sang the Verdi Requiem — in Latin! Not many people know that I can sing in Latin.
What is the 5th picture in your camera roll on your phone, and can you please share the story behind it?
Pamela: This is my husband Leon and grandson having fun on the lake at Cowan’s Gap. We had such a fun day playing on the ice.
Dennis Wilson, CTFA
Vice President, Investment and Trust Services Relationship Manager
How did you get into community banking?
Dennis: I got my start in banking due to the relationship that my family developed with the branch manager of our local bank when I was growing up. When I started college, the manager inquired as to what I was majoring in. After finding out it was business administration, she suggested I place an application with the bank to get a head start in my business career. I have been in the banking business since spring break of my sophomore year in college.
What is the most rewarding aspect of working in community banking?
Dennis: I enjoy getting to know customers on a personal level and assisting them in reaching their financial goals. I appreciate that the organization I work for plays such an important role in the success of our local residents and communities.
People always want a definition of “community bank,” what’s yours?
Dennis: A community bank is one that focuses on the best interests of its customers, its employees, and local businesses. Community banks and their employees are involved in local communities and offer sponsorship and volunteers for local events.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.
Dennis: I have had the fortunate opportunity to have been exposed to most areas of the bank during my career. I have been a teller, a customer service representative, a branch manager, loan officer, manager of deposit operations, treasurer, and an investment advisor and trust officer, among other roles.
What is the 5th picture in your camera roll on your phone, and can you please share the story behind it?
Dennis: The fifth picture on my camera is a sunset taken over a Canadian lake on a recent fishing trip.
Dallas Zulli, MBA
Vice President, Senior Commercial Services Relationship Manger
How did you get into community banking?
Dallas: My career in the financial services industry began in the commercial lending department at a small community credit union. I appreciated the strong sense of commitment it had to the community, but as I grew professionally, I felt that I needed to explore broader opportunities that led me to community banking. What I’ve found at F&M Trust is a bank that is intimately woven into the fabric of the community. I’ve built a career helping people grow their businesses, start new business ventures, and make sound real estate investments in my community.
What is the most rewarding aspect of working in community banking?
Dallas: Community banks are an integral part of the community, and that’s why I find my career so rewarding. As a member of F&M Trust’s Community Investment Committee, I help decide to which organizations we distribute our charitable funds. Knowing we’re strengthening the communities where our customers live and work is very fulfilling.
People always want a definition of “community bank,” what’s yours?
Dallas: A community bank is a financial institution that has a vested interest in the community.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.
Dallas: During graduate school and shortly thereafter, I worked for an international hotel company based in Disney World. As a member of the Human Resources Department, I was involved in the areas of recruiting, training and development, and compensation analysis. My experience working on Disney property heavily influenced my approach to customer service.
What is the 5th picture in your camera roll on your phone, and can you please share the story behind it?
Dallas: This is my labradoodle, Sherman. He’s the size of a small pony.
Jenny Spriggs
Orbisonia Community Office Manager
How did you get into community banking?
Jenny: I began my banking career as a part-time teller at a local community bank. As a young mother, I discovered a profession that offers job security, good pay, benefits, and plenty of opportunities for growth. My career took me to Citi Bank, where I spent five years working as a branch executive. And nine years ago, I accepted a position at F&M Trust — a financial institution that truly embraces what it means to be a community bank.
What is the most rewarding aspect of working in community banking?
Jenny: For me, nothing is more rewarding than working one-on-one with customers and finding creative ways to help them meet their financial goals. And of course, the value that F&M Trust places on the community is incredibly fulfilling. Each year, F&M Trust gives away hundreds of thousands of dollars to nonprofit organizations, sponsors local events, and encourages its employees to be active members of their communities.
People always want a definition of “community bank,” what’s yours?
Jenny: A community bank is inextricably linked to the community, knows its clients’ names and important details about their businesses, and provides personalized service to its customers. At F&M Trust, we know the person behind the counter, and that allows us to better serve our customers.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.
Jenny: About a year ago, I took up golf, and I really enjoy it. Oddly though, while I’m left-handed, I’m a right-handed golfer.
What is the 5th picture in your camera roll on your phone, and can you please share the story behind it?
Jenny: The fifth picture in my camera roll is of my niece, Kayshawna, and me at one of my son’s Friday night football games. I always refer to our weekly hangouts as “Auntie time.”
