Interview with Pennsylvania Association of Community Banker (PACB)
PACB: HOW DID YOU GET INTO COMMUNITY BANKING?
Growing up in Malaysia, I recall going to the local bank as an 8 year old. My mom brought me to deposit Chinese New Year red packets (hong bao): money given by relatives and friends in celebration of Chinese New Year. I remember the feeling of pride in handling my own personal bank passbook.
Fast forward 20 some years, I found myself visiting community bank clients in Burundi, Rwanda, and Republic of Congo, as they updated passbooks during loan meetings. That same pride I remember feeling was reflected on their faces. Prior to LINKBANK, I spent eight years serving with HOPE International, a Christian nonprofit that provides biblically based training, savings services, and loans around the world. I had the amazing opportunity to see firsthand the positive and lasting impact of a “hand-up” versus handout approach to international development, and community banking played a pivotal role. It was an honor to serve alongside talented local leaders to restore dignity and break the cycle of poverty in these communities.
LINKBANK, in many ways like HOPE, operates at the intersection of finances, people, and community. We’re walking alongside leaders in our communities believing in a better tomorrow. For LINKBANK, community banking is about positively impacting lives.
PACB: WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING ASPECT OF WORKING IN COMMUNITY BANKING?
What a privilege it is to be able to serve those in our community through banking! In community banking we get to roll up our sleeves and partner with businesses and individuals to multiply their talents to create value in our communities. It’s rewarding to help business and community leaders move closer to their missions, better steward their finances, impact the community through their products and services, and create jobs. “Maximizer” being one of my strengths, I love seeing talents brought to fruition and positive impact multiplied. Being rooted here in South Central Pennsylvania, I love that we get to invest in the communities we serve. We get to work in this local community, raise our families, and take care of loved ones here.
PACB: PEOPLE ALWAYS WANT A DEFINITION OF “COMMUNITY BANK,” WHAT’S YOURS?
Recently my friend Bob shared that though there may be plenty of definitions for the term “community,” community is something that you know when you see it. Similarly, community bank can be described with terms like “local” or “relationships,” but you know it when you see it. Community bank is the avenue for financial service at the intersection of people and community.
PACB: TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF THAT MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW.
Recently, I signed up for an Enneagram typing session and learned that I’m a type 2 (Helper). I learned that tips for growth for type 2 include being intentional in creating space for solitude and setting clear boundaries. Or, there was the time when I was 11 when I got lost at sea during a jet-ski adventure…
PACB: WHAT IS THE 5TH PICTURE IN YOUR CAMERA ROLL ON YOUR PHONE, AND CAN YOU PLEASE SHARE THE STORY BEHIND IT?
My daughter Eden loves gathering up little pebbles, holding them carefully in her hands, and throwing them one-by-one, into the lake… then doing it all over again, and again, and again. I enjoy dedicating time for daddy-daughter dates to focus all my attention on loving her, being with her, and deepening our relationships through throwing pebbles into the lake. The photo was taken at Memory Lake in Dillsburg, PA.
P.S. Further reading — Peter Greer’s blogpost on Two Missing Links to Overcoming Poverty.
