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 Enterprise Bank. Located in Allison Park, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Enterprise Bank is a local community bank that opened its doors for business in October 1998. Since that day, it has continued to change the expectations small business owners have for their financial institutions The main reason is this: Enterprise Bank is the region’s only bank built to address the particular needs of entrepreneurs, startup businesses and businesses in distress.
Dave Miller
Senior Vice President
How did you get into community banking?
Dave: My original introduction to community banking is a little unique in that it evolved out of a prior position I held with the U.S. Small Business Administration where I worked with a number of both large financial institutions and small Community Banks throughout Western Pennsylvania in their utilization of SBA’s loan guaranty and gap financing programs. After having that experience for a little over a decade, I found that my community bank partners were really making a difference in the lives of new and existing entrepreneurs. I wanted that type of one-on-one interaction with the small business owner that they had in our local Western PA communities, as in my position at SBA I was somewhat once removed from the end user. I had followed Enterprise Bank through the first few years of their startup as they became involved in the SBA loan program, and found their high touch and relationship driven business model to be just what I was seeking.
What is the most rewarding aspect of working in community banking?
Dave: The most rewarding part of my work is seeing aspiring and existing entrepreneurs’ dreams come to reality for them, their families, and their communities. In addition, the work itself in community banking is very intellectually stimulating and a great learning experience everyday. Our small business oriented community banking model here at Enterprise involves us in all aspects of the banking and credit process, so every day is a new adventure. We in community banking have the luxury of seeing and working across the entire spectrum of financial services, versus being siloed in just one piece of the process, as is often the case for our peers who are working in large institutions. I think community banking provides us with a bigger picture view of the customer relationship, which I believe helps everyone meet their mutual goals.
People always want a definition of “community bank,” what’s yours?
Dave: My definition of a community bank is one that is driven not primarily by bottom-line profits but by the positive outcomes that their products, services, and culture create in the areas that they serve, and in the success of their customer base. For me, community banking is about people not profits, whether those people are our customers, our staff, or those that we touch in the communities or industry sectors which we serve.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.
Dave: I am a great aficionado and collector of classic cars from the 60s and 70s, even though I was too young to drive those types of cars when they were new . While I enjoy and try to stay in tune with the latest in technology, I also have a great appreciation for the simplicity of how things used to be, particularly in the automotive industry. I love the nostalgia, the look and yes…the power and speed that an old muscle car can generate. From an automotive perspective anyway, I always say I was born a generation too late.
What is the 5th picture in your camera roll on your phone, and can you please share the story behind it?
Dave: This is a picture of the flyer given to inmates at San Quentin prison in February of 1969 before Johnny Cash, one of my musical idols, performed there during a prison tour. I saw this flyer and took the picture at the Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville Tennessee a few weeks ago. I particularly like the caption at the bottom which says “Best Behavior Advised”
Maria Laughlin
Information Security Analyst
How did you get into community banking?
Maria: I previously worked at local bank a few years ago as a teller and I always thought I would have preferred working in more of a back office role. I saw an Operations position posted online for Enterprise Bank, applied and here I am almost 6 years later.
What is the most rewarding aspect of working in community banking?
Maria: The fact that we are helping people on a daily basis.
People always want a definition of “community bank,” what’s yours?
Maria: A bank that is able to give their clients the personal yet knowledgeable experience they expect. Employees are trained on numerous job functions, that in larger banks would be spread across multiple departments. I believe this helps service our customers in a more timely fashion.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.
Maria: Considering what I do at the bank, I’m actually a pretty creative person. I really enjoy baking and decorating cakes. I’m the go-to ‘smash cake’ baker amongst my friends and family for their kid’s first birthdays.
What is the 5th picture in your camera roll on your phone, and can you please share the story behind it?
Maria: The 5th picture in my camera roll is a picture of me holding my twin nephews, Heath and Levi, after they were born in the hospital. They celebrated their 2nd birthday on May 11, 2018!
Bradley Ryniawec
Sr. Vice President & CFO
How did you get into community banking?
Bradley: Seventeen years ago, while my wife and I were expecting our first child, I answered an ad in the paper. I was looking to change jobs to something closer to home with a more predictable schedule. I remember coming home from the interview and telling my wife I could really see myself working for that organization and was hoping for an offer. A few days later I received the offer and the next day our son arrived, six weeks early. And I’ve since learned that there is no such thing as a predictable schedule.
What is the most rewarding aspect of working in community banking?
Bradley: I enjoy seeing the success of our clients and the value their businesses add to their communities in terms of new jobs and the economy. It’s rewarding to see our clients succeed and know that we played some small part in helping them reach their goals.
People always want a definition of “community bank,” what’s yours?
Bradley: I believe it’s less about the size of the bank and more about the bank’s commitment to the community and its residents. In my opinion a community bank is primarily owned and staffed locally with people who understand the strengths and challenges of the region and are vested in making a difference.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.
Bradley: Although I grew up in West Virginia and have lived most of my adult life in Western Pennsylvania, I’m an Ohio State sports fanatic. I make the 3-hr drive to Columbus, OH as often as I can to attend home football and hockey games and travel to some away games as well.
What is the 5th picture in your camera roll on your phone, and can you please share the story behind it?
Bradley: This is a picture of “Archie” the newest addition to our family. Archie is a Havanese Poodle puppy that we adopted in December. The guilty look is because he has been caught stealing the favorite toy of our neighbor’s dog.
Carolyn Doyle
Operations Supervisor
How did you get into community banking?
Carolyn: I got into Community Banking over 13 years ago. I was 20 years old and had a great opportunity working at a Local Bank in Pittsburgh. (Fidelity Bank at the time). I loved the idea of working at a small Branch that focused on its Customers and their needs. I worked at that particular Bank for 3 years and then moved to Hampton Township, where I had an amazing opportunity at working for Enterprise Bank, which is where I still work to this day. I have been with Enterprise Bank for 10 years. What I love about this Community Bank is that we pride ourselves on superior customer service and we know our clients on a personal level. We are always finding better ways to service and help our clients and that is what I love about working here. We care about our Community and the Businesses and the People in it, and that is reflected here at Enterprise Bank.
What is the most rewarding aspect of working in community banking?
Carolyn: The most rewarding aspect of working in Community Banking is that we care about our Clients and we want to do everything we possibly can to see them grow and thrive. We develop relationships with our clients and businesses and that in itself is very rewarding. We want to see them succeed and we take pride in helping them get there.
People always want a definition of “community bank,” what’s yours?
Carolyn: My definition of a “Community Bank” would be: Community Banking is Hometown Banking where we care about our Community and the Businesses and People in this Community. We are designed and dedicated to helping the Community grow because we are part of that same Community and take pride in that.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.
Carolyn: Something that most people wouldn’t know about me would be that I love to write poetry. I have been writing in journals since I was a young girl and I continue to write today. I enjoy the art of writing and I just adore poetry and poets in general.
What is the 5th picture in your camera roll on your phone, and can you please share the story behind it?
Carolyn: The 5th photo in my camera roll is a photo of my kiddos and myself on a great snowy day in Pittsburgh. I have 2 little boys that are my world and I love taking photos and making memories with them.
