Spotlight: Empowering the Next Generation through Student-Run Branches
A long-held belief of our company has been that in order to help propel communities forward, we should impart financial education to future generations. As a community partner, we thrive when our communities are prosperous. Union Bank continues to champion this effort by engaging directly with high school students in programs like our student-run branches.
Union Bank opened its first student-run branch in 2011 in Fresno, California at McLane High School. Due to the program’s success, Union Bank has continued to expand partnerships with schools, opening student branches across California, specifically in communities designated as low-to-moderate-income. Plans are underway to extend the successful program with the first community college student-run branch at Laney College in Oakland, California.
Each branch is staffed by 12 student bankers who acquire skills in finance, leadership, and teamwork through the program, as well as the experience of working in a bank overseen by an experienced Union Bank branch manager and branch service officer. To date, almost 400 student bankers have graduated from the program and after high school, many of them have continued on to four-year colleges and universities. As part of their learning curriculum, the student bankers offer financial education workshops and classroom presentations to their peers in an effort to expand the learning experience to other students at their school. An estimated 10 percent of student bankers who have successfully completed the program have since gone on to careers at Union Bank and five have become bank officers since the program started. Through this program, we aim to supplement their studies with hands-on experience that can move them forward in their careers later down the line.
Union Bank is proud to be the only bank on the West Coast of the United States that has fully functioning bank branches inside high school campuses. These student-run branches are located at the following locations:
- McLane High School in Fresno
- Abraham Lincoln High School located in Lincoln Heights (a Los Angeles suburb)
- Crenshaw High School located in South Los Angeles
- Loara High School in Anaheim
- Mountain View High School in El Monte (a community East of Los Angeles)
The student-run branches are a source of pride for Union Bank, primarily because the students that go through the program have the opportunity to see and fully grasp all the potential that lies ahead for them. An example of that potential is personified with student banker Kaya Buckley. Kaya was a 2019 recipient of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) Wings Scholarship which provides access to educational opportunities for underserved youth around the world. Kaya has received a full four-year scholarship and she’s now a sophomore at Sacramento State university.
“I am so incredibly proud of all our student bankers. It’s been a pleasure to see how this program opens their eyes to a world of possibilities. I am equally happy to know that, upon graduation, many of them have established careers right here at Union Bank.”
Frank Robinson, Managing Director and Diverse Markets and Community-Based Programs Executive
Spotlight: Head of Branch Banking Elaine Genevro Committed to Diversity of Thought
As the Head of Branch Banking at Union Bank, Elaine Genevro oversees the entire West Coast Branch Banking network, comprised of more than 336 branches in California and the Pacific Northwest. Elaine is the first woman to hold this role in the 150-year history at Union Bank. This fact is not lost on her and every day she works hard to elevate diverse perspectives within her team.
Since joining the bank in 2003, Elaine’s passion for connecting with her teams has been a hallmark of her leadership style. She believes in being an accessible leader who is always willing to listen and provide sincere feedback. She earned the role of Head of Branch Banking in January of 2019, and since then, she has helped lead a transformational effort to create a client-focused culture within Branch Banking.
Upon taking on the role, Elaine embarked on a two-week company road trip visiting branches in Seattle and the Pacific and winding her way down to San Diego. At each stop, she had a chance to meet with branch colleagues, talk to them one-on-one and understand their challenges. The road trip set the stage for Elaine’s priorities of creating an inclusive culture where diverse perspectives are always welcomed.
“I love spending time visiting branches. Not only does it give me the opportunity to connect directly with our clients but it brings me closer to all our front line staff that work hard every single day in service to our clients and our communities,” says Elaine.
Throughout her career, she has always been an active and engaged member of her community. Her current and past board involvement includes the Northern California Junior Achievement, the American Heart Association for Northern California, the Marine Mammal Center, Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula, Junior Achievement of Silicon Valley and Monterey Bay, San Jose Silicon Valley Ballet, Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, Watsonville Rotary, and the Cabrillo College President’s Circle.
Elaine has been recognized for her many contributions to business and the community. She was named one of the “Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business” by the San Francisco Business Times in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. In 2018, she was honored to be among a group of women leaders named “Forever Influential Women of the Bay Area,” by the San Francisco Business Times.
