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As a bank teller, 'I came to like the notion of helping people with their finances.'
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Growing up, I had a real love for music. I was very active in the music program at the church I grew up in and decided to study the organ at a conservatory. I had hoped to become a teacher and a church musician. I realized it would be difficult to support myself on that alone, so I thought finding a job in the business field might be appropriate.
My grandfather was a banker and my father was in finance, so there was always a pull in that direction.
I got a job at BayBanks as a teller, and I came to like the notion of helping people with their finances.
I think the company sensed my professionalism. Very shortly after I was hired, they placed me in their management training program, where I learned the fundamentals of leadership and coaching people.
Then I worked as a branch manager for two years, producing good results and helping people perform at a higher level.
There was someone who had been all but written off by the previous manager. Right away, I recognized that he might not have been doing the job correctly because no one took the time to talk with him about what was challenging to him. I decided to do just that. I was thrilled when he eventually succeeded to a managerial position.
Eventually I became senior vice president at BayBanks. I was very proud of the growth in deposits and accounts I helped the bank achieve.
In spring 1997, I was recruited to work for Chevy Chase in the Washington region. There I led the branch network, customer contact center, marketing organization and bank operations.
One of the things I'm most proud about there is having created a culture in the organization that was focused on the customer. In the end, we created a brand that is well-known throughout the region, which wasn't necessarily the case when I first started there.
When the bank was sold, I wanted to continue working at a place that is unique and different. When Burke came knocking at my door, I listened intently. It was a place that would fit the skills and expertise that I had honed at a larger organization.
As Burke plans to continue to grow, I think I can help the board make good choices as to how we're going to do just that.
-- Vanessa Mizell
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