The Baltimore region for Susquehanna Bank — a $13-billion-in-assets, 230-branch, Pennsylvania-based bank — expects each of its 200 employees to participate in at least two community financial literacy events each year.
That’s one of the reasons why the Maryland Bankers Association recognized the 28-branch regional system with two of its financial education awards — for services to school-aged children and to adults and seniors — in 2008.
“Commitment to financial literacy is one of our core issues,” said Chris Holt, Susquehanna Bank president for Baltimore City and its surrounding counties. “Every employee’s responsibility is to get involved in the community, specifically to get involved in financial literacy efforts.”
Holt explained that the 2-year-old effort plays out in high schools, community centers, senior clubs and anywhere people in the community gather, and about 6,000 citizens have been reached.
“Its been welcome by the employees,” Holt added, noting that many employees do much more then two presentations a year. “It’s amazing and its a win, win effort.”
That employee based financial literacy outreach is only one part of Susquanhanna’s commitment to financial literacy, Holt said. It also sponsors the Academy of Finance, a Baltimore County public school four year magnet program at Landsdown and Overlea High Schools which offers college prepetory work in finance.
“Susquehanna Bank provides job shadowing sites for our students and summer internships,” said Linda Gluck, academy of finance program coordinator at Lansdowne High school. “They have been working hard to provide as many opportunities as possible for our students … and have been a go getter as far as trying to increase participation by other financial institutions in the program.”
“It’s a resource for the community to learn about better ways of managing their money,” said Allison vanHarskamp, Susquehanna bank vice president for communications, about the banks overall financial literacy outreach.
“Particularly in the high schools we find that this is the perfect thing to be talking about, so students get started off in the right direction.”
