“Together, we will advocate, influence, and help to build sustainable Diversity, Equity and Inclusion capabilities that ensure racial, gender and ethnic equality in the banking industry. We believe in equality – we will work to ensure equality – that’s our commitment”
The purpose of the DEI Community Partnership and Financial Literacy Committee is to demonstrate the innate value of DEI efforts and as bankers, we have a moral obligation to not only serve the communities in which we live but to educate our communities as well.
The strategy of the Community Partnership and Financial Literacy pillar is to INTENTIONALLY create relationships where trust can not only be built, but connections between the community and its financial institutions thrive.
Committee Chair:
Vivian Bolanos
First Citizens Bank
: vivian.bolanos@firstcitizens.com
: 828-257-5758
As a committee, it is our job and duty to:
- Advocate: support the members in their journey to discover their biases around DEI by providing the tools and education necessary to become more self-aware, mindful and understand the importance of this issue, that’s affecting certain groups of people.
- Influence: by defining our goal to create an environment where we will all thrive and be in a more desirable position.
- Sustain: cultivate strong partnerships that will support/enhance our DEI mission and empower us.
- Commit: stay focused on our Council DEI mission, accomplish our goals, and continue to make progress.
Broad Goals:
- The DEI committee’s goal is to establish meaningful relationships with key leaders in our communities.
- Be the advocates spreading the word on how the NCBA can be a resource to help organizations shift practices within the workplace to provide a more inclusive environment.
- Continue partnerships with the local schools and colleges to teach financial literacy at their level of understanding to make it relevant. Bankers go into the elementary, middle, high schools and colleges to educate students in a fun manner with a focus on helping them understand how the fundamentals of savings, budgeting, investing and debt can impact their economic well-being. Financial literacy is a necessary life skill that should be taught from a young age.