Menu Login
  • About
    • About Us
    • Leadership Team
    • Careers
    • Annual Report
    • Mutual Growth Podcast
    • Impact Report
  • Resources
    • Knowledge Center
    • Financial Calculators
    • Financial Quizzes
    • Security Center
  • Contact
  • Appointment
Find a Branch Near You 215.788.1234
  • Personal
    Personal
    • Bank
      • Checking
      • Savings & Money Market
    • Borrow
      • Credit Cards
      • Home Equity Loans & Lines of Credit
      • Home Mortgages
      • Personal Loans
      • Meet The Team
      • Apply for a Loan
    • Manage
      • Online Banking
      • Mobile Banking
      • Visa Debit Cards
      • Your Credit Score
      • Credit Cards
      • Zelle® Complete
      • Safe Deposit Boxes
    • Personal Banking Rates
    • Financial Calculators
  • Small Business
    Small Business
    • Bank
      • Checking
      • Savings & Money Market
    • Borrow
    • Manage
      • Cash Management
      • Merchant Services
    • Meet The Team
    • Industries
    • Resources
  • Commercial
    Commercial
    • Bank
      • Checking
      • Savings & Money Market
    • Borrow
    • Manage
      • Cash Management
      • Merchant Services
    • Meet The Team
    • Industries
    • Resources
  • How We Grow Communities
    How We Grow Communities
    • Community Commitment
    • Penn Community Foundation
    • Community News
  • Login

Login

Sign on to Personal Banking
Enroll
Forget User ID or Password?
Sign on to Business Banking
Enroll
Forget User ID or Password?
Sign on to Wealth Management

Reflections During Black History Month with Falesha Grasty

“When I was in college, there were only a very small number of Black financial professionals,” said Falesha Grasty

An accountant by training, Falesha hadn’t worked in banking until she started with Penn Community Bank in 2014. Today, as a Senior Staff Accountant she is responsible for financial reporting, budgeting, and regulatory documentation. In addition to her full time position, she was recently named the bank’s first ever Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Officer – heading up a team member DE&I committee and working hand in hand with an interdepartmental DE&I advisory committee of senior leaders to ensure the bank is on the right path to reach its diversity and talent goals, and fulfill its mission to be a leading area employer that emphasizes inclusion and equity.

“I am so happy and grateful that Penn Community Bank has been so open and willing to listen to different things, have conversations, and find ways to help our organization grow,” Falesha said. “I’m very proud to be working here and I appreciate our leaders who are making sure that everyone in the organization feels that they are part of this initiative. We want to create an understanding that everyone is different and that’s okay and to help people appreciate those differences as well as recognize our similarities.”

Whether formal or informal, the aim of diversity and inclusion initiatives should be the same: to build organizations and practices that reflect the diversity of the communities they serve, says Falesha. Though the financial industry has lagged behind some other industries, she is heartened by new commitments to action by leading companies across the country.

“I would love to see more people from different cultures in the industry, both at the executive level and all the way on down. I think a lot of organizations within the financial industry are still working towards that, as well as towards having more board members who look like someone like myself or another Brown person or indigenous person,” she said. “That’s the first step toward real change, building that representation. Then we work to make sure that everything we do in the financial industry benefits everyone, not just a select few. That’s our ultimate goal.”

Q&A with Falesha

What attracted you to a career in banking?

I have my bachelor’s degree in accounting, and I’ve been in the accounting profession for a long time, but I hadn’t worked in banking until I started with Penn Community Bank. I wanted a change in my career but wanted to stay in the financial industry, so I felt like banking was the perfect opportunity for me to see things from a different perspective and still use my accounting degree and my experience to help the organization grow.

What has been your experience as a Black professional in the financial industry?

The number of people of color in the industry is slowly increasing. When I was in college, there were only a very small number of Black financial professionals. Today, I think it also depends on the town or the city you work in. Some places are more diverse than others, so that makes a big difference as far as how many other Black professionals you see in this industry.

How have you adapted to working during the pandemic?

Overall, I have definitely learned a lot about adjusting to change. It took some time, though. In the beginning, when the pandemic started and we were told to work from home, my first response was, “I get to work from home, I don’t have to travel as much, and I can still get all this work done.” As days went on, I’m like, “I have no one to talk to.” I think everyone has gone through those stages this year. With work, and school, and the pandemic, it was so many different things happening all at once. You couldn’t really be slow about shifting gears. You almost had to embrace the change and go with it, and then make it your own as you figured out what “your own” is.

How did you get involved with Pearl S. Buck International?

I was introduced to Pearl S. Buck International by going to an event that the bank sponsored. As time went on, I was asked to serve on the board. That opportunity was very exciting for me because Pearl S. Buck is focused on things that are important to me, such as treating people equally, making sure that children are being taken care of and have opportunities to succeed. It has been a really great fit for me. The people at Pearl S. Buck, whether it’s the staff or the other board members, are always asking “What can we do different? What can we do better?” I enjoy participating in those conversations and working together to help our society evolve.

Posted on February 17, 2021February 17, 2021Author Penn Community BankCategories General

Post navigation

← Reflections During Black History Month with Lenora Williams
Financial Markets & Economic Update by Dorothy Jaworski →

Search

Recent Posts

  • Holocaust Remembrance Day
  • National Data Privacy Day
  • Chinese New Year: The Year of the Rabbit
  • 5 Ways to Make a Difference This MLK Day
  • Your 2023 Financial Resolutions

Categories

  • Business Banking
  • COVID-19
  • Digital Banking
  • Economic forecast
  • Financial Literacy
  • General
  • Personal Banking
  • Podcast
  • Residential Lending
  • Security

Archives

  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • August 2018
  • Home
  • Personal
  • About
  • Resources
  • Appointment
  • Careers
  • Security Center
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Site Map
  • Member FDIC
  • Equal Housing Lender
US Routing Number: 231373182
Penn Community Bank NMLS #: 434939
Get it on Google Play Download on the Apple App Store
Copyright © 2023 Penn Community Bank
To give you the best possible experience, this site uses cookies and by continuing to use the site you agree that we can save them on your device.
Accept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT