Falesha Grasty will help oversee financial operations of the Bucks County-based nonprofit that continues Pearl S. Buck’s legacy of bridging cultures and changing lives
DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (November 2018) Penn Community Bank is pleased to announce that team member Falesha Grasty has been appointed to the board of Pearl S. Buck International, where she will serve a three-year term.
Grasty will serve on the organization’s finance committee, helping to oversee financial operations of the Bucks County-based nonprofit dedicated to continuing Pearl S. Buck’s legacy of bridging cultures and changing lives through humanitarian aid and intercultural education.
“The more I learn about Pearl S. Buck, the more inspired I become. She was a trailblazer who truly embodied the definition of humanity,” said Grasty. “I am honored to serve on the board and make contributions that align with Pearl S. Buck’s belief in understanding and acceptance of all cultures and differences.”
A daughter of Presbyterian missionaries, Buck spent much of her life in China, winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1932 for The Good Earth, her best-selling novel chronicling Chinese village life. She settled in Bucks County a few years later on a 67-acre farm in Hilltown Township that is now headquarters for the foundation that bears her name.
Today, Pearl S. Buck International manages several international humanitarian programs in Asia and offers diversity and inclusion education and training programs for businesses, schools and organizations through its Welcome Workplace program. The foundation also manages and offers tours of Buck’s home, the Pearl S. Buck House, which is a National Historic Landmark. It recently launched a new, updated tour designed to share the story of Buck’s human rights advocacy and inspire visitors to take their own action to make the world a better place for all.
“The values that Pearl S. Buck held dear have never been more relevant than today, when issues of immigration, diversity, inclusion and prejudice are part of our daily national conversation,” said Fred E. Schea, retired banking executive and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Pearl S. Buck International. “We welcome Falesha to the board and know that she will help us continue to lead the way in providing programs and events that promote intercultural dialogue and understanding.”
As a senior staff accountant at Penn Community Bank, Grasty is responsible for preparing the annual budget and monthly budget reports, as well as submitting various regulatory reports. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is a member of the Philadelphia chapter of the Financial Managers Society (FMS). She lives in Abington, Montgomery County.
About Penn Community: Penn Community Bank holds more than $2 billion in assets, employs more than 300 people, and offers banking, lending, insurance and investments at 25 bank branches and two administrative centers throughout Bucks and Montgomery Counties, Pennsylvania. As an independent, mutual financial institution, Penn Community Bank is not publicly traded and operates with its long-term mission in mind: to help businesses grow and prosper, to provide financial resources to individuals and families throughout their lifetimes, to strengthen the local economy, and to partner with local organizations to act as a catalyst for positive growth in every market it serves.
