Aug 1

Aug 1 Lunch N Learns

One of the unique aspects of Parkside’s internship is the Lunch N’ Learns. These weekly lunches allowed us to become immersed in a multitude of banking and financial industries that we had not previously been exposed to. These sessions included lunches with the Family Office, Banking, 401(k), Loans, Marketing, CSR/Bank Ops, and Treasury Management departments. Each of us was able to form our own opinions on each division of Parkside.

Commercial Lending:

Carla Valenti spoke to us at the first Lunch N’ Learn about the ins and outs of commercial banking and her path to Parkside. Carla has been a cornerstone at Parkside since the doors opened in 2008. We learned about the value of networking and maintaining relationships with individuals who cross our paths. A career in commercial banking has allowed Carla to become well versed in several different industries local and national. Lending could not be completed without a team of analysts, coordinators, and lenders themselves.

Hearing about the dedication and effort that formed meaningful relationships with clients and how Parkside approaches maintaining and growing those relationships opened my eyes to the passion everyone has at Parkside. They take the extra step to show clients how valuable they are and are reachable more often than you would find at many other banks.

-Cameron Thomas

Family Office:

We were able to listen to Lucas Maxwell speak about his career path and Parkside’s Family Office after Carla. The first Lunch N’ Learn allowed us to absorb information about the two largest divisions at Parkside in the first few days of the internship.

The major difference Lucas stressed about Parkside was their ability to let him connect with clients in a personal and manageable way….Parkside values the relationship with the clients more so than other establishments, and it is shown by the difference in distribution of clients among the advisors. Another important note from the L&L was to become part of anyone’s and everyone’s COI (Center of Influence).

-Graham Johnson

401(k):

Dave and Brian educated us on the importance of investing early and as much as we can into a 401(k) and other retirement accounts. Having little exposure to retirement investments, it was very interesting to see the effects of early retirement investments. The work Dave and Brian have done to grow the 401(k) department is very impressive and we are looking forward to seeing how much more progress will be made in the future.

Dave and Brian work together to educate all clients ' employees and hope to enroll them into the 401(k) plan. The information from the L&L will be extremely beneficial for my future, and I am grateful that I learned more about 401(k) planning during the internship.

-Jessie Deutschmann

Marketing:

The marketing Lunch N’ Learn with Alex Schenk was inspiring with how much passion and effort she has put into Parkside’s branding. This session was very detail-oriented and structured to help us understand her plan for the future of Parkside’s marketing.

Alex taught us all about the various aspects marketing entails and about Parkside’s specific approach to it. She is clearly passionate and has big goals set for the company's marketing progression. Over the past year, she has implemented many cool marketing campaigns, like the Father's Day campaign currently being posted on Instagram, quarterly reports sent to clients, and the Parkside Periodical newsletter.

-Anjali Yadav

Loan Administration:

Karen and Kinna work in seemingly opposite aspects of banking, but their positions complement each other and work in the best interest of Parkside. Karen gathers information to help secure the loan for the bank, and Kinna uses this information to ensure the loan is within internal and legal standards. The collaboration between these two departments of banking is amazing to witness. Their divisions can clash from time to time, but they are an essential part of Parkside.

We engaged in a fascinating conversation with Karen and Kinna and discovered how their distinct roles seamlessly complement each other. Without their combined efforts, Parkside wouldn’t be able to close loan deals. Karen works on the front end as a CSR, interacting with clients. Kinna works on the back end in Bank Ops, handling documentation and ensuring compliance with company policies and government regulations. They work together to satisfy clients while protecting Parkside's interests.

-Anjali Yadav

Bank Ops/CSR:

The Bank Ops/CSR Lunch N’ Learn provided a glance into the infrastructure of Parkside’s client fraud protection and wire transfers. It was very interesting to see how they have handled the growth of Parkside in both the number of clients and geographic locations. Their department is essential to the inner workings of Parkside and impressed us with how some people wear many hats.

Although it can be challenging, they have gotten the opportunity to master many different skills starting with the first interaction with clients creating a Parkside bank account to many other jobs including online banking, wires, fraud protection, and more. Along with their teams, Micki and Amy work hard to tend to each client's specific needs and keep Parkside’s bank operations running smoothly.