Being part of the community, working with and for it, is at the core of how Cassius Priestly views his job.
Priestly provides financial services to businesses and organizations across the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region as the market president鈥揷ommercial banking at . But he鈥檚 also chairman of the Prince George鈥檚 Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the board of directors for Community Youth Advance, a nonprofit that supports students in the metropolitan D.C. region.
鈥淚 always say I have the best job in the world,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ecause I鈥檓 able to work with wonderful teammates, which is what we call Truist employees, and also the clients and community organizations that we work with. And then I鈥檓 also able to go out in the community, serve on boards and help businesses and organizations thrive. And the bank is telling me, 鈥榊es, this is what we want you to do.鈥� 鈥�
Beyond bank accounts
From his perspective, Priestly said that viewing clients as community partners changes how he does his job. 鈥淵ou approach it totally differently than you would as a vendor or as if you鈥檙e simply providing a service,鈥� he said.
Bernita Bailey, who works closely with Priestly at Truist, seconded that.
鈥淭hat the bank that I work for supports that and encourages that, it pushes us to do more for our community and for our customers,鈥� said Bailey, who is senior vice president and suburban Maryland market president. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 say that we鈥檙e going to inspire and build better lives and communities just with commercials. We have to go out there and do the work.鈥�
Like Priestly, Bailey also participates in multiple community organizations, including on the board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Montgomery County, Maryland. She recalled not long ago joining 100 Truist employees over two weeks to help landscape and set up a recreation room for a nonprofit that provides services to people with disabilities. Truist had handled the financing for the organization鈥檚 new facility.
鈥淎 lot of banks stop at the financing, but we decided, 鈥楲et鈥檚 take it a step further. How can we fully support this organization?鈥� 鈥� Bailey said, adding that Truist calls these initiatives Lighthouse Projects. 鈥淲e were able to back up the financing with grant dollars and then with the manpower to come out and help.鈥�
In Truist鈥檚 DNA
Priestly is quick to note that taking part in groups that support local businesses, nonprofit organizations and residents isn鈥檛 new at Truist, which was formed in 2019 through the merger of BB&T and SunTrust Banks.
鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the many benefits of our merger 鈥� we provide the community banking approach that BB&T was known for and all the advisory services that SunTrust was known for. It鈥檚 a powerful and unique combination that鈥檚 created great opportunities and outcomes for our clients and communities,鈥� he said.
Truist can advise clients and provide needed expertise, products and resources as entrepreneurs launch and build their businesses, Priestly said. 鈥淵ou have to anticipate where they鈥檙e going, not just where they鈥檝e been.鈥�
As part of the bank鈥檚 holistic approach to serving businesses, it has financial advice experts for every size of company so it can help local businesses and organizations as they grow and evolve, Bailey said. It has established advice teams with expertise in small business, commercial real estate, government contracting, health care, nonprofits, foundations and more.
鈥淲e want to be able to take care of every aspect of a client鈥檚 financial life,鈥� Priestly said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 really been our focus since day one.鈥�
