Bank of the West Creates New Community Ambassador Role: Full-Time Professional Will Be Embedded In The Nonprofit Sector

"The bank's Community Ambassador represents a powerful way to help nonprofits implement programs that advance the economic well-being of individuals and families, which is central to our commitment to community," said Michelle Di Gangi, executive vice president of small and medium-size enterprise banking at Bank of the West and JVS board member. "At the same time, we place enormous value on the experience that our Community Ambassador will gain while working in the nonprofit sector. Their insights will inform our ongoing work to make a positive and lasting impact in the communities we serve."  

The Community Ambassador is a bank team member who works at the nonprofit's office as a de facto member of its staff and reports directly to the nonprofit's senior manager. While embedded at the nonprofit, the Community Ambassador meets regularly with the bank's Community Affairs staff and is able to draw on the resources and network of Bank of the West.

The first Community Ambassador is Daniel Tondeau, a banking professional who has been with Bank of the West for 15 years. For this assignment, Tondeau is applying his client services experience to BankWork$, a free eight-week program, offered by JVS in partnership with Bank of the West and other leading financial institutions that prepares job seekers for entry-level retail banking positions as a first step into a promising career in the financial services industry. During his tenure at JVS, Tondeau will support the BankWork$ curriculum and training modules, communications and outreach, graduate placement program, and help assess the overall experience of the program participants.

BankWork$ started in 2006 in partnership with JVS Los Angeles and was first offered in San Francisco in 2015 with plans to expand to 15 markets by 2019. Nearly 1,500 people have graduated from Bankwork$ and approximately 75 percent have obtained immediate placement within the financial services industry. The next Bay Area BankWork$ program will begin in early May, 2016 in the South Bay.

"Despite economic abundance in many parts of the Bay Area, many people are still being left behind," said Abby Snay, executive director of JVS. "With uninterrupted access to the Bank of the West Community Ambassador, JVS has a dedicated resource who is supporting our mission of helping unemployed or underemployed individuals develop in-demand skills, make connections and get good jobs. The bank has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us in expanding prosperity for a long time. Now they've taken their support and partnership to a new level – they are truly a member of the JVS family."                                                                                          

JVS empowers people to transform their lives through a comprehensive array of educational and employment-oriented programs ranging from introductory job search and computer skills workshops to intensive job training and internships. The agency was chosen from among Bank of the West's nonprofit relationships based on the impact of its programs and the extent to which it would benefit from embedded financial services expertise.

About Bank of the West
Bank of the West is a regional financial services company chartered in California and headquartered in San Francisco with $75.7 billion in assets as of December 31, 2015. Founded in 1874, Bank of the West provides a wide range of personal, commercial, wealth management and international banking services through more than 600 offices in 22 states and digital channels. Bank of the West is a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, which has a presence in 75 countries with 185,000 employees.

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SOURCE Bank of the West

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