Parkside Celebrates 2024 Women's History Month

Celebrate Women's History Month with Parkside!

March is Women’s History Month – recognizing and celebrating the vital role of women in American history and honoring women’s incredible contributions to the past, culture, and society. We invite you to join us throughout the month as we showcase a series of profiles highlighting the exemplary female leaders and mentors at Parkside Financial Bank & Trust. Additionally, we will highlight several local nonprofit organizations that Parkside Financial Bank & Trust supports, which are dedicated to empowering and uplifting women.

Did you know that women make up 58% of the Parkside team?





Meet Parkside's 2024 Mentors

Meet the 2024 Mentors of Parkside Pathways, our Women's Initiative dedicated to fostering an inclusive and equitable environment and empowering women at every stage of their personal and professional lives.
 

 

Karen Royal, Assistant Vice President and Senior Commercial Credit Analyst, stands as a genuine leader, offering valuable guidance to those she mentors. Gain insights from Karen as she reflects on the significance of mentorship and shares the pivotal influence of her own mentor throughout her career.

 
Kelli Dempsey, Vice President and Trust & Family Office Coordinator Manager, is our second featured 2024 Parkside Pathways Mentor. Gain insights from Kelli as she shares her perspective on what being a mentor means to her.
 
Kinna Gray, Senior Vice President and Loan Operations Manager, is our third highlighted mentor for the 2024 Parkside Pathways program. Gain insights from Kinna as she shares her perspective on mentoring.
 
Meredith Osborn, Senior Vice President and Director of Human Resources, is our fourth featured 2024 Parkside Pathways Mentor. Gain insights from Meredith as she reflects on the pivotal influence of her most significant mentor throughout her professional journey. 

Insights from our Female Leaders
What woman in history has inspired you the most?
"In the late 1960’s Billie Jean King climbed the ranks of professional women’s tennis until she became #1 in the world. She used that success and stardom to raise awareness and fight for gender equality. In the early 1970’s, she raised her voice again and testified on behalf of Title IX, to prohibit gender discrimination in public education programs. Ms. King continues to use her platform to fight for social justice. Her work is an inspiration, and a reminder to stand up for what is important to you." 

Michele Everett
Assistant Vice President – Finance
"Hedy Lamarr, renowned Hollywood star, serves as a beacon of inspiration for women, not for her on-screen success but for her groundbreaking invention of a frequency-hopping system during World War II, a precursor to modern wireless communication such as Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth. Her ability to transcend societal expectations and showcase her intellectual prowess underscores the importance of embracing diverse talents in the professional realm. Lamarr's story encourages women to break conventional boundaries, emphasizing the power of creativity, intellect, and innovation in making a lasting impact in the world." 

Alex Schenk
Assistant Vice President – Director of Communications & Marketing
 In your opinion, what is one of the most famous or
well-known women-owned businesses today?
"Trying to choose one female-ran business as the most famous or well-known seems nearly impossible as there are so many highly successful companies to choose from. One company that truly stands out to me with their mission and popularity is Bumble. Bumble is one of the most popular dating apps in the world with over 50 million registered users. The app was founded by Whitney Wolfe Herd, who wanted to create a safe dating platform for all users. Another woman, Lidiane Jones, now serves as Bumble’s CEO."

Ashley Przada
Assistant Vice President – Compliance & BSA Officer
"As a female in the still largely male dominated IT industry, I believe one of the most well-known women-owned businesses in St. Louis today is Systems Service Enterprises. SSE was founded by Susan S. Elliott in 1966, a crucial time in technological advancement. To put things into perspective, Susan dared to launch a business in an industry that barely recognized women or their contributions, during a time in which less than half of women were part of the workforce, eight years before home computers and the internet existed. In 2004 Susan passed the torch to her daughter, Elizabeth Niedringhaus, the current President and CEO of SSE. Under Elizabeth’s leadership, SSE is flourishing and is recognized as a leader in IT managed service providers."

Elizabeth Wilson
Assistant Vice President – Operations Support

Female Focused Non-Profits

Rung for Women

Introducing Rung for Women, a local charitable organization and esteemed member of Parkside Pathways. Devoted to addressing the gender wage gap incrementally, Rung for Women offers a career accelerator program designed to assist driven women in navigating the pathway toward rewarding careers, ensuring equitable compensation for their contributions.

Discover the incredible work of Rung for Women here: https://rungforwomen.org/

Marian Middle School

Introducing our next featured female nonprofit: Marian Middle School. Marian is an all-girls school welcoming adolescent girls of all backgrounds that is committed to breaking the cycle of poverty through education. Marian Middle School graduates emerge as proficient young women, equipped with essential skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, leadership, and life skills, empowering them to make informed decisions and contribute to lasting, positive change.

Discover more about the amazing work of Marian Middle School: https://marianmiddleschool.org/

Safe Connections

Our final highlighted non-profit organization is Safe Connections, dedicated to diminishing the prevalence and consequences of relationship violence and sexual assault. Their mission revolves around education, crisis intervention, counseling, and support services.
 
Discover more about the remarkable work of Safe Connections: https://safeconnections.org/



Parkside Financial Bank & Trust is a privately held institution with a uniquely fresh perspective on banking, commercial lending, trust, and family office services–one focused on creating unparalleled simplicity in today’s increasingly complex financial environment.



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