Ladies Who Lend

Central Bank’s strong team of female lenders is dedicated to building relationships with businesses and clients, providing guidance and personalized financial solutions.

PRESENTED BY

Senior Vice President and Credit Officer Barbara Wallace has been in the banking industry since 1991. She has an accounting and finance degree, and her first job was in accounting. Since transitioning to banking, she has enjoyed applying her analytical skills from accounting to serving the customer and institution she works for now. As a commercial lender, she builds relationships with business owners to understand their goals. “Commercial lending is about commercial relationships, not just the loans,” Wallace says.

At Central Bank, the lending team provides the tools and products a customer needs, while also providing the community bank feel. Wallace has been in banking for over 30 years, and she has witnessed the growth of her customers from the beginning. Wallace says she has watched customers start small, then grow into big companies—and she has helped them transition to the next generation. “That’s rewarding,” she says. “Central Bank is successful when our customers are successful... It’s nice to have pride in what I do and who I work for and to be able to achieve both with one job.”

Developing the Next Generation of Leaders

Every professional’s leadership style is different. Some prefer to coach people one-on-one, while others are more visionary, setting goals to drive success. Wallace is someone who leads by example. “When you have 34 years of acquired knowledge, it’s hard to pass that on in one conversation,” she admits. “I don’t ask anyone to do anything I am not already doing myself. I can relate because I’ve been in those same positions. Most of the people that I am leading are ones that are other lenders, and I’ve been in that role.” 

Central Bank fosters this leadership approach through Central Connect, a two-year program where employees spend one day each month learning how different departments work together to serve customers. Participants must apply to take part in the program, and there are 10 to 15 people in each class. “We spend the whole day explaining whatever that department does and how they contribute to the bank, and the point is that no one department works on its own,” Wallace says. 

In her role, Wallace also helps people like commercial lending trainees who have come from a different industry, for example, and aren’t familiar with banking at all. She works with other departments, training them to prepare for the implementation of the program. She hopes this initiative extends beyond a one-time endeavor—something Central Bank can replicate throughout the entire company.  

At the end of the day, it all comes back to relationships. Whether it’s helping businesses grow, mentoring the next generation of lenders or making sure customers have the right financial tools, Central Bank’s team is committed to making a positive, lasting impact.