Area non-profit organizations and Enterprise Bank staff gather at the check presentation April 20 at UNM-LA. Photo by Carol A. Clark.ladailypost.com
By CAROL A. CLARK Los Alamos Daily Post [email protected]
Enterprise Bank & Trust’s Kenny Hitt, president of Consumer & Business Banking, flew in from Kansas City, Mo., to present a $300,000 donation to United Way of Northern New Mexico (UWNNM) to support its charitable work throughout the community.
“We are proud to partner with United Way, which partners with so many non-profit organizations and philanthropic agencies,” Hitt said. “We succeed when the communities we serve succeed.”
UWNNM’s Board Chair Liddie Martinez and Executive Director Cindy Padilla accepted the donation on behalf of the non-profit organization during a special gathering April 20 on the campus of UNM-Los Alamos.
“It is a privilege to serve our regional communities,” said Martinez, who also serves as Los Alamos Regional President of Enterprise Bank. “Both the United Way of Northern New Mexico and Enterprise Bank & Trust are making significant investments in Los Alamos and Rio Arriba counties to provide support and assistance for those most in need.”
UWNNM has been devoted to working in a united way to improve the lives of children and families through service collaboration and provided leadership, funding support and training for area nonprofit organizations for nearly 70 years. Its continued vision includes support of its many local organizations and partners with a greater emphasis on collaboration and collective impact.
Enterprise Bank maintains a 5 star rating and ranked #3 on Forbes list of Best Banks in the Country in 2020. The bank is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year and was founded in 1988 by three business leaders who had an idea to create a bank that was uniquely different.
Enterprise Bank President Scott Goodman spoke during a recent telephone interview about how the bank has continued to embrace that idea, which is behind the bank’s generous support of the local United Way.
“Corporate Citizenship has always been a guiding principal,” Goodman said. “We look forward to seeing these funds be leveraged through UWNNM to organizations throughout the community.”
Goodman explained that the bank saw the positive impact over the last three years from its $150,000 matching donation with the community to Los Alamos Community Foundation. This recent $300,000 donation is not a matching fund but will be distributed at $100,000 per year over the next three years.
Enterprise Bank is headquartered in Clayton, Mo. It operates 47 branch offices in Arizona, California, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada and New Mexico, and SBA loan and deposit production offices in Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Washington.
Since its founding, Enterprise Bank has grown to $13 billion. Goodman attributes the company’s success to its “strong capital base.” He said the company takes advantage of opportunities to merge or acquire banks with similar community oriented philosophies such as they found with Los Alamos National Bank.
“As we grow we don’t forget our focus of empowering privately held businesses to succeed, helping families to secure their financial futures, and investing to advance the quality of life in the communities we serve,” he said.
Goodman said during the phone interview that he has been with Enterprise Bank 20 years this month.
“A family friend first drew me into the banking business by explaining how in banking we get to help people employ other people and help our communities grow stronger,” Goodman said. “My father was in public service and I liked that but I also liked business. The friend helped me realize that in banking I could use my passion for business and still help people and communities.”
So what has kept Goodman at Enterprise Bank for two decades?
“It’s the people I work with … we always want to hire passionate people from the CEO’s office to the support center to the tellers … that’s what keeps me here – that commitment to our clients and communities,” he said.
Goodman has visited Los Alamos and when asked what he thinks of the community he said, “Los Alamos is deeply caring, deeply committed, extremely intelligent and well connected … we always get challenged there in a good way!”
Enterprise Bank’s Kenny Hitt, president of Consumer & Business Banking speaks to members of UWNNM and non-profit partners gathered for the April 20 check presentation at UNM-Los Alamos. Photo by Carol A. Clark.ladailypost.com
UWNNM Board Chair Liddie Martinez presents a special weaving to Enterprise Bank’s Kenny Hitt in appreciation for his support of the non-profit organization. Photo by Carol A. Clark.ladailypost.com
UWNNM Executive Director Cindy Padilla and Board Member Steve Renfro present a Nambé gift of appreciation to Enterprise Bank’s Donavan Price for her support of the organization. Photo by Carol A. Clark.ladailypost.com