MONSON — Monson Savings Bank prides itself on sustaining a welcoming, inclusive, and diverse workplace and helping all team members reach their full potential by providing a work environment where all individuals are treated fairly and respectfully, have equal access to opportunities and resources, and can contribute to the organization’s success. The bank strives to be a place where people want to work, diversity is welcomed, and individuals feel valued.
In line with these efforts, Monson Savings Bank recently hosted a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Summit for its entire team.
“I hope everyone walks away with a better understanding of the bank’s commitment and efforts relating to DEI. As an organization, we feel good about who we are and the value of our differences,” said Michael Rouette, the bank’s executive vice president and chief operating officer.
“I want each and every one of our team members to be inspired on their own personal DEI journey, finding their ‘why’ and their purpose. We want them to be confident in their motive for committing to our DEIB journey,” he added, “whether it be because their heart is in it, and they want to make the world a better place, or they want to do their part in forming a stronger, more profitable organization that sustains itself for another 150 years.”
The bank invited Adriana Vaccaro and Sarai Rivera of Culture Redesigned to be guest speakers at the summit, as well as the Rev. Terrlyn Curry Avery, owner and licensed psychologist at Sacred Intelligence LLC and reverend of Martin Luther King Jr. Community Presbyterian Church in Springfield, as the keynote speaker of the educational event. Additionally, Monson Savings Bank President and CEO Dan Moriarty and First Vice President and Human Resources Officer Dodie Carpentier addressed team members during the program.
Moriarty, also the recent past co-chair of the Massachusetts Bankers Assoc. DEI Council, emphasized the importance of embracing and implementing DEIB initiatives and values.
“At Monson Savings Bank, DEIB is not just a concept, it is a core value. We recognize that embracing DEIB is critical to our individual and organizational success, as well as strategically and financially prudent. More importantly, it is just the right thing to do,” he said. “We are aiming to truly make a difference at the bank and in the larger community by embracing DEIB.”
During the DEIB Summit, Vaccaro and Rivera of Culture Redesigned discussed the basic concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion and the importance of adding to a positive culture and building trusting relationships. Following their discussion with the Monson Savings Bank team, Avery gave an engaging and thought-provoking motivational speech discussing race and how it plays into everyday interactions, perceptions, and relationships.
“Thank you so much, Adriana Vaccaro, Dr. Sarai Rivera, and Rev. Dr. Terrylyn L. Curry Avery for coming here to share your insights with us,” Carpentier said. “And thank you to our amazing team for all joining together to embrace this important discussion. It speaks volumes to everyone’s character and the morale of our team that we got together to respectfully listen, ask questions, and learn together.”
