Irv Ashford, Comerica Bank’s senior vice president of community development and external affairs director for the Texas market, works tirelessly to carry out his company’s mission to ensure the economic health and viability of communities.
Here, he highlights how Comerica Bank address the needs of the community in terms of financial literacy, entrepreneurial and small business development and job skills development and training.
What are your duties at Comerica?
I am responsible for making sure that the bank does the right things in the communities which we serve including creating partnerships with various civic and nonprofit organizations. I lead our financial literacy efforts, work with kids programs to increase the literacy rates in our schools, train small developing businesses to thrive and I lead our efforts to generate economic opportunities in diverse markets for the bank here in Texas.
Why is it important for Comerica to be tied to the community and to support community-based programs?
- It’s one of Comerica’s core commitments to enhance the communities where we live and work, to make our communities healthier and more economically viable. It’s the right thing to do.
- While we have the resources of a large bank, at heart, we are a community-based relationship bank. We have a very active volunteer program across the company. We are proud of our colleagues’ track record of volunteering for non-profit causes, and their leadership (i.e., board service) roles in various community-based organizations.
- We have received eight consecutive “Outstanding” ratings from the Federal Reserve in performance evaluations for our community reinvestment efforts [rated every two years] — a testament to our approach to supporting the nonprofit in our communities.
What is your leadership style?
My leadership style is simple. I believe in situational leadership. Sometimes you have to lead the horse to the well. Sometimes you have to point the horse in the right direction. Either way, the horse must drink to survive.
Provide a few examples of your community initiatives and involvement.
Comerica Bank partnered with Change Happens! [formerly FUUSA] to open its second Community Resource Center in Houston. The new Community Resource Center is housed at Change Happens! headquarters in the heart of Third Ward Houston. The center provides access to a computer lab and new library for 100,000 low- to moderate-income residents — including adults and youth — and is open to the public free of charge during normal business hours.
The Comerica Third Ward Community Resource Center is a prime example of our 160+ year commitment to the community. Comerica Bank’s investment of $25,000 in the community resource center and Change Happens! Kid’s University programs are helping people to be successful.
As far community involvement, I serve on the following boards: Kym’s Kid’s; Texas Women’s Empowerment Foundation; The Nova Charter Academy; The Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber Board of Directors; The City of Dallas Convention Center and Visitors Bureau; and Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure (Dallas County Affiliate). My public policy and international affairs involvement and fellowships received include the American Marshall Memorial Fellow; British-American Project Fellow; and Woodrow Wilson Public Policy and International Studies Fellow.
