2024 Outstanding Women in Banking: Kathy Headley

Kathy Headley sets an example for operational excellence at a community bank, for which she has been named one of BankBeat's "Outstanding Women in Banking.".Headley entered banking sideways. She had been working in catering and event sales, but had many relationships with bank employees. "I was drawn to the bank really based on the people," she said. Once she started at ACCESSbank in Omaha, Neb., she "fell in love with the industry.".Headley has only spent a dozen years in the industry but has moved up the ranks quickly. Soft skills gleaned from her time in hospitality — emotional intelligence, communication, teamwork and leadership — and a business degree from Nebraska Wesleyan University have served her well. She joined the bank in 2012 as a teller, was promoted to personal banker less than a year later, and to branch manager a year after that. Now she is senior vice president and director of organizational excellence at the $992 million ACCESSbank. .Headley's responsibilities grew when ACCESSbank acquired Bank of Nebraska in 2017. Headley was responsible for the training before and during the acquisition. Interacting with the young professionals who reported to her was valuable experience, she said, and being part of the transition was a boon strategically. .Scott McGregor, executive vice president and chief operations officer at the bank, agreed she was instrumental in successfully implementing systems and processes with new team members, and "even more importantly, given her responsibilities as director of organizational experience, she worked tirelessly at a successful transition of the Bank of Nebraska team members to our core values and culture.".As a lifelong learner, Headley said one of the things she most appreciated about the bank, no matter its size, has been its commitment to training and development. "ACCESSbank really takes pride in offering team members [opportunities] to develop personally and professionally," she said..Now Headley is the flag-bearer for building corporate capacity, a department she started in 2018. She also oversees internal communications and company culture and engagement. She currently is part of a project team "rolling out an intranet connecting employees through communications, able to tell stories through all lines of the organization," she said. The role is a natural fit for her since "she is great at anticipating reaction, response and viewpoints, which helps the bank ensure we are delivering comprehensive communication to all our team members," McGregor said..Company culture and engagement is facilitated through four employee-driven teams that make up the bank's ambassador program, which Headley helped design and now oversees. The teams encourage employee involvement in the community, make ACCESSbank a place people want to work, "celebrate employees through memorable events," and encourage employees to live healthier lives. The teams take responsibility for nearly 30 events a year. .Headley feels the bank has a strong culture of collaboration. "It's been true my whole career here," she said. Ask a question, and someone will be genuinely glad to genuinely help you. "Teamwork is really at the foundation of our really strong culture.".Headley is an integral part of that collaborative ethos. "She is a wealth of knowledge and is known as a go-to person for all team members," McGregor said. "I was so impressed with Kathy's high energy and passion for anything she was involved in at the bank. That passion and energy was also infectious with other team members working alongside Kathy.".Outside the bank, Headley volunteers with several organizations including the Business Ethics Alliance in Omaha. "As a professional, having open and honest dialogue around ethics really spoke to me," she said. "It's important to talk about impact on any line — diversity/equity/inclusion, decision-making, how you take care of your community, people, team — [I was] really drawn to that conversation." .She also is involved with the local chapter of Association for Training and Development, which helps quench her thirst for learning and provides new perspectives for her work. Training and presenting has always come naturally to Headley, she said, starting in her sorority days. "It's what I do. I love to learn, passing on that learning [and] making people feel welcome. I think that's just always been part of who I am.".And that part is evident to others. "I know she is always giving 100 percent while being mindful and intentional about everything she does," McGregor said. "It is a pleasure to work with Kathy and I know she comes to work with the goal of making this a better place for our customers on a daily basis."Other 2024 Outstanding Women in Banking include:Terri Barrett, Bravera Bank, Dickinson, N.D.Mary Jayne Crocker, Bridgewater Bank, St. Louis Park, Minn.Laura Wildenborg, Sunrise Banks, St. Paul, Minn.Jacqueline Ruge-Perkins, First State Bank of Porter, Ind.Kris Robbins, First Interstate Bank, Billings, Mont.