2010 Outstanding Women in Banking: Lesa Black

Women in banking today often bring work home, but when your husband is your boss, the line between work and home can get a bit blurry..Lesa Black, vice president of Princeville State Bank in Illinois, whose husband, Andrew, is president of the $67 million bank, struggled to separate her professional and personal lives until her son helped her put things in focus.."Andrew and I sometimes brought bank business home," Lesa Black says. "We'd talk about issues over dinner. We knew we had to stop when my son, Matthew, who was 8 or 9 at the time, starting giving us input.".Black's dedication to her work, home, and community earned her honors as one of NorthWestern Financial Review's 2010 Outstanding Women in Banking.."It's awesome to work with my husband," says Black, who met Andrew in a career development group through the Community Bankers Association of Illinois. The pair married in November 2001 and Lesa joined Princeville State Bank in December 2002. Black notes that although Andrew is her boss, she reports to the bank's board of directors as well.."The more time we can spend together, the better," she says. "We have a good working relationship. We are open if we don't agree.".Andrew Black says the key to the couple's success at work is applying the "opposites attract" theory. "I am more big picture and she's more detail-oriented than I am, always dotting the i's and crossing the t's. With today's changing regulations, that is essential.".Black has made herself indispensible in her role as bank compliance officer and internal auditor.."It's challenging to stay ahead of the game," she says. "We are trying to be proactive rather than reactive. It's better to work toward a goal than have the regulators come and be surprised.".Prior to joining Princeville State Bank, Black did bank consulting for an accounting firm. She worked with banks of all sizes on loan reviews and internal audits and developed many connections she still maintains today. She meets quarterly with a group of eight to 10 bankers to talk about regulatory issues.."We discuss what's going on and what went right and what went wrong on exams," Black says. "There's no competition because we are all in this together.".But when it comes to regulations, Black says community banks have a leg up on their larger competitors.."With all the changes in loans and mortgages and safety and soundness at the forefront, bank examiners have ramped up their investigations. You have to read into what they are doing.."As a community bank, we feel we know our customers better. We have a rapport with them because we see them at church and community functions. We know they lost their job because a business closed, so we figure out how we can help them stay in the community. A bank is not in the job of taking homes.".Black has worked at several community banks throughout Illinois. Her willingness to learn—or re-learn—new things and adapt to change helped her advance in her career.."To be successful in banking it's important not to sell yourself short," she says. "When I would question am I doing the right thing or can I do it, I had people in my life tell me yes.".Black brings her dedication and caring to her volunteer activities as well as her work. She serves on the CBAI's legislative committee and chairs the downtown economic revitalization committee, which is partnering with Winning Communities to provide recommendations for improvements to the City Council. Thanks to Black and the committee's efforts, five new businesses have opened on Princeville's main street in the past year.."If you are passionate about what you are doing, you can make a difference," she says..In her free time, Black enjoys traveling with her husband to warm destinations. The couple has visited Ireland and dreams of taking a family vacation there someday with Lesa's sons Matthew, 16, and Nathan, 20.Other 2010 Outstanding Women in Banking honorees include:Susan Whitson, First National Bank of Waverly, IowaCindy Haas, Gateway Bank, Mendota Heights, Minn.Jana Sipe Berndt, Bremer Bank, Breckenridge, Minn.