A legacy of commitment
Published 4:51 pm Monday, May 3, 2010
As local institutions go, Frontier Bank was a model for all of its 32 years.
For the Everett-based company, founded and run by Everett folks, service to the community was a bedrock principle, one it acted on consistently. Its closure Friday by state regulators — an end its management worked so hard to avoid — and sale to San Francisco-based Union Bank marks the passing of an era that enriched Snohomish County economically and philanthropically.
As a committed local lender, Frontier was an engine of growth for a county that was coming into its own as a regional force. A commitment to personal customer service earned it a competitive edge, and helped fuel its own impressive growth. Frontier surely was courted as a takeover target by big national banks during its heyday, but kept its roots — and loyalty — firmly planted in Everett.
The beneficiaries were many. Local investors shared in Frontier’s success, and they returned much of that good fortune to the community in countless and sizeable individual donations to charitable causes. The company itself was a philanthropic giant — its logo could be found at just about any charitable event, and it supported dozens of local organizations.
The United Way of Snohomish County was one.
“I can’t remember a year that Frontier didn’t loan us an employee to work on the campaign, provide a corporate gift, or run its own stellar campaign,” said Karen Crowley, a United Way vice president who worked with Frontier volunteers for years.
Frontier’s commitment to volunteerism started at the top, Crowley said, and became part of its corporate culture. Its United Way employee campaign was consistently among the top producers.
Even as the company’s stock plummeted along with the building industry in recent years, the giving continued. Frontier’s corporate gift to the United Way even went up last year, Crowley said.
“You didn’t see a difference in energy or outreach to the community at the bank,” she said. “Yes, they were challenged and under stress. But nothing else lagged.”
Even in a community known for its charitable generosity, Frontier stood out.
So it’s encouraging to note Union Bank’s first philanthropic act here. It increased Frontier’s United Way sponsorship for this year from $15,000 to $25,000 — a hopeful sign that the new owner understands and values the commitment to community that Frontier embraced.
It’s a legacy that Frontier’s founders and employees can be proud of, and one we hope others will be inspired to emulate.
