Advice to organizations looking to be better involved in their community

I was asked to share what advice I might have to other organizations looking to be better involved in their community.  The answer to that question can be found in two simple steps:  Join MCLA and Prioritize the Community.

JOIN MCLA

For me what unlocked the community was Morgan County Leadership Academy.  I encourage everyone to enroll—to find out more about yourself and your innate ability to lead but also to find out more about your community and the wonderful people in it.  I was a stranger in a stranger in a strange land when I joined the bank in 2015.  MCLA changed that and did so very quickly.

At MCLA I met Jen Staggs, Chris Page, Kelly Alcala, Bethany Latham, and so many more amazing, community minded people.  Each year, people like them go through the class together and build relationships that last.  Business moves at the speed of trust, right?  The relational equity we built still pays dividends each day. I was introduced to the institutions that make our community what it is and the people that make it work.  We met Ryan Goodwin, now Sherriff Myers, Diana Roy and so many others as we learned about local government, first responders, and community needs.  MCLA also challenged us to make a difference by fundraising to put a huge map of Indiana in every 4^th grade classroom in the county so each kid can learn our shared history and see it take place on a map.  Maps are powerful reminders of history and the roadmap we made together in MCLA has led at least me to the success I have been able to enjoy.

PRIORITIZE THE COMMUNITY

As business owners and organizational leaders, we must prioritize everything.  Cash is king!  Your people are your most valuable resource, and it would be nice to have just a few extra minutes in your day.  When you find those minutes, spend them in the community.  Attend a Chamber or BNI meeting as a guest.  Volunteer with Habitat on a build.  Serve on a board of an organization that aligns with your values.  Not only will you recharge your own batteries, but you will also make connections and break down barriers that keep you from your next sale or your next ask.

Our community is tight knit.  Relationships are strong, often strengthened by a lifetime of growing old together.   Those connections are waiting for you to take the first step.

Our community is supportive.  Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised for churches, homeless shelters, and food pantries, all from Morgan County.  That generosity is there to help your business success too.

Our community values effort.   Morgan County is one where hard work is valued.  At a very young age our kids learn what the value of the dollar is, as they toil all year and then bring their livestock to auction at the Fair.  That work ethic is there ready for you to hire and have them make a difference for you.

Mark Lemieux joined Citizens Bank in August 2015.  He is a Senior Vice President and the Chief Experience Officer of the bank.  He also serves as the bank’s Community Reinvestment Act officer.  He oversees the Retail, Operations, Customer Care, Treasury Management, Marketing and Facilities Management functions of the bank.

Away from work Mark is an avid walker having completed 5 marathons and over 15 half marathons.  In the spring and fall you will find him refereeing at both club and school soccer competitions.   He has also volunteered with many community-based organizations serving as a volunteer board member of the Mooresville Chamber of Commerce (President), League of Miracles (Treasurer), United Way of Central Indiana (Investment Committee) and has recently joined the Morgan County Boys and Girls Club.

He has two sons, Maxwell, 17, and Donovan, 11, both of whom have won multiple awards for 4H at County and State Fairs.  Maxwell will graduate this year from Bloomington High School North with an Honors and Technical Honors diploma and is currently applying to Purdue and IUPUI where he hopes to study biomedical engineering and prosthetic design.  Mark is married to Kristen Coffey, an immigration attorney with the firm Panyard Holton Immigration in Speedway, Indiana.