Joel Gardner

What is Community Development?

So as a community banker, I work with different partners, whether they’re non-for-profits or advocacy groups, realtors, and I help educate buyers as far as with financial literacy and how to prepare for home ownership. I work grass roots, PTA meetings, talk in barber shops, anywhere I can about money, and that’s what I love about being a community banker.

What Do You Like Most About Your Job?

It has to be the closing table. Seeing somebody who we started working with in the beginning, and from that initial conversation of, “Hey Joel, I want to buy a house,” to the closing table where they’ve gotten their mortgage, where they’ve gotten their loan, and now they have their keys. Seeing it all come together from A to Z has to be the best part.

Tell Us A Fun Fact About Yourself!

Man, I’ll whoop anybody in Madden, but no, I’m a big kid at heart. I try not to take myself too seriously all the time, but I’m Peter Pan.

Podcast