Independent Banker - December 2024 - 60

CONNECTIONS TRAILBLAZER
eHigh Plains Bank's bilingual team. From
left: customer service representative Maribel
Camacho, Wiggins branch manager Debbie
Grosz, customer service representative
Karla Lara, document preparation employee
Diana Gomez-Mendoza, and HPBGO digital
banking customer service representative
Ximena Lara Andrade
" We recognized a need within our
Hispanic community for greater
understanding and access to banking
services, " she says. " This event was a
beginning to bridge that gap and foster a
more inclusive financial environment. "
High Plans Bank invited unbanked
workers to discuss setting up interestfree
checking accounts that would
bypass the need for an ITIN, how to
use the bank's app, and its Spanish
" We recognized a need within our Hispanic
community for greater understanding and
access to banking services. "
-KARLA LARA, HIGH PLAINS BANK
understand how to get through
the menu to ask the question, "
says Otteman, " and we responded
in Spanish. "
Beginning in 2021, the High Plains
team and Jack Henry worked together
to ease this navigation, and in 2023,
Jack Henry added a feature that
translated that app from English to
Spanish by following the device or
browser setting. That means if the
device is set to Spanish by default,
the app menus and information are
displayed in Spanish, and the bank
responds in Spanish.
" We did start to see an uptick in
Spanish support at that point, " says
Otteman. " It's been pretty amazing to
watch, as we've been able to engage
with the community. We do feel like
we're getting some momentum now
and helping them. "
A beacon for unbanked workers
Karla Lara, one of High Plains
Bank's bilingual customer service
representatives, has taken a lead in
helping the bank understand the
Hispanic community better. In July
of this year, she helped coordinate
a community outreach event at the
bank's Wiggins, Colo., branch.
60 // ICBA Independent Banker // December 2024
communication offerings.
" We were able to make a real
difference for the attendees, " says
Lara. " Interacting with customers
who lacked a Social Security Number
or ITIN deeply impacted me. Their
strong desire for financial services,
coupled with a sense of being excluded
from the system, was truly moving.
" Growing up in a migrant
household has fueled my passion for
serving this community, " she adds. " I
understand their challenges firsthand.
Providing essential financial services,
regardless of documentation, is
incredibly rewarding. As the only
local bank offering this, High Plains
Bank is building trust and making a
real difference. "
Otteman admits the bank still has
a long way to go, from making online
banking fully bilingual to translating
account disclosures. The bank team
hopes to engage companies that hire
migrant workers and help them make
their payroll processes more efficient.
In any case, Otteman says High Plains
Bank is in it for the long haul.
Roshan McArthur is a writer
in California.
Independent Banker - December 2024

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