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Merchants Hosts Fifth Annual MPACT Awards Celebrating 2023 Winners

From the very beginning, co-founders Michael Petrie and Randall Rogers have been strong proponents of looking beyond the office for opportunities to share talents and knowledge within the community. Understanding that Merchants is a community bank at its very core, they recognized the duty the bank has to customers, local businesses, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions to operate as a point of support and an active resource. 

This belief inspired the formation of the MPACT program in 2018. With each passing year, we celebrate the growth and success generated by Merchants employees Positively Advancing Communities Together. As the program has grown, we’ve valued the number of ways in which Merchants employees have been able to be impactful within our communities. This has ranged from individually giving their time and collecting resources to contributing monetary donations from the organization. 

While the corporate mission of the MPACT program is focused on providing support for efforts such as financial literacy, affordable housing, and small businesses, Merchants employees are encouraged to champion the organizations that support their interests and passions. Many of our employees were able to locate organizations they aligned with through a volunteer expo event this past October. The volunteer expo, organized by Merchants Foundation, was also the setting for the launch of the private foundation dedicated to expanding access to quality housing, healthcare, and education. In 2023, The Foundation gave a total of $107,000 in support of charitable organizations specifically nominated by Merchants employees.

In celebration of the outstanding efforts of our Merchants employees, Merchants Foundation, and the fantastic work that nonprofits and service organizations are doing within our communities, we celebrated our fifth annual MPACT Awards on May 31. The ceremony took place at our Merchants Bancorp headquarters and we had a virtual option for our employees outside of central Indiana. This year, we honored the following 2023 MPACT Catalyst Winners for their dedication to the program’s mission and their valuable contributions within each of their communities.

  • Kellie Barker – Merchants Bank; Richmond
  • Alex Toroslar – Merchants Capital; New York City
  • LaBre’ta Ford – Merchants Capital; Remote
  • Thomas Delia – Merchants Bank; New Jersey
  • Jennifer Walde – Merchants Bank; Indianapolis/Carmel

The 2023 Volunteer of the Year title was awarded to Mark Harville, SBA Business Development Officer at Merchants Bank, for his devotion and service to several organizations supporting community and economic development. As a volunteer, Mark has stepped into the role as a business mentor, a micro lending resource for those struggling to get approved for traditional bank financing, and an advocate for community growth within various Indiana counties.

2023 MPACT Catalyst Winners

Since the MPACT program’s founding, our employees – located in Indiana, based out of regional offices in cities such as New York City, Washington, and Chicago, and those operating remotely – have logged 12,000 hours of community service and support. Here in central Indiana, many of our group volunteer efforts have gone toward supporting organizations such as Brookside Community Development Corporation, Coburn Place, Dove Recovery House, Habitat for Humanity, IHCDA, Junior Achievement, Meals on Wheels, Million Meal Movement, Salvation Army, Teachers’ Treasures, and others.

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