Stories

Glynda Dickinson turned to an old bank vault and new technology to help customers.

In the 600-person town of Hartville, Missouri, U.S. Bank Branch Manager Glynda Dickinson doesn’t have many customers. 

“I mainly just have friends,” she said, explaining, “That’s how our community is.”

So, when a tornado recently hit the town, Dickinson was there to help. As it touched down, she huddled in the bank vault with a customer (nay, a friend) who had entered the branch just as the tornado sirens sounded. The morning after, she was out in the parking lot serving as a de facto information desk, directing those in need to relief resources. And in the days that followed, she was out with her chainsaw-toting neighbors clearing debris and checking in on local businesses. 

“I’d ask everyone if they were okay and let them know that U.S. Bank is here for them,” Dickinson said. 

Her branch, however, was left without power in the immediate aftermath of the tornado. Thinking quickly, Dickinson turned to the U.S. Bank mobile app to help her friends in the community complete transactions like check deposits and bill payments. While doing so, she reflected on how much technology has changed over her 35-year career at the bank.

“I was here when we got our first computer. And our first ATM. I even remember saying ‘Oh, I’ll never use a debit card,’” she joked. “But now I always say that change is good.”