In her role as Senior Vice President and Director of Community Development Banking for Comerica Bank, Beatrice Kelly oversees the establishment of key Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) lending and investments strategies across the bank’s footprint to ensure access to capital for vulnerable communities and businesses.
She is also responsible for the sales and strategy for the Small Business Administration (SBA) division.
“When I think about the impact of Comerica, I think of us as the leading bank for business. Comerica is the best bank for business,” said Kelly.
Kelley’s understanding and experience of Comerica’s impact on local businesses takes her back to her childhood.
“I remember being a child and I’d walk to the bank at the corner with my grandfather, you know, cashing his check from a local manufacturer,” Kelly recalls. “And you would know everyone, sort of in that, in that retail banking center. And they would, you know, then become your family, right? Because you would see them every week.
“The biggest impact is about the relationships that we’ve built over the years. I think that it’s the small businesses that started on the corner of neighborhoods that have scaled up into our middle market businesses, and maybe even further on.”
She further explains, “That means that they’ve been banking with Comerica for years as we provided advice and counsel, and they’ve grown their business, and we have been there every step of the way. The biggest impact we can do is invest in support, in the colleagues and the community. Be there every step of the journey for businesses as they grow and expand and then build on those relationships throughout their journey.”
An experienced veteran of the financial services industry, Kelly rejoined Comerica in October 2020 following a nine-year tenure at Fifth Third Bank. There she served as Operations Director for Fifth Third’s Community and Economic Development group where she managed key stakeholder engagement, partnerships, and oversite of the bank’s nearly $20 million in philanthropy across its 10-state footprint. She drove awareness and sustainable investments to achieve Fifth Third’s $32 billion, five-year Community Commitment. Kelly also served in roles including Business Banking and CRA lending and investments.
For Kelly, she points to The Bigger Possible as the core value that resonates with her the most.
“Comerica is a very mature, seasoned organization, but I’m always very curious, always asking the questions, why?” said Kelly. “Always studying, reading, researching, what more could we do? How do we address the needs of our customers and the community? I am not afraid to try anything and fail, certainly not afraid to ask the questions, and I’m not afraid to collaborate and in ways that are unconventional.
“And so how do you know? How do we partner with other financial institutions or private public partnerships that really enhance the value that institutions bring to the community. Because of The Bigger Possible my team has increased their investments across our five-state footprint.”
One example of the investments Comerica has made is Loyal High School in Detroit, to assist the school in its expansion.
“We’ve made some impactful investments. I am proud of the work that my team leads,” said Kelly.
Kelly earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Davenport University (Troy, Mich.) and master’s degree in management from Walsh College (Troy, Mich.). She is graduate of the ABA Stonier Graduate Banking program at the University of Pennsylvania.
Active in the community, Kelly continues ensure financial inclusion for low- to moderate-income families and communities through her involvement in multiple financial services organizations.
Kelly currently serves on the advisory board of the National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders and Junior Achievement of Dallas She also serves as the president emeritus of Urban Financial Services Coalition Detroit Chapter, a member of Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority, Inc. and Jack and Jill of America, Inc.