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T H E 2 0 2 4 WOMEN IN BUSINESS H O N O R E E S HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | APRIL 1, 2024 B17 Allison Standish Plimpton Senior Vice President, Business Bank- ing Sales Leader for New England KeyBank A llison Standish Plimpton is the senior vice president and New England busi- ness banking leader for KeyBank. With 35 years of experience in finance and banking, she began her career as a commodities broker and eventually became a commercial banker. Her aptitude for developing customized financial solutions and building trusted client relation - ships enabled her to advance in her career to her current role as a senior regional leader. Standish Plimpton has been with KeyBank for 13 years, joining through the acquisition of First Niagara Bank. Prior to KeyBank, she held positions with TD Bank, New Alliance Bank and UPS Capital. She holds a bachelor's degree from Rollins College and lives in Glastonbury. What have been your biggest professional accomplishments? I am most proud of building and mentoring a strong team of banking professionals who are dedicated to providing exceptional service to our clients and delivering strong results for KeyBank. It is especially gratifying to be a trusted advisor and business partner to countless companies, bringing a holistic approach to helping them build, protect and expand their businesses. What's the next big goal you want to accom- plish professionally? As executive sponsor of KeyBank's Key4Women program, which provides women business owners and entrepreneurs with financial guid- ance and resources to help them manage and grow their businesses, I want to continue to drive KeyBank's reputation as a women-friendly bank, and help increase the number of successful women-owned businesses throughout the region. What's one of the biggest professional challenges you've overcome? I began my career when there was little female representation in banking, and I experienced gender bias in gaining respect and acceptance as a commercial banker. Fortunately, I had several male mentors who believed in and advocated for me. That is why it is important to me to be a mentor and advocate for others, both women and men. Jacquelyn Santiago Nazario CEO COMPASS Youth Collaborative Inc. F or 27 years, Jacquelyn Santiago Nazario has been an advocate for underserved youth in her community. In 2019, upon becoming CEO, she led COMPASS through a theory of change that focused the agency's mission on interrupting violence in Hartford by building transformative relationships with youth living in the center of the violence. Santiago Nazario has built a high-perfor- mance team to meet the needs of Hartford's highest-risk youth. She supports the team by ensuring they have the resources they need to deliver impactful programming, and secured over $12 million in new funding for COMPASS in her five years as CEO. What have been your biggest professional accomplishments? I was invited to the White House to discuss my work at COMPASS Youth Collaborative. Becoming CEO at COMPASS is the highest honor because I am able to use my lived experience to create opportunities for the most vulnerable populations. I believe that every young person is worthy of opportunity. What's the next big goal you want to accomplish professionally? My biggest professional goal is to grow COMPASS to an agency budget of at least $10 million. This increased capacity can help COMPASS serve more youth impacted by violence in the city of Hartford and the surrounding areas. What's one of the biggest professional challenges you've overcome? I am a new and young Latina CEO of color who navigated fiscal challenges followed by the COVID crisis. Within two years, I repaired funding relationships, focused the agency mission, redesigned programs and created sustainability. The agency is financially secure and increased its budget by $1.5 million a year. How are you involved in the community? I am the vice chair of the Equity and Opportunity Commission for the city of Hartford. I am also the vice chair of the Latino Endowment Fund. I am honored to volunteer to create opportunities for vulnerable populations who are often left out of the decision-making process. From all of us at COMPASS Youth Collaborative, congratulations to our relentless leader, Jacquelyn Santiago Nazario, for being named one of Hartford's Top 25 Business Women. Thank you for working every day to build a community where our youth feel safe, live peacefully, and have the opportunity to reach their full potential. compassyc.org