As a bank leader, Alicia Wade notes that we’re at a unique moment that won’t recur for many years: having four generations, from Baby Boomers to Gen Z, working alongside each other. “Being able to have four generations in the workplace and understand what each of them values and what we can learn from each other” allows not just for top-down mentorship but for cross-generational learning and inspiration, she notes. “I have mentors in each age demographic.”

On the latest episode of the podcast — sponsored by Intrafi Network — Wade talks about the community bank workforce and career opportunities and traces her own “accidental” her career path from teller to becoming president and COO of $560 million Valliance Bank in Oklahoma City. Wade talks about the broad range of careers in banking. She also discusses what she’s most excited about in the community bank customer service experience.

Finally, as a member of the Oklahoma Bankers Association’s Government Relations Council, Wade discusses several issues on the radar in the Sooner State, including ESG issues and cannabis banking. On March 7, Oklahomans will vote on legalizing recreational marijuana, and the state already has one of of the loosest frameworks for medicinal marijuana regulation, making the state the “wild wild West of marijuana,” Wade says, highlighting the importance of getting legislation like the SAFE Banking Act passed.