Dan Brown was honored at a ceremony on November 21, 2019 by the Allendale Area Chamber of Commerce, as the recipient of the Community Impact Award for his commitment to excellence in the community.
Dan was nominated by a customer of Macatawa Bank who contacted the Chamber. The customer's son was 24 years old when Dan helped him open his first checking account. Opening a checking account seems fairly mundane, and most of us do this before reaching adulthood. But this event was a milestone for this man's mentally challenged son, and Dan did more than open the account. Dan took on a mentor role and eventually this young man was able to get a job and obtain more independence for himself. The customer stated, "Not only did Dan go above and beyond to help my son, he changed the dynamic of our family for the positive."
When the Allendale Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Janessa Smit discussed Dan's nomination with others in the community, she heard additional stories about Dan sharing his financial expertise to help others, so the decision to direct the award to Dan was an easy one.
"As a community bank, we talk all the time about how important life events are to our customers," said Jill Walcott, Macatawa Bank's Chief Retail Officer. "We are in a unique position sometimes to really make a difference for our customers" Walcott continued. "When we can take ownership of those moments, we have the opportunity to alleviate anxiety from our customers' finances, and their lives, by providing sound advice and guidance."
Congratulations Dan Brown for receiving this award. Macatawa Bank thanks you for living out our values and principles every day. You really are making an impact.