At PacWest, we believe in being good citizens in the community and world in which we live and work. That is why our employees choose to volunteer their time in the greater Phoenix community. From serving on the board of the Arizona Community Foundation to acting as treasurer of a local church to sitting on the finance and investment committee of the Catholic Community Foundation, our employees have chosen to give back to the communities in which they are a part. Below are a few examples of the ways our employees give back.
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Grace Lau, PacWest’s founder, has been actively involved in the Phoenix Community since the early 1980s. Grace’s volunteer activities have been focused in investments, youth and education. Grace believes strongly in education. Grace says, “Education is the great equalizer. Education changes the lives of whole families and future generations. Every youth should be motivated and be provided with the best opportunity to become educated.” Grace’s life and family fortunes were changed forever because she was given the opportunity to complete an advanced education. She wants to help others in reaching their full potential too.
Grace has worked with many educational non-profits including the Phoenix Christian Academy, Arizona Educational Foundation and her latest, Social Venture Partners, a group that has given away $3.2 million in the last decade to assist emerging non-profits in their work with youth and education.
Grace’s investment expertise has served her well as a past member of the Investment Advisory Council of the Arizona State Retirement System, the City of Phoenix Deferred Compensation Board and now currently on the Arizona Community Foundation Board. She considers it a special privilege to be a trustee of the City of Phoenix Firefighters #493 Employee Benefit Trust Fund and to serve the brave men and women who put their lives on the line for us each day.
You can visit the Arizona Community foundation website at www.azfoundation.org and the Social Venture Partners website at www.svpaz.org.
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Within the community, Mr. Pearl’s primary involvement is through his church. In addition to local parish activities, he was appointed to the Finance and Investment Committee of the Catholic Community Foundation and the Investment Management Committee of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix. Mr. Pearl is also Past President of the Serra Club whose mission is the support of religious vocations within the Church.
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Dan Flack, a portfolio manager at PacWest is very involved with his church. Dan has served as the church’s financial secretary and is currently its treasurer. As treasurer, Dan has been part of a team that has brought financial discipline and accountability to the church’s finances and awareness of those finances to the church’s congregation. Dan is even more committed to bringing financial discipline to individuals and families. On his own time, he has counseled and educated many people one-on-one and in group settings regarding their finances. Dan especially relishes his role as a Financial Peace University facilitator as he has seen the transformation that occurs in people’s lives after taking the class. Financial Peace University is an educating and entertaining thirteen week class designed by Dave Ramsey with the goal of changing a person’s financial behavior. He believes in the class so much he has taught it five times and plans to teach it again.
