Banking career profile
Valerie
White
V a le rie W h ile is assistant vice-
president and manager o f employee
re la tio n s at U .S . B an c o rp , a
position she has held since 1982. She
advanced to manager just two years
a fte r jo in in g the d e p a r tm e n ta l a
specialist. She first joined U S ’ Ban
co rp in 1975, e n t e r in g 4 * e o f the
c o m p an y 's m anagem ent tra in in g
programs.
V alerie's current position makes
use o f her educational background
and earlier employment in the field
o f social services. H er first assign
ments at U .S . B ancorp, how ever,
introduced her to entirely new types
o f jobs and different challenges. She
was an operations and loan officer
at tw o branches o f U .S . N a tio n a l
B a n k , U .S . B ancorp's p rin c ip a l
subsidiary.
V alerie is a native o f Massachu
setts. Because her father was in the
U .S . A ir Foce, Valerie has lived in
New Y o rk , C a lifo rn ia , H aw aii and
Japan . She earned her degree in
sociology at W h itm a n C ollege in
Washington.
A fte r graduating from college in
1974, V a le rie m oved to P o rtla n d
w ith her h usband , Bruce. B efore
jo in in g U .S . Bancorp she held
positions in a treatment facility for
adolescent girls w ith problems and
an alcohol inform ation and referral
center and participated in a therapy
program fo r inmates in m axim um
security in a penitentiary.
W hy the change from social ser
vices to the corporate world? " I was
ready fo r a change and new
challenges. It took some tim e, but
Vern Chatm an of the Urban League
(Vern is now retired) convinced me
that a Black w om an w ith a liberal
arts ed u catio n and n o n fin a n c ia l
Ma. Alene Orice explains the procesa for gaining
em p lo ym e n t under the m ayor's "S u m m e r Em-
ploym ent for Teens p rogram " to a group of In
terested job seekers.
(Photo: Richard J. Brown)
Program employs youths
VALERIE WHITE
work experience could be successful
at a b an k," explains Valerie. " I had
expected to be here only a short time
w hile I decided whether to pursue
graduate studies in social w ork, but
I found I really enjoy the challenges
and rewards to be fo un d in a c o r
porate environm ent." She adds that
Bancorp is a good co m p an y w ith
very supportive management " I see
many opportunities for g ro w th ."
V a le rie says one o f the biggest
challenges fo r her is b alan cing a
dem anding career w ith her fa m ily
life (she is the mother o f two young
children) and still having some lime
left for herself. "W h e n I ask myself
why I do it, the answer is that I need
and w ant the s tim u la tio n o f a
career. I take great satisfaction in
doin g a good jo b , so doing both
jobs well can be doubly rewarding."
U.S. BANCORP
BELIEVES...
T he 1984 Sum m er E m p loym ent
for Teens (S E T ) Program , expected
to employ some 650 youth this year,
was set into m otion last week. SET
w orkers must be C ity o f P o rtla n d
residents between the ages o f 14 to
19. A p p lic a tio n s fo r the program
w ill be available starting M ay 29th
at the 4 th flo o r o f T h e P o rtla n d
B u ild ing at 1120 SW 5th Avenue,
the King Neighborhood F acility at
4815 N E 8th A v e n u e , and the
Donald E. Long H om e at 1401 N E
68th Avenue. A lim ited number of
a p p lic a tio n s w ill be d is trib u te d
th ro ug h
the
jo b
p lacem en t
secretaries in the P o rtla n d P u blic
High Schools.
SET tasks w ill include landscape
im provem ent, litte r patrols, w ater
meter and hydrant maintenance and
assorted o ther civic im p ro vem en t
projects fo r the Bureaus o f Parks,
W a te r, P u b lic W o rks and the
O regon D e p a rtm e n t o f T ra n s p o r
tation. Wages for all S E T jobs w ill
be S3.35 per hour.
M ayor Frank Ivancie initiated the
S E T P ro g ram three years ago to
provide a source o f incom e, w ork
experience and jo b reference fo r
Portland youth while improving the
appearance o f the city.
N o tin g that teenagers ty p ic a lly
s u ffe r the highest rates o f u n e m
ploym ent, M ayor Ivancie called the
S E T Program “ an opportunity fo r
teens to establish some solid w ork
experience and to make a solid con
trib u tio n to th eir city at the same
tim e.”
The SET Program w ill run from
July 5th to August 31st. The phone
n u m b e r fo r m o re in fo rm a tio n on
the SET Program is 796-6829.
1/ BEGIN AT YOUR COMMUNITY COLLEGE
)
...that a company's most valuable asset is
its people. So every possible resource is
provided to help employees realize their
goals and career potential. As a result, the
bank’s growth and success are due to
employee comm itment, dedication, and
high standards. To uphold this tradition
and continue in our position of leadership,
we re looking for individuals who take
pride in excellence.
W hether you are graduating from
school or looking for a career change. U.S.
Bancorp has career opportunities in vari
ous locations statewide. Depending on the
nature of the positions, a knowledge of
typing, business machines, bookkeeping,
math or general business may be required.
For current job openings and career
opportunities, contact U.S. Bancorp Job
Hotline at 225-6401.
We accept applications for current
openings from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Mon
day through Friday.
U . 8 .
B
555 S.W. Oak, U.S. Bank Plaza
Employment Office, Second Floor
Portland, Oregon
Equal Opportunity Employer
Page 2 Section II Portland Obeerver, June 6, 1984
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