Pittsfield— At Greylock Federal Credit Union, “cultural accessibility” isn’t just an on-trend catchphrase, it’s an actionable idea integral to Greylock’s values of care, educate, and inspire, and that’s exactly what Jeff Lowenstein at Greylock’s Community Empowerment Center hopes to accomplish with “Spanish for Bankers.”
“When you better understand your members, you’re better able to serve them. ‘Spanish for Bankers’ gives our employees fundamental basics for simple interactions while also taking a deeper dive into Hispanic and Latin cultures,” said Lowenstein. “It’s been really successful.”
Greylock originally developed the class in partnership with BRIDGE, with a model focused on building practical language skills for everyday interactions while also deepening students’ cultural knowledge and skills for navigating cross-cultural interactions. More recently, Greylock has built on the original model and now includes hybrid options, ongoing education for graduates, and a larger spotlight on linguistic and cultural perspectives from native speakers among its staff.
The 16-week course is taught during business hours to allow for maximum convenience and flexibility, beginning with eight weeks focused on vocabulary and punctuation, followed by eight weeks of cultural perspectives shared by native speakers and real-world scenario practice.
“We’ve worked hard to empower our native speakers to be key participants,” said Lowenstein. “They speak about working with folks from their country or culture. For example, understanding cultural attitudes toward gender among Colombian folks across different generations and how that’s changing. We’ve had conversations about how Puerto Rican folks prefer to engage with banking services. All kinds of different employees from all kinds of cultures have been able to share their knowledge.”
Early in 2026, Greylock will offer its fifth cohort of “Spanish for Bankers,” a free class offered to all Greylock employees who wish to gain and improve Spanish language skills. “As Greylock continues to see an increase in Spanish-speaking members, and as our outreach and engagement with immigrant communities continues to grow, we’ve seen a true need to bring enhanced language access to Greylock,” said Rachel Mabee, Vice President, Culture and Brand.
“I spoke very minimal Spanish,” said Branch Specialist Antonio Cimini, who was in the last cohort. “The class strengthened my relationships with our Spanish-speaking members. I have one member who will always wait for me to handle his transactions. Sometimes I see him out in the community, and we’ll say hello to each other. That connection has been the greatest benefit.”
This initiative is part of Greylock’s ongoing commitment and service to Hispanic and immigrant communities. Four Greylock branches hold the national designation Juntos Avanzamos, meaning “Together We Advance.” The designation is bestowed on credit unions who serve and empower Hispanic and immigrant consumers, helping them navigate the U.S. financial system while providing safe, affordable, and relevant services. Greylock’s four Juntos Avanzamos-designated branches include West and Kellogg streets in Pittsfield, Lee, and Greenport-Hudson, N.Y. For more information about Greylock’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) initiatives, visit https://www.greylock.org/go-greylock/our-inclusive-credit-union/diversity-equity-and-inclusion.html
