Meet Amber: Making connections in business

Meet Amber Saloka: She’s been with Chesapeake Bank for three years. She started as the Branch Manager of Lightfoot and is now a Business Development officer for the entire Williamsburg region. Her banking and management experience extends well beyond those branches.

Her favorite quote is by Steve Jobs “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” That may be in part because she gets to do that for herself.

She says it’s hard to pick what she loves most about her job. While each day always includes meeting with customers, the duties themselves, are different. Sometimes it is around establishing a savings account for a church, helping a business buy their first building, or serving with a non-profit on an event that benefits the community.

Another aspect that she loves is making connections with people, agencies, and resources. She believes that trusted partners are vital for any business, whether it’s to assist in banking, legal, accounting, web development, or something else. Partnerships help the company with their vision by generating new ideas or providing resources to meet a goal.

She is also an ambassador for the Greater Williamsburg Chamber and Tourism Alliance. When she reaches out to new members, she often asks them what connections or people would it benefit them to meet through this relationship. Then she looks for ways to make those introductions. It is the same for her in business and all of her other interactions.

“My goal is to do what’s best for the customer by exploring their needs and planning success for the future. It’s important for customers to know that a small community bank like Chesapeake Bank can do everything a large bank can do.  We can work with other lines of business such as Cash Flow, Chesapeake Payment Systems, and Chesapeake Wealth Management to assist in any current or future needs,” says Amber.

Her customers love banking with her for that reason. She adds “Typically our customer chooses a community bank like Chesapeake Bank because they appreciate our dedication to the personalized interaction they receive in regards to their business. We create a true partnership with you and continue that partnership for the long term.”

When we asked Amber what her own money concerns were, she replied “Saving money to send my daughter to college!  She is only 15 months old, but it’s something that I think about often.”

That reply likely resonates with most of us  — and for business owners, our ‘business’ is very much like our baby. Not only do we need to invest in it and save for it, but we also need to nurture it. Amber can help you do just that. When we don’t know what the next move is, she can help make the connection.