Community involvement is a priority for Burke & Herbert Bank

Burke & Herbert, the oldest bank in Virginia still owned
and managed by descendants of the founder, is more like a family than a global
financial institution.

One of the hallmarks of B&H is community service, and
that’s why the bank readily agreed to be a
sponsor of the Taste of Annandale, a community festival June 13 with food, live
music, and fun all day on Tom Davis Drive.

B&H is also active in the Annandale Chamber of Commerce
and takes part in chamber events, like the annual Annandale Parade and Festival
in October, hosts a reception following the annual tree lighting
ceremony in Tollhouse Park, and fields a team in the Annandale Bed Race.

Other community involvement activities supported by B&H
include financial literacy education at Falls Church High School, volunteering
with the fun fair at Braddock Elementary School, and awarding college scholarships to needy
students.

You can usually spot the B&H team members at community events
by their fake mustaches, reflecting the style of John Woolfolk Burke, who
founded the bank with partner Arthur Herbert in 1852, and continued by the
current chairman and chief executive officer E. Hunt Burke. The mustache is a symbol
of “old-fashioned values and personal service,” says Jane Petty Lichter, branch
marketing and community relations manager.

The Burke family was related to Founding Father George
Mason, and “it’s because of those local ties that we feel so strongly about
being active in the community,” says Lichter. “That’s the key to the bank’s
success.”

B&H has 25 branches in Northern Virginia and because
it’s a local institution, it has developed close relationships with its
customers, Lichter says. “We’re known for personal service.”

B&H offers a host of services not found in large
financial institutions, such as free checking, no minimum balance, no monthly
service fees, no ATM fees, and no fees for using ATMs at other banks
nationwide.Kids can open a savings account with just $10, and for every
$25 they deposit, they’re entered into a drawing for a prize. And every year,
the bank hands out calendars with photographs submitted by
customers

La Vita Weaver, assistant manager of the Annandale branch,
has worked for several large banks, but prefers the personal touch offered by a
small community bank. “We can get to know our customers and connect with their
families,” she says. “Consistent community investment – that’s what’s important
for us.”