James Li Email & Phone Number

From starting my banking career by “pure accident” to leading a team of several senior bankers in Commercial & Industrial Lending at Penn Community Bank.My banking career couldn’t have begun at a more tumultuous time in 2007 as a new college graduate from Temple University as the economy started to take a turn. It was tough, but who would’ve thought a quick interaction with a friend on campus would start my banking career right then.A friend’s uncle was in banking and looking to hire someone with a finance background who spoke Chinese to be a Credit Analyst. While I took the opportunity, I didn’t know much about commercial lending and the economic crisis at that time made it a hard thing to navigate.It ended up being a great opportunity for me as I learned a tremendous amount during this time from seeing and working with troubled credits. Many of them eventually turned around as the economy improved and business activities picked back up again. My background as a Chinese American plays an important role in my banking career. My family first applied and interviewed with the consulate to leave China in 1993, but failed due factors like lack of documentation and my family’s financial capacity. But my parents persisted, and the Li family finally was cleared to immigrate to the United States in 1997. It was from my parents’ perseverance that I learned to value the commitment and dedication to relationships in every part of my life and job.Like many Chinese immigrants, we initially made home in Chinatown, New York City before my father gave us the choice to stay or move. We decided to move and settled in Pittsburgh. The first years in America for me, a 13 year old at the time, were difficult and I intentionally kept conversations at a minimum. With the help of friends, teachers, and my own determination, I soon developed English language and social skills.Fast forward a few years, with college on the horizon, I was unsure if I should leave or stay home and work at my family’s restaurant. Without hesitation, my parents told me that I had the opportunity to receive an education and to take advantage of it – a chance my parents, who grew up in China in the 1950s and 1960s, never had. That encouragement marks as a critical moment in my life’s journey.Today, I use the struggles I and my family faced as motivation to help customers and new immigrants overcome their challenges. In them, I sees the same drive and spark that inspire me.

Listed skills include Commercial Lending, Portfolio Management, Credit, Loans, and 10 others.