PCSB Bank’s Michelle A. Nicholas Receives Prestigious Awards

PCSB Bank’s focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) has been recognized through four major awards presented during the past three months to Michelle A. Nicholas, Senior Vice President, Chief Diversity Officer and Director of Community Development.

As the first hire of its kind in Westchester County’s banking community, Ms. Nicholas’ engagement signaled the importance that PCSB has accorded to advancing a positive DE&I culture and community involvement as fundamental principles of its growth in serving its local communities. In her role at PCSB, Ms. Nicholas is responsible for shaping the Bank’s DE&I strategy as well as engaging external audiences on areas of community development throughout its lower Hudson Valley footprint.

In the November/December issue of the 914 INC. magazine, Ms. Nicholas was named as one of 24 Women in Business in Westchester County and she was accorded the prestige of being featured on the magazine’s cover. Ms. Nicholas is also being awarded with the IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access) Champion Award by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Mid-Hudson Valley Chapter for her work in advancing best practices in diversity, and her ability to bridge communities and create opportunities for all voices to be heard.

This commitment and the creation of several new initiatives to impact culture, spearheaded by Ms. Nicholas to spotlight DE&I in PCSB’s operations, has also led to her being named to City & State’s Westchester Power 100 list. In addition to Michelle A. Nicholas, the City & State’s Westchester Power 100 list highlighted prominent leaders in various sectors, including government officials, business executives, health care leaders, nonprofit heads, advocates and activists. The 2022 Power List includes IBM’s CEO Arvind Krishna, PepsiCo’s CEO Ramon Laguarta, Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah and state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.

Ms. Nicholas was also selected for Westfair Communications’ (Fairfield & Westchester Business Journals) 2022 C-Suite Awards honoring leadership and outstanding organizations.

“We congratulate Michelle on this exciting array of well-deserved awards,” said Joseph D. Roberto, Chairman, President & CEO, PCSB Bank. “These recognitions reflect the profound impact of the DE&I initiatives that she enabled our bank to create and launch, substantially broadening opportunities for those in our communities.”

Ms. Nicholas commented, “I am grateful to be selected for these honors—and particularly to have the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives in many ways. The work being done is always intentional. From creating employee-first spaces and promoting DE&I institution-wide, to advancing homeownership, to supporting local nonprofits through the PCSB Community Foundation, it is always meaningful to work with an organization that prioritizes these values and puts them into action. I’m proud to elevate this mission.”

Upon joining PCSB Bank in 2021, Ms. Nicholas brought extensive senior-level experience in the corporate, nonprofit and government sectors, including serving as Executive Director of Girls Inc. of Westchester County and Vice President, Development and External Affairs at Family Services of Westchester. She is chair of the Racial Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee of Nonprofit Westchester, co-chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee at United Way of Westchester and Putnam and the Economic Development Committee at Westchester County’s African American Advisory Board.

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About PCSB Bank

PCSB Bank (www.pcsb.com), a New York-chartered stock commercial bank, has served the banking needs of its customers in the Lower Hudson Valley of New York State since 1871. It operates from its executive offices/headquarters and 14 branch offices located throughout Dutchess, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester counties in New York.