Beyond the Title: 12 Questions with Pablo Sanchez

Pablo Sanchez

First Vice President, Community Engagement, Park Bank

Pablo Sanchez is First Vice President of Community Engagement at Park Bank, bringing more than 32 years of banking experience and a lifelong commitment to building strong relationships and vibrant communities. Since beginning his career in Utah as a teller in 1994 while attending college, he has held roles across retail and commercial banking. Pablo is widely recognized for his expertise in nonprofit banking and helping organizations achieve long-term financial sustainability. A dedicated community leader, he currently serves as Board President of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce and on the boards of the UW Hospital Medical Foundation, The Rainbow Project and the Governor's Council on Financial Literacy.

01Built to Last starts with a strong foundation. What is the foundation your leadership is built on, and how do you return to it when things get shaky?

My leadership foundation is built on purpose and service. I often start and think with ‘why,’ and for me, that means remembering that leadership isn't about titles, authority, or being the smartest person in the room. It's about helping others succeed and creating an environment where people feel valued, supported, and safe enough to do their best work.

When things get shaky, and they always do, I return to that why. I ask myself, ‘Who am I serving right now?’ because when leadership becomes about protecting your ego, your reputation, or proving you're right, you lose your footing. But when it's about serving people and advancing a mission bigger than yourself, the path becomes much clearer.

02Where do you come from, and how do your roots keep you steady when leadership gets hard?

I grew up in Washington State after my family immigrated from Mexico. I'm one of ten children, and we were raised on a farm where everyone had chores and everyone worked. My parents taught us that if you wanted something, you had to work for it.

But the biggest lesson wasn't hard work. It was teamwork. If I wanted to play sports after school, my brothers would do my chores. If they needed help, I would do theirs. We learned early that success wasn't an individual effort. It was something we achieved together.

That's where my leadership style really began. Today, when things get difficult, I still go back to those lessons: work hard, stay humble, and remember that the strongest teams are the ones that support each other.

03What's a piece of advice that has stood the test of time for you, the kind you still come back to years later?

A piece of advice I come back to again and again is: be intrigued. Stay curious about people, ideas, and experiences that are different from your own. The best leaders aren't those who have all the answers. They're the ones who continue asking questions and learning. Being intrigued has helped me build relationships, understand different perspectives, and stay humble. Even today, when I walk into a room, I try to be more interested than interesting. That's a lesson that has stood the test of time for me.

04What's a book, quote, lyric, or scripture that has stayed with you and shaped how you lead or live?

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others.” 1 Peter 4:10

05What's something you've had to rebuild after it broke or fell apart, and what did that teach you about building things that last?

One of the most significant things I've had to help rebuild was the leadership structure of the Overture Center Foundation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Like many organizations, we were facing tremendous uncertainty. The traditional model we had relied on was no longer serving the moment, and we found ourselves having difficult conversations about the future. We ultimately considered moving away from a single CEO model and toward a shared leadership structure with five executives. That wasn't just an organizational chart change. It required rebuilding trust, redefining responsibilities, and helping people see a new path forward when there wasn't a clear roadmap.

What that experience taught me is that things that last are rarely built around one person. They're built around shared purpose, shared ownership, and strong relationships. When an organization depends too heavily on one leader, it becomes vulnerable. But when leadership is distributed and people feel invested in the mission, the organization becomes much more resilient.

It also taught me that rebuilding requires courage. There were moments when it would have been easier to hold on to what was familiar simply because it was familiar. But leadership sometimes means being willing to rethink old assumptions and build something better for the future.

Looking back, I learned that lasting organizations aren't the ones that avoid change. They're the ones that adapt while staying true to their mission and values. The structure may change, the strategy may change, but if the purpose remains clear and people trust one another, you can rebuild almost anything.

06What's one question every leader should ask if they want to build something that outlasts them, and why?

Who am I developing to carry this forward?

Too often, leadership becomes focused on what we can accomplish during our own tenure. But lasting leadership isn't measured by what happens while you're in the chair. It's measured by what continues after you're gone.

07Who are you actively preparing to carry this work forward, and what are you doing to set them up to succeed without you?

The people I'm preparing to carry this work forward are the people around me every day. Whether they're colleagues, community leaders, nonprofit partners, or emerging leaders in our community, I try to invest my time and attention in helping them learn, grow, and gain confidence in their own abilities.

I've come to believe that one of the most important things a leader can do is simply be available. We often think leadership development happens through formal programs or training sessions, but I've found that some of the most meaningful growth happens through conversations, coaching, answering questions, and helping someone work through a challenge.

08When leadership feels heavy, what do you turn to (music, travel, culture, faith) that restores you and keeps you feeling like yourself?

My faith and family.

09When you think about the legacy you want to leave, what do you hope still stands long after you've moved on?

When I think about the legacy I want to leave, it's not a building, a title, or a project. I hope people remember that I genuinely cared.

I hope my colleagues know that I cared about them as people, not just for the work they produced. I hope my clients felt valued, respected, and supported. And I hope my community knew that I was invested in helping make it stronger and more connected.

Over the years, I've learned that accomplishments come and go. Strategies change, organizations evolve, and eventually someone else takes your place. What lasts are the relationships you've built and the impact you've had on people along the way.

If years from now someone were to say, ‘Pablo cared. He showed up. He listened. He was willing to help,’ that would mean more to me than any title or recognition. That's the kind of legacy I hope stands long after I've moved on.

10What's a small daily habit or discipline that has compounded into something meaningful over time?

It sounds simple, but throughout my career I've tried to be intentional about checking in with colleagues, clients, community leaders, and friends. Sometimes it's a phone call, a quick conversation, a coffee meeting, or simply asking someone how they're doing and really listening to the answer.

We often underestimate the power of small, consistent investments in relationships. You don't build trust in a single meeting. You build it over time through repeated acts of showing up, listening, and being present.

11What's a moment in your life where the music playing in the background ended up meaning more than you expected, a song that showed up right when you needed it, or made an ordinary moment stick with you?

I can't think of anything.

12What's a tradition in your life or family that you hope lasts for generations?

Can't think of anything.