Mary Collum, Senior Vice President at National Bank of Arizona

With 20 years of banking experience under her belt, Mary Collum has etched a partnership between local business entrepreneurs and the nonprofit sector in the Valley through her work with National Bank of Arizona (NB|AZ). Alongside her responsibilities as senior vice president at NB|AZ, Collum began a mentoring alliance with women business owners. “I was one of the founders of the Women’s Financial Group several years ago,” Collum says. “It’s turned into a large network of professional women we’ve created a forum for, throughout the year, for them to get together.”

Outside of her work with NB|AZ, Collum has been actively involved in an impressive list of groups and nonprofits: Hon Kachina Council, Homeward Bound, Gabriel’s Angels, Central Phoenix Women, Arizona Foundation for Women and Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, to name a few—and Collum doesn’t see herself slowing down anytime soon. “I’m thinking of getting involved in one of the animal shelters. If I could find the time, I would love to be the puppy-holder,” jokes Collum. “But in all honesty, I really enjoy taking my skills to help nonprofits grow their business.”

Collum’s free time is equally as volunteer-driven. She recently returned from a two-week excursion in Africa on a part-educational, all-adventure trip through Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. “I call it a trip of a lifetime,” Collum says. “We visited a Maasai village outside of Nairobi and learned about the slums and microlending; went on a safari to a Rwanda memorial; and then we crossed the border into Uganda and trekked 11 hours through the jungle in the Congo to see the silver-back gorillas.”
—K.B.