Bucks County Leadership: Jeane M. Vidoni, President & CEO of Penn Community Bank

Jeane Vidoni's Bucks County Leadership Profile first appeared on BUCKSCO.Today in December 2021

Jeane Vidoni, the CEO of Penn Community Bank, spoke with BUCKSCO Today about being born in Cleveland and growing up in Allentown; being inspired by the compassion and tolerance her father displayed as her mother suffered from an untreated mental illness; getting her license and a job on her 16th birthday, and working full-time at an advertising agency while going to college part-time.

Vidoni also discussed what she is currently focused on and Penn Community Bank’s priorities; the different branding phrases that her staff uses to describe the bank and its mission; and two great pieces of advice that she’ll never forget.

Where were you born and where did you grow up, Jeane?

While I was born in Cleveland, Ohio, but I grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania. I don’t have many memories of Cleveland, but I do have many from my childhood in the Lehigh Valley. I was the youngest of three children and the only girl. My brothers were six and nine years older, so in many ways, I often felt like an only child.

What did your parents do?

My father grew up on coal mining property in Wheeling, West Virginia, and served in the Navy during World War II. He went to West Virginia University on the G.I. Bill when he returned and became an electrical engineer. When I was five years old, he moved the family to Allentown to work at Rodale Manufacturing in Emmaus. He became a plant manager and had a distinguished career. In the late 70s, he even traveled to China to visit factories and bring processes and strategy back to Pennsylvania.

My mom suffered from untreated mental illness and was barely functioning when I was growing up. At the time there were not a lot of services nor much understanding of mental health. So, my dad played the role of both parents, doing what he could, and always in the most loving way. Sometimes I see my unconventional upbringing as a gift because I learned early on how to navigate difficult circumstances.

What lessons did you take from that experience?

Many – if not most – people grow up with some dysfunction in their environment, myself included. But as a result, I learned how to read the room and how to keep things calm. Those are skills of perception and control.

From my father, I learned ideals of compassion,?resilience, acceptance, and inspiration to never give up. Perhaps the greatest lesson I learned is to hold my own and not get thrown easily – and that has been a real gift from a leadership perspective.

What memories do you have of growing up in Allentown?

My best girlfriend Laurie and I used to take the bus to Hess’s Department Store and hang out! Hess’s was popular, and that was our Saturday activity.

I was an energetic maverick even back in high school. Laurie and I would interview rock bands for our school newspaper, Parkland High School Student Paper. I wish I would have saved those papers; maybe one of my fellow 1978 graduates has a copy or two they could share with me!

The Allentown Fairgrounds would bring well-known acts and we were there for the action. Just think – we performed celebrity interviews at the age of fourteen and fifteen. And we didn’t stop at just one or two interviews. We called the local radio station – where they were interviewing lesser-known bands and asked if we could do interviews for them. It became our thing. My father would drive us to and from the interviews and shows.

That gumption of dreaming up the idea – and then having the grit to figure out how to execute on it – that’s what I’m talking about. We had a cassette and a tape recorder, and we fancied ourselves two serious journalists! The gumption, the grit, the confidence – all swirled together. Honestly, I kick myself for not saving those interviews. And by the way, Laurie and I are still great friends!

What types of bands did you interview?

Some big names! The two I remember best are KISS and Blue Oyster Cult. Can you believe it?!

Where does your gumption come from?

Part nature and part nurture. I suppose I got a great deal of it from my father. I also discovered and developed my own brand of independence. Sometimes challenge and adversity bring out persistence and determination. When coupled with compassion, these qualities can create stunningly giving and creative people.

In my own life, many people stepped in and provided mentoring and nurturing along the way. I am forever grateful for my personal community of supporters who served as role models in a loving way. Now, in my role as President and CEO, I believe it’s my responsibility – my calling even – to pay it forward and help instill the same gumption in the next generation of leaders.

Did you play any sports in high school?

No, I was not an athlete – I was more of a socialite. Even back then I enjoyed interacting with people, was gregarious, and always mature. I got my driver’s license on my 16th birthday and found a job right away.?

Now, my first job only lasted a month because I didn’t know how to make an ice-cream cone without it falling over. My second job was at Bamberger’s, now Macy’s, selling handbags and hosiery. I was promoted to a part-time management position very quickly, and I think that’s because they noticed and encouraged my innate skills.

Did you go to college?

I initially went to college for one year full-time at Lehigh Valley Community College. It was the only place I could get into – though I was accepted at Penn State marginally. I was smart and did well in school as a young child, but later I was more focused on socializing and being a teenager. Plus, I was getting promoted at my job and I wanted to stick with that.

The first year of college I had a 3.8 GPA and then I got a job at an advertising agency called Lieberman Appalucci. They paid for half my tuition and all my books, and I soon transferred to Muhlenberg College. I worked full-time and went to class part-time at night and at lunchtime. It took me only one extra year to get my undergraduate degree. Then I went on to earn my master’s degree from St. Joseph’s part-time while working in banking and raising my twin sons.

What is it about learning that excites you?

I am curious and a lifelong learner. On any given day I am somewhere in the middle of 10 or 12 books. I connect the dots from different books and apply them to life. Generally, my preference is nonfiction, and I am particularly interested in brain science. I have been meditating every day for about four years. I am fascinated by how our thoughts translate into emotions and actions every day.

After you finished your undergraduate degree who were the people who saw promise in you and opened doors?

Read Jeane Vidoni's full Bucks County Leadership Profile on BUCKSCO.Today.