Meet Kimberly K. Consiglio: RMA's new central regional executive

RMA Journal, The, Sept, 2003

Kim Consiglio was introduced to RMA eight years ago when, as a credit analyst for Comerica Bank, she was required to enter RMA's paper writing contest. The paper she coauthored, "FASB: Another Bank Regulator or Just a Costly Annoyance," won the competition in Michigan and then went on to take first place in the national competition.

She received congratulatory notes from the bank's president and other officers, and RMA awarded her a complimentary registration at the 1995 Annual Conference in Phoenix.

"The conference really opened my eyes to what RMA was on a national level," says Kim, who was not yet an RMA Associate. "I could see that RMA was a first-class organization." She joined the Southeast Michigan Chapter in 1996 after returning from a long-term assignment for Comerica in California. She was asked to join the chapter board where she volunteered as membership co-chair.

In 1997 Kim helped organize a chapter panel presentation about mergers and acquisitions, using contacts from the banking industry and from a previous employer, Coopers & Lybrand. That work resulted in an offer for Kim to work for Woodward Capital Advisors, an investment banking firm that one of the panelists formed in 1998.

In her new job, Kim was concerned that she could no longer participate in the chapter as an RMA Associate, but fellow chapter members encouraged her to continue as a professional member. She became vice president of the chapter in 1998-99 and started its Young Professionals Group. The next year she became chapter president.

Her banking industry network provided excellent referral sources to Kim's new company and also gave her the opportunity to keep up with the industry through RMA events and publications.

For lifestyle reasons, Kim decided to return to banking in 2001 and her RMA contacts made that transition an easy one. "I can't stress enough the importance of developing a network of contacts," says Kim. That has been her message to the young professionals in her chapter. "A lot of chapter programs revolve around networking, so it's important for young professionals to get comfortable doing that. By being actively involved in the chapter, they also develop leadership and communication skills."

Kim brings her extensive chapter experience to her new role as RMA Regional Executive. "As somebody who has spent seven years volunteering at my chapter, I understand the challenges chapter leaders face as they balance their job commitments with their volunteer work," says Kim. "I'm familiar also with some of the chapter challenges such as implementing leadership succession, hosting successful educational events, and finding interesting program topics."

Kim is ready to share her skills with other chapters in the Central Region, saying, "I'm very excited to visit the other chapters, meet their leaders, and find ways to help them accomplish their goals."

Before joining the RMA staff, Kim had been an assistant vice president with ABN AMRO North America in Troy, Michigan, where she worked in the bank's loan syndication business.

"Kim was an ideal choice for regional executive," says Ralph Hibbs, RMNs director of Chapters. "Her experience combines banking, business development and strong chapter involvement. We're sure her enthusiasm for the industry and for RMA will make her a valuable asset to RMA's Central Region."

At the time she joined the RMA staff, Kim was the vice president and treasurer for the Southeast Michigan Chapter. She is the secretary of the Walsh College Alumni Association Board and also a member of the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants, and a member of the Troy Chamber of Commerce Women's Business Forum.

Kim is a graduate of Walsh College of Accountancy & Business Administration where she earned a bachelor's degree in accounting and a master's degree in finance. She and her husband, Tom, have three children, Craig, Jackie, and Angelo. Kim began her new position on July 31. She is based in Sterling Heights, Michigan.