Ethel O’Yang Reddy celebrates 40th anniversary with Bank of America and serving the Chinese Community

(SAN FRANCISCO) In the daytime, Ethel O’Yang Reddy is the Vice President and Financial Center Manager of the Bank of America. After she finishes all her daily banking work, she is a business owner running her beloved company as a beauty specialist. No matter if she is a banking executive or beauty consultant, Reddy never forgets her roots as a Chinese American and continuously gives back to the Chinatown community.

During the Asian American and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month in May, Bank of America honors Reddy as an outstanding banker and celebrates her contribution for serving at the bank for 40 years.

Presently Reddy is the Vice President of Bank of America and serving as the manager for the bank's Van Ness Avenue Financial Center which is one of their busiest centers in San Francisco.

For the past four decades, Reddy has worked at the Bank of America since age 16 as an entry level part-time teller working up the ladder step by step to be Vice President in charge of a financial center in downtown San Francisco.

While serving as a professional banker, Reddy has never given up her enthusiasm in the beauty industry including makeup artistry, fashion and hair designs. She founded her beauty consulting company, E The Look, at a young age while she was licensed in the California State Board of Cosmetology in June 1983. Her business still continues to operate up to this date.

Reddy's both careers have gone together very well for decades. She has never thought of giving up either one.

Reddy's success has not been by accident or luck. She earned all her honors by working very hard. She went to colleges for professional degrees. She received her M.B.A., Master and Bachelor Degrees in Business Management, Human Resources and Marketing from University of Phoenix, A.A. Degree in Fashion Design from Fashion Institute of Design.

Beyond her successful professional careers, Reddy has continuously served the Chinatown and Asian community with her talents and expertise for decades.

Reddy has worked very closely with a large number of Chinatown and Asian community organizations and leaders as a volunteer to support the community events.

"I was born in the Chinese Hospital in Chinatown and grew up in North Beach which is next to Chinatown," said Reddy in an interview with Wind Newspaper.

Even though Reddy has moved to another neighborhood in the City's northeast area, her home is still very close to Chinatown. "Chinatown has been my home since I was born," said Reddy, who speaks fluent Chinese.

When Reddy was a young child living in North Beach, she asked her parents to send her to the Chinese school established by the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. “I love to learn Chinese as a way to keep our community culture and language,” said Reddy.

Reddy began working at the Bank of America as a teller when she was a Galileo High School student at the age of 16. "I remember I lived across the street from a Bank of America branch in North Beach at the time," Reddy recalled.

"It was good for a high school student to earn some money to support myself," Reddy said she remembered at that time she met a woman branch manager who helped her to get a work permit as an intern and paid for her work at the Bank of America branch.

When Reddy reached age 18, she officially worked at the bank. "I continued my education although I was hired by Bank of America," Reddy said she knew she needed another degree to support her career. She was promoted to Assistant Manager when she was only 21 years old.

"I have a whole list of mentors in my life, including Irene Yee Riley," said Reddy with smiles. "I have followed Irene (Riley) in serving the Chinatown community for many years."

Riley, who formerly served at the Bank of America as an executive, is currently a member of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission and a longtime community leader.

According to Bank of America, Bank of America was one of the very first banks to open branches in San Francisco Chinatown. Its first Chinatown branch on Grant Avenue opened in 1928 and was staffed by all Chinese-American women bankers.

"Carrying on this tradition of successful women in finance is Ethel O’Yang Reddy, first-generation American born and raised in the City and a San Francisco Chinese community leader," Bank of America stated in honoring Reddy. "Ethel is celebrating her 40th anniversary at Bank of America. She started as a teller while still in high school at age 16, and today she leads one of San Francisco’s busiest branches in Bank of America's most important market."

"Ethel has seen it all – from walking deposits to a vault across town and calling local customers about checks, to major technology advancements – as she held a variety of positions, including Vice President of the U.S. Asia Banking Center," Bank of America added. "Today, she’s a Vice President at the Van Ness financial center overseeing all activities and employees."

Bank of America operates a total of three financial centers in San Francisco Chinatown, 701 Grant Avenue, 944 and 1455 Stockton Street, and one in Oakland Chinatown.

Bank of America is the longest running corporate sponsor of San Francisco’s Chinese New Year Parade since 1960, a total of 64 years. Reddy has been a bridge between the Asian community and Bank of America.

"It is not part of my duty at Bank of America. I am happy to help out our community to connect with the bank, like the San Francisco Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Asian Inc., Community Youth Center, and many more," said Reddy.

As a beauty expert, Reddy has volunteered for the Miss Asian Global (MAG) Pageant in San Francisco for decades to provide advice on make up, hair design and fashion shows.

Since 2012, Reddy has served as President and board member of the Asian American Foundation that runs the Miss Asian Global Pageant and empowers young women to be successful in their lives. Reddy also has worked with almost all Asian pageant events in the city including Miss Chinatown USA, Miss Chinatown Teen, and Japanese Queen Program.

"I worked in the beauty industry every chance I got after work. People always ask me how I have time to do so many things, and my answer is always that beauty is my passion, and it drives me to see so many smiles on my clients and contestants after their makeup and hair are ready to meet the night head on or to compete to take that crown!” Reddy stated when she looked back at her past 40 years in serving the community that complimented her life.