Women Taking the Lead -- PNC's Watchen Harris Bruce

What's that saying about idle hands and mischief? Well, having nothing to do is certainly something that Baltimore transplant Watchen Harris Bruce will never have to worry about. Bruce is a lady who sports multiple hats, from her position at PNC Bank as a business banker working with low to moderate income small business owners, to her work as the co-founder of the B'More Clubhouse, a non-profit that helps the mentally ill join the workforce, and role as the Governor's  liaison with the state's burgeoning African community.

It's clear that for Bruce down time has a very different meaning. And, that it is her passion to help people that keeps her going.

"Community is in my DNA," says Bruce who was born in Liberia. "My parents were community activists and missionaries.I've been involved in community for years. Wherever I go, I always try to do something to help the community."

Citizen Bruce

She came to the U.S. 30 years ago, moving first to Houston and then later to Boston, where she lived for 17 years. In Boston, she was an elected official, served as Project Manager for Affordable Housing to the city's mayor. "Everywhere I live, I get involved. It's just who I am, my personality. I get bored really easily."

Bruce moved to Baltimore about 5 years ago. "I came here to work for NeighborWorks America. I was a management consultant. I used to capitalize non-profits. Help them with working capital. It is a government agency that meant I was working with capital to maximize affordable housing, giving technical assistance as well as reviewing millions of dollars coming from the [federal government].  Coming to Baltimore I saw a lot of opportunities to do things."

During her work with Neighborworks Bruce met many Baltimoreans suffering from mental illness. "I was motivated to help because I had worked in housing. People lacked quality housing and programs to help them move forward. I believe in teaching people how to help themselves instead of letting them just sit there and wait for help," she says.

"I found a lot of people who needed help when I met them. Friends and family members who suffered from mental illness and were in hospitals or just sat at home taking medication, but no program so that they could be productive," she recalls.

Bruce being Bruce, she decided to start a workforce development program for this underserved community. The result is B'More Clubhouse, which Bruce co-founded with . Based on the Clubhouse model, an organization that helps people with mental illness become self-sufficient by giving them the skills they need to rejoin the workforce and regain their independence. B'More is the first Clubhouse in Maryland.

"We teach them to get to work on time and provide job training.in our day program, and then help them get a job," she says. "We encourage people to manage their mental illness by giving them something else to do than just take medication. We tell them to take their medication and then go to work."

The non-profit, located on E. Read Street, has 30 clients who work with personal trainers to achieve goals that each club member sets for themselves. "We document exactly what they did before they became ill. If they want to continue what they were doing we find mentors to help them do that."

The Clubhouse is staffed by both social workers as well as volunteers, including business owners, who have experience with the pressures of life. It is open to people 18 years old or older who live in Maryland.

In addition to her work with the Clubhouse, Bruce works with several women's groups. She networks and is also pursing a doctorate in Business Administration. "I've met a lot of people and have made many friends," she notes. "I'm doing things on the global scene. I focus on helping women and minority-owned business, using my skills to give back and help them understand the dynamics of business. That's really my passion to help people understand how to grow their business and micro-enterprises. That's what I'm writing my [dissertation] on."

Banker Bruce

PNC Bank recruited Bruce in 2007 and she joined the bank in January 2008 to help start the community development group when the bank entered the Baltimore market.

As a vice president for Pittsburgh-based PNC Bank, Bruce travels around the Greater Baltimore area trying to help small business owners -- defined as businesses earning as much as $10 million -- to apply for and get loans as low as $5000.

"I work with businesses in the area, non-profit or for-profit, sole proprieters, any type of business. They have to have been in business for two years and have filed two tax returns. My job is to make sure that they know [PNC] is here and lending," she says.

Businesses don't need to have AAA credit to recieve a loan. According to Bruce the bank only requires a credit score of 650 points or above to be considered for an SBA guaranteed loans and 670 for a PNC conventional loan. "These days you need at least a score of 700 points to buy a house," she notes.

Bruce doesn't just walk small business owners through the loan process, she works with local organizations, such as Baltimore's Main Streets program, to help merchants maximize their financial potential. The advice she offers helps them realize their business goals.

"My job is outreaching [to business owners] so that they understand that we are here. Education is also a large part of what I do -- how to access capital, cashflows. I give them the information, but its up to them," she explains.

Bruce's current project is to help business owners adopt a holistic approach to their business through cash flow options (CFOs). "People may think they need cash, but sometimes all they need is to collect money and manage their receivables. We talk about that and how to collect their money. Accounts payable, merchant services, automated online banking and PNC's tools to help make your business more efficient. Most of the small businesses need that because they don't know how to make a simple report. They won't be able to get money from a bank, unless they can prove that they are able to pay it back," she continues.

PNC is lending, Bruce says, because the bank didn't participate in the subprime loan business that has destablized many of the nation's larger banks.

"Part of it is a precendent set by the company long before the financial meltdown to provide loans to low to moderate income business owners. They created the position I am in two years ago. I cover much of the state. I'm very busy."

Commissioner Bruce

As a Commissioner on the Governor's Commission on African Affairs, 1 of 21 appointed by the governor to help different communities, Bruce travels around Maryland connecting with the state's African immigrants. She finds out what the communities or individuals need, want, how they can contribute to the economy and how the state can help them.

"I do a needs assessment. I'm wearing my PNC hat as well, and if I'm working with businesses I try to find out how we can help them. Then I go back to the governor and tell them what they need and how we can help them. He may refer me to one of his cabinet officers so that I can get them what they need," she says.

"Everybody lives in a community. No one lives in a tree. I want to make sure that everyone in the community lives a life of quality. I just really enjoy helping people. It's my calling and my life. It's a ministry for me," she says.


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Walaika Haskins is managing editor of Bmore Media. She has lived in Baltimore on and off for 25 years.