Rose Angela Gronda

There’s something special about the care and love we have for our hometowns. It’s no different for Rose Angela Gronda, Relationship Manager with First Merchants Bank, who has worked to build up her hometown of Wyandotte, Mich., and the surrounding area for nearly 20 years.

Wyandotte is a small town on the outskirts of Detroit, nestled along the Detroit River. Rose Angela describes it as “beautiful” and praised its vibrant downtown and welcoming residents.

“It’s just an active, friendly place, and people are always trying to make sure that it stays this way,” she said about the town. “It’s got that down-home feel.”

That passion for where she was raised is what led her to a career with First Merchants.

“I’d worked in banking before but decided to try something different for a while – but in 2003 a position opened up what was then a Monroe Bank & Trust location in Wyandotte, and I went for it,” Rose Angela shared. “I just always liked being in an area where I knew everybody.”

When First Merchants Bank acquired Monroe Bank & Trust, it also acquired Rose Angela and her love for her community.

Rose Angela serves Wyandotte Public Schools Scholarship Foundation Board, helping young people from the area access the funds they needed to go to college, and on the board for the Downriver YMCA. She’s also worked on fundraisers to benefit the Guidance Center, which provides mental health to the area, and its program to help children who have been abused.

“I guess you could say I have a passion for kids,” she said. “I love kids. I took being a mom pretty seriously – and I’m a grandma now. I feel very strongly that we need to support children so that they can have what they need to be successful and to be caring adults – and, hopefully, when they’re grown, they’ll also be community-oriented.”

However, most of her community involvement comes through the Rotary Club in nearby Trenton, Mich.

“I’ve been a Rotarian almost as long as I’ve been a lender,” Rose Angela said with a laugh. “When I got into lending one of the very first conversations I had with my boss was about getting involved in the community. I joined the Rotary soon after.”

There, she works on organizing and executing fundraisers, ringing bells for the Salvation Army, stocking the food pantries, discussing ways to uplift local communities, and helping those in her community who need it.

“If I join something, I don’t like to just sit by and watch, I like to be a part of it,” she said.

While Rose Angela eventually moved to a community just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Wyandotte, she hasn’t let that stop her from working to better the town and the surrounding area.

“It’s a special place to me: It’s where my mom grew up, it’s where I grew up, and it’s where I raised my daughters,” she said.

And she encourages others to find their passion.

“Find an organization or event that speaks to that,” she said. “There will always be a group for that – and if there’s not, found one. And while everyone has busy lives, there’s always some time that you can offer to others in order to give back. I encourage you to find that time – whether it’s a little or a lot – to give back however you can.”