Contact: Sameera Jordan
Media Relations Manager
Sameera.Jordan@BankWithUnited.com

How Allison Scott quietly brings joy, connection, and appreciation to employees – and the Huntington community – all year long

Allison Scott is the architect and operator of United Bank’s Employee Appreciation program.

The holidays are the most wonderful time of year – a season defined by small surprises, thoughtful gestures, and the people who quietly work behind the scenes to make others feel seen and celebrated. For many companies, this time of year is a chance to pause, look back, and thank the people who made it all possible.

But for United Bank, showing appreciation for employees isn’t limited to a single season. While many organizations recognize National Employee Appreciation Day in March, United extends that spirit year-round, hosting quarterly celebrations and holiday-themed activations to keep employees engaged and connected.

The reasoning? At United Bank, employee engagement and workplace culture aren’t just buzzwords. The Bank has received national recognition for fostering a culture where employees can grow and thrive – and central to this effort is its approach to team member celebrations.

But who makes that magic happen?

While some might assume there is an entire team dedicated to the Bank’s internal celebration network, many would be surprised to learn it’s largely a one-woman show.

“I joke that it’s like the Wizard of Oz and I’m the man behind the curtain,” said Allison Scott, United Bank’s Internal Communications Specialist, Sr. “Except here the Wizard is real!”

In simple terms, Allison Scott is the architect and operator of United’s Employee Appreciation (EA) program. Each celebration is meticulously brainstormed, planned, and executed by her hand – from the themes and visuals to the games, communications, and employee gifts that bring each event to life. The intranet page that houses it all is one she designs, and the winner prizes are sourced, purchased, and shipped by Allison too. In addition, she trains each market’s employee appreciation coordinator to ensure events run smoothly across the footprint (and she is grateful for all their support and hard work year-round!).

While she serves as the creative force and coordinator behind EA, the program reflects a broader, shared commitment across United Bank to recognizing and supporting employees. As the person running the games and contests, Allison doesn’t get to participate, but still, she says the work is very fulfilling.

As the year ends and the celebrations wind down, Allison allows herself a brief moment of celebration before jumping into planning for the next year’s festivities. “I was cheer captain, so I’m very familiar with cheering on others from the sidelines,” she laughs.

Allison says she was born with the instinct to celebrate others. Growing up in the Huntington, W.V., area, she dreamed of becoming the “Martha Stewart” of her hometown. From a young age, she and her mom shared a love of holiday cards and décor, often spending hours at the mall studying the elaborate gift-wrapping displays at Macy’s, asking for the same tools so she could recreate them at home.

It was perhaps these experiences in her youth that eventually led her to Hallmark in Huntington Mall. As a self-described “art school dropout” from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Allison accepted a sales associate role at Hallmark while considering her next move – an opportunity she still calls a “dream come true.” Even after returning to school to earn a degree in advertising with minors in graphic design and history from Marshall University, she never left Hallmark. This year marked her 25th anniversary with the retailer.

Allison with her coworkers at Pam’s Hallmark Shoppe at Huntington Mall.

With experience spanning retail, design, and print newspaper advertising, Allison eventually sought a role on United Bank’s Marketing team. When no openings were available, she joined the Bank in a retail sales role at its Huntington branch – a move that proved pivotal.

Allison quickly found her stride in banking. Within her first year, she advanced through several sales and service roles, catching the attention of the commercial banking team. Just months later, she accepted a position as a lending assistant, serving the Huntington Market President.

Around that same time, United Bank established its Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) action committee and asked Market Presidents to recommend employees to serve as coordinators. Allison, already deeply involved in volunteer and donation efforts across the market, was a natural fit.

In late November 2019, her CRA work turned critical. Recovery Point of West Virginia, one of United’s premier partners, reached out with a last-minute request. Their Huntington Men’s Facility hosts an annual Christmas event where residents receive donated toys to give to their children – but that year, the donations fell through just weeks before the holiday.

With less than five weeks until Christmas, Allison and United Bank’s Huntington Market team quickly mobilized, scrambling to secure toys for nearly 150 children.

In just two weeks, Allison created and distributed flyers, social media posts, and employee communications, while also reaching out to Bank partners for donations. The response exceeded all expectations.

“Checks were rolling in for thousands of dollars,” Allison recalled. “Every day it felt like there was another check waiting for us in the mail.”

By the end of the drive, the team raised more than $13,000. “We were laughing hysterically in disbelief,” she recounts.

The team had to rent a U-Haul truck to transport the mountain of toys they purchased with the money. Allison, who is still a part-time senior sales associate at Hallmark, used her connections to help coordinate complimentary gift-wrapping services, allowing fathers at Recovery Point to personally wrap the gifts they selected for their children.

Allison says her CRA work feeds her soul. “Helping and being thoughtful of other people – that’s my bread and butter.” To her, it never truly feels like work. “It feels unreal half of the time. They pay me to help other people!”

But the new work opportunities didn’t stop there for Allison. After five years on the commercial lending team, she finally received the news she was waiting for: there was an opening on United’s Marketing team. It was a product and services marketing specialist position, the perfect opportunity for her background in advertising, design, and the past few years working in sales at the Bank. She pulled her portfolio together and, within a week of interviewing, was offered the job.

While her responsibilities initially focused on products and services, Allison says she gravitated towards projects centered on internal communications – including Employee Appreciation, seasonal initiatives, and the employee newsletter. So, when United announced plans to introduce a more formalized Communications function in 2022, Allison pitched herself for a spot on the new team.

“I realized the projects I enjoyed most were those focused on internal and employee communications,” she said. Ultimately, she was offered her current position of Internal Communications Specialist, Sr.

When asked why employee appreciation resonates so strongly with United’s team members, Allison says it comes down to one simple idea: belonging.

“Any time you can bring people together, it matters,” she said. “Whether it’s a sweet treat, a pizza party, or just getting everyone in the spirit with things like a Halloween costume contest – those moments make you feel like you’re part of something, and that matters.”

For Allison, celebration is an act of service – a way to make others feel valued. “Everyone at the Bank is a big deal,” she said. “The Communications team couldn’t do what we do without every single person here doing what they do. A ‘thank you’ can go a long way – even something as small as a cupcake can make someone’s whole day.”

Beyond her internal communications role, Allison also represents United Bank externally. She is integral to the Bank’s sponsorship of Marshall University athletics, coordinating tailgates and hosting customers, partners, and community members at each home game. She also serves on the board of United Way of the River Cities and on planning committees for the Marshall Health Foundation’s St. Mary’s Gala and the Museum Ball at the Huntington Museum of Art. Alongside her husband, Jimmy, she supports youth programs and community events – handling communications and décor while he DJs.

Thirteen years into her career at United Bank, and despite the extra commitments and behind-the-scenes work, Allison doesn’t view her efforts as a burden.

“I’ve just always been a big-hearted person,” she said. “I don’t like suffering of any sort – people or animals,” a distinction made clear earlier this year when she helped draw local media attention to a raccoon stranded on a building ledge across from her office.

“If I can help, I want to help.”

Allison, her husband Jimmy, and their rescue dog, Teddy.