When Lauren Murray talks about her work with Bank of America, her focus isn’t just on balance sheets or branch strategies; it’s on community. As Market President for the Spokane, Coeur d’Alene, and Boise region, she leads eight lines of business and manages Merrill Lynch operations across three states. She is also clearly energized when discussing how Bank of America invests in each community it serves, especially students.
“I think one of the things I love about stepping into this role,” Murray explains, “is being the boots on the ground in the communities that we serve.” That community-first perspective is what drew Bank of America into a growing partnership with Greater Spokane Incorporated (GSI) and the IN Schools initiative, a program that connects business leaders with K–12 educators to strengthen the local workforce pipeline.
A Partnership Rooted in Local Needs
GSI launched INSchools to enhance understanding and strengthen the link between classrooms and careers. The initiative encourages businesses to understand and
support the education system’s long-term needs, from workforce development to student engagement, while ensuring schools have access to local expertise and resources.
When Bank of America learned about INSchools, the connection seemed almost inevitable. “It really was such a phenomenal fit for us,” Murray says. “By investing in K–12 readiness today, Bank of America is directly cultivating the talent pipeline Spokane businesses will rely on a decade from now.”
Bank of America, GSI, and other INSchools supporters work together to identify local school needs, align business resources with classroom goals, and cultivate a culture of mutual learning between educators and the private sector. Murray describes this as a mix of strategy and philanthropy. “If you don’t have a strong K–12 system and a solid education backbone,” she emphasizes, “the future economic vitality just isn’t there.”
The Ripple Effect of Education Investment
Murray lives with her husband and two young children in Liberty Lake and often considers what Spokane’s educational future means for families like hers. “Having a three-year-old, he’s just a couple of years away from entering the school system,” she says. “Having a strong public school system is huge for his future development.”
That personal connection motivates her professional mission to ensure the region’s economy is supported by a solid educational network. Bank of America doesn’t just write checks, Murray notes with pride. The local team contributed more than 7.000 volunteer hours in 2025, a significant portion of which benefits young people, particularly in the areas of financial literacy, school readiness, and safety net services.
Learning Between Sectors
Murray also acknowledges that collaboration isn’t a one-way street. When asked what businesses can learn from the K–12 system, she pauses thoughtfully. “They have to be thinking so long-term as they develop someone for many years,” she says. “And they serve such diverse groups of students. Businesses can learn from that, too, about how to support diverse employees within their own walls.”
That mutual understanding is what makes initiatives like IN Schools so powerful. These partnerships enable the private sector to share technology trends, workforce projections, and real-world insights with schools, helping educators prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow. In return, businesses gain perspective on the human and community dimensions of economic growth.
Building a Thriving Spokane
For Murray, education and economic development are two sides of the same coin. “If we don’t have growth in education but we do in business, then we’ll face future problems with the workforce,” she explains. “We also have better workers when schools are stronger, too.”
That philosophy resonates throughout the company’s broader strategy. Bank of America supports not only K–12 programs but also community colleges and universities, investing in both access and advancement. “We focus really on workforce training and development, on upskilling, and on thinking about economic mobility,” she says. “It really starts in the classroom.”
Through GSI and INSchools, these priorities come alive at the local level. When bank employees bring their expertise and volunteer to teach students about budgeting or
careers in the financial services sector, they’re not just offering financial tips; they’re acting as a force-multiplier, further illuminating career pathways, financial independence
and the transformative power of economic stability. Murray recalls the “lightbulb moments” she observes when young people connect financial lessons to their own futures: “I had no idea what bankers did, and certainly no one ever taught me what a mortgage was,” she laughs. “Knowing we’re giving kids that exposure and financial understanding early, is just so fun.”
A Vision for the Future
Looking ahead, Murray sees education and business collaboration as the foundation of Spokane’s increasing attractiveness to new families and employers alike. She’s already experiencing this firsthand: “I just had someone join my leadership team who moved over from Seattle,” she says. “Her priority was being in a community that had a really good K–12 system.”
This kind of demand highlights the importance of maintaining partnerships like IN Schools, not just for today’s classrooms but for the region’s long-term vitality. “At the end of the day,” Murray reflects, “investing in education is a broader economic strategy and what excites me most is connecting the dots between education, workforce development, and long-term regional competitiveness,” Murray says. “Our role isn’t just
to participate. It’s to help shape the systems that prepare the next generation of talent.”