Answering the Bell

W. Frazier Bell has been named vice president and retail sales manager of BankNewport, where he will be responsible for business development, goal setting, sales and training for the bank’s 15 branches. Bell joins the bank from Festival Ballet Providence, where he was the organization’s development director. He holds a B.S. in biology from Hampden-Sydney College, an MT in secondary science education from the University of Virginia and an MBA in marketing from the University of Connecticut.

How did teaching help you develop leadership skills?

As a teacher, I learned that you have to demonstrate the actions required for the desired outcome and work alongside your team to make it happen. I also found that making work fun is much more motivational than trying to be a drill instructor.

Could you tell me more about Stocks in the Future?

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Stocks in the Future is an educational nonprofit based in Baltimore. The mission is to enhance school performance by teaching financial life skills to middle school students needing motivation. It’s really an extraordinary program. The three-year curriculum, which is taught in grades 6-8, was designed with assistance from the Johns Hopkins University School of Education. Students learn everything from investing to starting a business and they are also rewarded for achievements in their core academic classes. Students earn a certain amount of Stocks in the Future Dollars for good grades in English and Math and for achieving perfect attendance. They can then use these dollars to purchase real shares of stock, which they receive upon graduation from high school.

Are there any organizations or causes that you currently volunteer at?

I am on the board of the University of Virginia Club of Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts. … I also volunteer at the Cranston Senior Center and have served as a reading tutor at Primrose Hill Elementary School in Barrington. •

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