Honoring the past, inspiring the future: Nikki Storms on Hispanic Heritage Month.
Half Mexican, half Irish, and raised in rural Iowa, Nikki Storms understood from an early age that her family was unique. “We were the only people of color in our town,” she recalls. “From the words I used — like carne instead of meat — to the way we celebrated birthdays, with enchiladas and the entire extended family in our backyard, everything about my culture set me apart.”
Storms, who now serves as VP, senior inclusion strategy & communications leader at Commerce Bank, says that those experiences helped shape who she is today, as well as the work she does, both at Commerce and beyond:
“I believe that our differences are what make us valuable,” she says.
Storms’ maternal grandmother was the first U.S.-born citizen in a family that immigrated from Mexico to work on the railroads in Iowa. “It wasn’t easy for them by any stretch,” Storms says, “and there’s always been a feeling in me of responsibility to live up to what my ancestors did to get me here.”
The second in her mother’s family to attend college (after her oldest sister), Storms says hard work was expected. “We were taught that each generation should live better than the last, which is something I try to instill in my own kids now.”
Another value Storms carries into her work is caring for others. “If friends or family are in town, they stay at your house, not a hotel. If someone’s sick, you help care for them. If there’s a family gathering, not only does everyone eat, they take a plate home, too.”
And Storms expands that sense of community into how she shows up as a leader. “I see my team like family,” she adds. “I want everyone to feel welcome, like this is a space they deserve to be in.”
One of Storms’ areas of focus is the bank’s community outreach and communications work — efforts that are especially close to Storms’ heart. “Financial services can feel intimidating or inaccessible for many people,” she says. “Part of our job at the bank is to break it down, make it approachable, and help people feel empowered.”
Felecia Hogan, senior vice president and director of inclusion at Commerce, says that Storms’ work influences both the company’s connection with customers and its overall mindset.
“Nikki’s passion for making an impact — both within the bank and out in the communities we serve — comes through in her exceptional storytelling,” says Hogan. “She examines how varied backgrounds and experiences contribute to innovation for customers and the broader community, and she operates with a deep understanding that people are at the center of everything we do.”
“Within the bank, Nikki helped with the creation of RISE, Commerce Bank’s employee resource group (ERG) for women and allies and is always quick to support burgeoning initiatives. When a group of fellow employees presented Storms with the idea of curating a community art exhibit to celebrate the rich culture of team members and the broader community, Nikki recognized the value of their vision and championed the cause, helping the group to connect and collaborate with local cultural arts and history organizations. She’s a great example of leveraging your lived experience to help advance our organizational goals.”
Outside of the bank, Storms is a volunteer for the North Kansas City School District and sits on the Cultural Arts Center Committee and the Marketing Committee of the Mattie Rhodes Center, a nonprofit that supports the Greater Kansas City community through bilingual services including behavioral and public health, youth development, economic development, public safety, and cultural arts. “They take a whole-person approach to community wellness, and that really resonates with me,” says Storms.
This year’s Hispanic Heritage Month theme, “Collective Heritage: Honoring the past, inspiring the future,” speaks deeply to Storms’ experience. “The history of Hispanic Americans is woven into American history,” she says. “My family helped build railroads; what would our country be without that?”
Storms feels fortunate that Commerce Bank’s values align with her own. “The culture here is like nothing I’ve experienced,” she says. “We care deeply about one another and about continuous improvement. And we’re always asking, how can we do better?”
I’m excited to see how we’ll continue to serve our communities through working hard, caring for each other and appreciating each other’s differences.”
