Power of Change honoree makes local impact through community partnerships

By Jessica Barboza, OSCPA content specialist  

Four years ago, after a decade-long career in affordable housing, Carrie Morgan stepped into her role as community development relationship manager at Huntington National Bank. 

Coming into a space that she was not comfortable in and really owning it, she said, was one of the best career decisions she made. 

“Before, I was working in non-profit and government, and now, being on the corporate side, I’m able to see the impact of what we do in a different lens,” Morgan said.  

Now working in community development, she said the crux of her job is to help organizations with funding and help connect them with resources, an opportunity that has taught her a lot about the importance of partnerships and community.  

Working at a national bank, she said that she now has more resources at her disposal. “That's why working with those smaller organizations to help them, not just from a funding standpoint, but capacity too, and really being a convener and saying, ‘Hey, if you're looking for this, I know this person over here,’ and really connecting those resources and organizations matters,” she said. 

One of the greatest partnerships that Huntington has in the Toledo area is the Toledo Metro Parks, she said.  

“It really just started off with a phone call,” she said. “And it's morphed over the last three years into something that has just bigger than anything I could have anticipated.” 

Now, not only does Huntington help fund the Metro Parks every year, but they also have a community center, are building pickleball courts on the Toledo riverfront and are hosting colleague appreciation events with the Toledo Metro Parks, she said. 

Morgan’s community involvement stretches beyond her role at Huntington. Outside of work, she finds opportunities, like OSCPA’s CPA Camp, to teach high school students about financial literacy.  

“I find that when I'm in these schools and I'm talking to these kids, I find a way to connect with them because I'm not their teacher. I'm somebody from the community that they can look at and say, ‘Wow, how can I do what she does when I grow up?’" she said. 

Morgan finds it rewarding to see young people become genuinely engaged, whether it’s a student reaching out afterward to express appreciation or discovering later that the lessons truly resonated. 

"I always love seeing when the light bulb finally goes off,” she said. “That's always really cool.” 

To young women starting out in their careers today and women that are changing industries, Morgan emphasizes the importance of doing something that you really enjoy doing. 

“Nothing is worse than waking up every morning and going to a job that you absolutely hate—that's no way to live,” she said. “I think it’s key to build upon what you love instead of loving what you do.” 

Register to join us as we recognize Carrie Morgan, along with 12 other 2025 Power of Change Honorees, at OSCPA’s annual Power of Change Luncheon on Tuesday, Nov. 18 in Columbus!