Meet Serina Green ‘08 M‘11, a distinguished honoree of the 2023 Pittsburgh Magazine 40 under 40 list, which features leaders committed to making a difference in the community through their professional and volunteer work.
College life wasn’t always easy for Serina. She worked multiple jobs at times in order to support herself. After graduating with her bachelor’s in elementary education, Serina decided the best thing to do was go back to RMU to obtain her master’s in educational/instructional technology. That’s when she found her real passion. Serina says her experience at RMU helped tremendously for getting her foot in the door in the financial world.
In 2013, Serina started working at Signature Financial Planning in an entry level position. Two years later, the firm hired their first female partner who quickly became a mentor for Serina. During this time, she learned how to get out into the community and started working with non-profits in order to give back.
We asked Serina what advice she would give to other women entering a male dominated field and she expressed the importance of finding a female mentor, whether it’s at the job you’re in/going into or outside of work. She also mentioned how important it is to be confident saying; “Men walk into a room all the time and they say things with such conviction, and whether it's right or wrong, people believe them.”
Serina has recently assumed the role of the first female president at Signature Financial Planning, a position she shares while also serving as the firm's Chief Operating Officer. In Serina’s role now as the COO she’s in charge of creating leadership programs and essentially training people on how to become great supervisors. She expressed that the education program at RMU has helped tremendously in creating these programs and lesson plans.
Serina is widely recognized for her dedication to empowering women. She has been an active board member of Sojourners House since 2019, where she contributes to supporting mothers and children in the Pittsburgh area, helping them break the cycle of addiction and poverty. Additionally, Serina serves as a Strong Leader for Strong Women Strong Girls, where she mentors young women in college, further demonstrating her commitment to elevating women's voices. With mentorship being so important to her, she found this organization to be a great fit. She expressed wishing she had a mentor at a young age and throughout college and loves that she's able to be that for young women now. When asked about how to start volunteering she says; “Start small with something that means a lot to you because you want to enjoy your time and it’s okay to try things out and not like them and move onto a different organization.”
With her pivot from education to finance, Serina said it’s okay not to know exactly what you want to do in college and to change your major. The skills you learn in one area can be applied in so many different industries, its important to have a workplace filled with different skills. She said its important to use the skills you do have to your advantage.
