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Dwight Prevo

Finance

Dwight Prevo(he/him)

Wells Fargo logo Vice President Commercial Banking · Wells Fargo

University of Oregon - Master of Science (MS), Public Affairs; University of Southern California - DPPD, Policy, Planning, and Development

Dwight Prevo built his career at the intersection of community, government, and business — starting in public service as an Economic Development Specialist for the City of Seattle before spending nearly two decades at Wells Fargo growing into a Vice President in Commercial Banking. He holds a Master's in Public Affairs from the University of Oregon and a doctorate from the University of Southern California, proof that investing in your education can open doors across multiple sectors. If you're interested in finance, economic development, or using a corporate career to create real community impact, Dwight's journey shows there's more than one road to get there.

Their story

Community Relations VP Well Fargo. "You Don't Need All the Answers"

14 min

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Key quotes

I always wanted a career that encompassed experience at the non profit level, at the government level and at the for profit world.

Dwight Prevo, Senior Community Relations Consultant at Wells Fargo

In New York City, I really came to understand what wealth and poverty is all about.

Dwight Prevo, Senior Community Relations Consultant at Wells Fargo

Just reach out to people who are in the position and engage them in conversation. That's what networking and relationship building is all about.

Dwight Prevo, Senior Community Relations Consultant at Wells Fargo

Critical thinking means you hear a piece of information and you take it in. But you kind of ask yourself, who's saying this and why are they saying it?

Dwight Prevo, Senior Community Relations Consultant at Wells Fargo

I pursued a professional doctorate just to prove that I had the intellectual capacity to do it. Once I started, I wanted to finish.

Dwight Prevo, Senior Community Relations Consultant at Wells Fargo

Career highlights

Your career path doesn't have to be linear — follow opportunities, even unexpected ones.

Dwight went from film production in NYC to the mailroom at Citibank to graduate school to city government before landing at Wells Fargo. Each step taught him something new.

Networking in real life — not just online — is one of the most powerful tools you have.

Dwight credits the people he met, including an economics professor and internship contacts, for opening nearly every major door in his career. He actively sends his own sons out to have those conversations.

A liberal arts or public policy degree can absolutely lead to a well-paying career in finance and community development.

Dwight studied political science and economics as an undergrad, then focused on public policy and economic development in grad school. He said the field values critical thinkers, not just technical specialists.

Pay attention to how wealth and power actually work — those observations can shape your purpose.

Working in Citibank's private banking mailroom showed Dwight firsthand how wealth concentrated among a narrow group. That experience informed his commitment to community economic development.

If you want to create real community impact, consider roles that connect corporate resources to nonprofits and underserved communities.

Dwight's role at Wells Fargo directs millions of dollars toward affordable housing, small business lending, and environmental projects in low-income communities — all from inside a Fortune 500 bank.

Critical thinking — asking who is saying something and why — is the most valuable skill college can give you.

Dwight said college's real gift isn't just the degree, it's learning to evaluate information, spot bias, and think independently.

Student summary
Dwight Prevo is a Senior Community Relations Consultant at Wells Fargo Bank in Seattle, where he manages over $4 million in philanthropic grants, supports affordable housing, funds small businesses, and drives economic development in low- and moderate-income communities. His job sits at the intersection of banking, government, and community impact — and it's a role that genuinely shapes people's lives. Dwight's path to this career was anything but straight. After college, he moved to New York City and spent three years working in film production — not because it was his dream, but because he knew someone and had a place to stay. That hustle taught him how the world really works. He even worked in the mailroom of Citibank's private wealth management floor, which opened his eyes to wealth, inequality, and the power of financial institutions. Eventually the New York winters pushed him back west, where he went to graduate school at the University of Oregon and later earned a professional doctorate in public policy from USC. Before landing at Wells Fargo, Dwight worked at the City of Seattle's Office of Economic Development and interned with a regional economic development council — experiences he says were directly connected to the people he met along the way. His career has touched nonprofits, government, and corporate finance, which was always his goal: to understand how all three sectors connect. For students of color, Dwight's story is especially relevant. He grew up at a time when the pressure to figure it all out early wasn't as intense, but he still had to navigate a world where certain doors were harder to open. His time in Citibank's mailroom — surrounded by Ivy League wealth managers from Connecticut — is a reminder of how clearly class and race show up in finance. He turned those observations into fuel. Dwight's biggest advice? Talk to people. Network in real life, not just online. Find someone doing what interests you and just have a conversation. He sends his own teenage son out to do exactly that. Whether you're interested in banking, policy, nonprofits, or community work, Dwight's story shows that a career built on relationships, curiosity, and critical thinking can take you further than any straight-line plan.