Kara Speights Dunston is a Vice President in the Marketing Department at Chevy Chase Bank. In her current position, she serves as the Product Manager for the Electronic Banking products and channels particularly, debit cards and ATMs. She is responsible for all aspects of marketing, customer communications and operations for these products and channels.

Kara joined Chevy Chase Bank in December 1999. Prior to joining the Bank, Mrs. Dunston was a Marketing Manager at American Express Travel Related Services at the company’s New York headquarters. She was responsible for driving the marketing strategy for American Express’ largest clients in the Lodging, Airline and Car Rental Industries. While working with American Express, Kara was instrumental in recruiting minorities into numerous mid and senior level executive positions within the organization. She also led American Express’ campus recruitment activities at Spelman College, Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University and Howard University.

Mrs. Dunston has always been involved in the community and believes that “those who are given much are responsible for giving back even more.” As a college student at the University of Maryland at College Park, she participated in Inroads, an organization whose mission is to develop and place talented minority youth in business and industry and prepare them for corporate and community leadership. As an Inroads intern, she learned the value of community service. Kara is the first to acknowledge that she has had the benefit of being lifted up by wonderful mentors and others in her community. It is her intent to continue to contribute to the development of those who come along after her.

Kara received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Math with a minor in Physics (1992) from the University of Maryland, College Park. She received her Master of Business Administration Degree in Marketing (1996) from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia. Additionally, she has earned a Real Estate license in the State of Maryland.
Kara is an active member of Bethel AME Church in Baltimore, Maryland. It was at Bethel that she met a longtime member who would later become her husband, Andre Dunston. They currently reside in Columbia, Maryland.