Month: March 2023

PNC | Insights

Each year, the nation takes the month of February to reflect on the endless contributions and achievements of African Americans. PNC also celebrates Black History Month, but its support for Black communities, organizations and individuals extends far beyond the month.

“Diversity, equity and inclusion is part of the fabric of PNC,” says Richard Bynum, chief corporate responsibility officer. “It has long been at the heart of how we run our business and has guided our efforts around economic empowerment.”

PNC’s relationships with national and neighborhood organizations represent just one example of how the bank supports the preservation of Black history, while also providing invaluable education and hope for brighter futures.

A few of the premiere PNC-supported community treasures shared their stories of how they are working to keep Black history and culture accessible to all.

Atlanta, National Center for Civil and Human Rights

PNC’s relationship with the National Center for Civil and Human Rights (NCCHR) traces back to 2013 when the bank’s Tax Credit Solutions team allocated $11 million in New Markets Tax Credits to help finance the Center’s construction.

Over the years, PNC has supported the museum and human rights educational institution by sponsoring programs that create dynamic and empathy-building experiences that also teach about history’s connection to the present.

Atlanta, a city steeped in civil rights history and the birthplace of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., is home to the center, which connects the U.S. civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s to global human rights movements for people of color, women, immigrants, those with disabilities, LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized communities.

“We are excited to welcome visitors to celebrate and reflect on this history of bravery and resistance,” says Jill Savitt, NCCHR president and CEO. “Black History Month is an ideal time to look back at the lives and examples of iconic and unsung activists for strength and insight as we confront persistent modern oppression.”

More recent Black history and heritage programming has included a timeline activity for children and families and a mural creation of the late civil rights legend and longtime congressman Rep. John Lewis (D-Georgia). Musical and dance performances and a conversation with civil rights activist Ambassador Andrew Young also have been a part of events celebrating Black history and heritage at the center. Young, also a former Atlanta mayor, served as a leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and marched with MLK during the 1950s and 1960s.

“We are grateful to the PNC Foundation for providing support and resources to enrich our programs to inspire folks on all different levels and walks of life to engage in thoughtful conversations about race, equity and justice,” Savitt says.

Chicago, DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center

PNC and the DuSable Museum of African American History, the oldest independent African American history museum in the nation, have maintained a relationship that spotlights the richness of Black history and culture.

One of the museum’s key tenets is to treat every month as Black History Month, encouraging an unlimited curiosity that pushes the significance of Black history year-round.

Over the years PNC has supported celebrations of Black history and heritage through educational programs and exhibits.

DuSable Museum President and CEO Perri Irmer believes education can help with the lack of empathy that is sometimes still displayed regarding the historical impact on Black lives.

“It’s important to understand that Black history is not only American history, but world history,” Irmer says. “Black lives and Black experiences are integral to understanding the world we live in today and deserve to be more than a footnote in history. The work we do here corrects centuries of misinformation and minimization. We are expanding on incomplete curriculums and reclaiming the narrative to make our history more accurate and more accessible.”

To provide that education, the DuSable Museum offers tours, webcasts, learning opportunities and performances to ensure important stories are still being told.

PNC has helped enrich thought-provoking, socially relevant experiences for visitors of all ages, through more than $500,000 in philanthropic contributions to the museum as well as through advocacy, including support for “The March” a virtual remake of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 1963 March on Washington for jobs and freedom.

“The history of Black lives and the history of the world are inseparable,” Irmer says. “You can’t unweave the cloth. You can’t tell one story without the other.”

Cleveland, Karamu House

For almost 106 years, Karamu House has supported the local community by activating its mission to produce professional theater, provide arts education and present community programs for all people while honoring the African American experience.

America’s oldest-producing Black theater, which was originally founded as a settlement house, is a community institution serving as a common ground for people of different racial, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds.

PNC continues to show support for Karamu House and has sponsored theatre series, arts education programs and annual fundraising events that help Karamu further its mission in the community.

Tony F. Sias, president and CEO of Karamu House, also believes the African American experience is often misunderstood or left out of history entirely.

He says the PNC relationship gives Karamu the ability to serve more individuals in the community and to reach larger audiences for greater impact.

“When we understand who has been left out of the conversation and the consequences of their exclusion, we can draw a straight line toward solutions to include them moving forward. Thus, the preservation of true history advances racial equity for all,” Sias says.

Greater Washington, National Museum of African American History and Culture

In 2019, PNC donated $1 million to the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), a Smithsonian Institution museum that explores American history through the lens of the African American experience. The donation is designed to cover operational costs over five years, but for PNC, the partnership is much more meaningful.

“Given the relatively short life of the museum, its presence and reach are setting a new standard for meeting the deep demand to reconcile American history with the realities that have faced the American people,” says Bynum, who also serves on the corporate council for the museum.

NMAAHC’s Talking about Race initiative, a portal dedicated to providing tools and guidance to inspire conversations about race, gives parents, educators and others a foundation to learn, reflect and move forward.

The museum also has been documenting the marches and rallies that have shaped the country’s discourse around racial justice, leading courageous conversations through virtual summits and placing historic election years in the greater context of the struggle for voting rights and political representation.

Creating a better future through education

Bynum believes the museums and community institutions that PNC supports provide a lens to evaluate issues that will shape or inform the future – a future that has long been a focus for PNC employees, the communities it serves and shareholders.

“Whatever your background, whatever your ethnicity, this is an American story about people who have persevered through trials and hardships and whose story has become, in many cases, the culture of America,” says Bynum.

Read More
Black History & Heritage
Learn how PNC celebrates historical Black achievements and culture.

Common Impact is proud to highlight some of the outstanding nonprofit leaders we collaborate with and the ways they’re driving social change and equity through their organizations’ work.

Today we hear from Anna Verdiyan Chief Operating Officer (COO) at America Needs You (ANY) an organization that “fights for economic mobility for ambitious, first-generation college students by providing transformative mentorship and intensive career development.” 

Learn more about ANY’s  student programs and volunteer opportunities.

“This is the time to reevaluate and expand philanthropic approaches to provide more strategic investments for nonprofit organizations.”

You’ve served as Chief Operating Officer at America Needs You since 2018, prior to that you served in director-level and manager roles. Tell us a little about your path to leadership and the key points in your career that shaped your leadership style.

Looking back, almost 20 years ago, after completing my second graduate degree as an international student in the United States, my first management role was to oversee a state-wide Medicaid enrollment program for a national economic intermediary. Since then, every new leadership role I have taken on has been in areas I had no previous knowledge of. By gaining new skills and deeper knowledge of the company and the industry with each new role, I also gained a broad perspective of my challenges and opportunities as a growing professional and built new competencies. 

There was not a “eureka” moment when I suddenly knew I wanted to be a COO of a national nonprofit organization one day. I did not plan a clear path toward each of my promotions throughout my career. But I intentionally looked for role models to shape my ambitions and boost my confidence. I think, from an early age, I learned to have high personal standards. I remained open to new possibilities, and wanted to take new risks. These principles have guided me through a satisfying career that has continued to keep me passionate about what I am doing, even at the most challenging times.

How is America Needs You fighting for economic mobility for ambitious, first-generation college students? What victories has your organization achieved despite these challenging times? 

The mission of America Needs You (ANY) is to fight for economic mobility for ambitious, first-generation college students – a long-term goal focused on continuous growth and opportunity throughout our students’ lives. Our work is foundational, providing students with the hands-on career development training to succeed in the workplace, paired with support and opportunities for “on-the-job” learning. We firmly believe that while talent is evenly distributed, opportunity is not. We work to build strategic partnerships that allow our students to access life-changing opportunities that will enable them to achieve economic mobility. Our programs address a “network gap” and a skills gap for first-generation college students. 

ANY’s flagship Fellows Program, launched in 2010, currently serves nearly 500 students across four geographic regions: New York City, Central and Northern New Jersey, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Our intensive, two-year model leverages four key components to ensure student success: (1) intensive career development curriculum (24 half day in-person workshops), (2) one-on-one mentorship, (3) career–trajectory internships and networking opportunities and (4) holistic case management support. 

You recently participated in a Common Impact skills-based volunteering project with Fitch Ratings. Tell us about the challenge you were collaborating on and the outcome. 

The Covid-19 had pandemic limited ANY’s ability to conduct in-person programming. Looking to a new business model, ANY designed a new e-learning career development program, FirstGenU – a high-production, virtual, self-paced career development program designed to help 10,000 first-generation students prepare for and navigate their career search. 

The challenge in this new pilot program was to develop an earned revenue strategy while assessing market opportunities and identifying potential college and corporate partners. This project required agile and accelerated innovation. Throughout the entire development, design, and modeling phase, we had to think of how we can empower first-generation college students in new and more accessible ways in a constantly emerging higher education landscape. We embraced change and kept up with the new demands of the project which created so much value for our organization. 

What advice would you offer to someone interested in using their professional skills to support a nonprofit?

Volunteering with organizations like ANY to mentor first-generation college students, serving on local and national boards, offering time for employee engagement, as well as participating in pro-bono consulting projects are one of the few ways to make an impact. 

What actions can corporate professionals, leaders, or philanthropists take to support and amplify the work of nonprofit organizations, especially during periods of economic uncertainty? 

Our project with Common Impact and Fitch Ratings is a prime example of this support. ANY believes that diversity drives innovation and excellence, and when we invest in diverse, first-generation college talent, we all win. Recent studies have highlighted employers’ struggles with an underprepared workforce. Executives are concerned with a lack of competence in the soft skills needed for today’s team environments, with 45% citing this as the top deficiency among employees. Only 11% of company leaders strongly agree that graduates have adequate preparation for workplace success. This is the time to reevaluate and expand philanthropic approaches to provide more strategic investments for nonprofit organizations.  

About Common Impact 

Common Impact is a national nonprofit that works to build a society in which individuals and businesses invest their unique talents towards a shared purpose: strengthening the local communities in which we live and work. Founded in 2000, Common Impact has partnered with Fortune 500 companies and hundreds of the country’s leading nonprofit organizations to create transformational change through skills-based volunteering. Learn more about Common Impact’s services, impact, and clients.

Supporting the company’s ambition to be a leader in sustainability, Southwire has signed letters of commitment for the Copper Mark, affirming its commitment to the responsible production of copper and beginning the assurance process for four manufacturing sites in 2023: Denton, Texas; Bremen, Ind.; Lafayette, Ind.; and the new Copper Rod Plant in Carrollton, Ga.

The Copper Mark is an assurance framework that promotes the responsible production of copper. The organization demonstrates the copper industry’s contribution to sustainable development and provides a comprehensive social and environmental assurance program for copper production.

“Certifying to the Copper Mark criteria for responsible production at our sites supports Southwire’s core tenets of Growing Green, Living Well, Giving Back, Doing Right and Building Worth,” said Charlie Murrah, executive vice president and chief supply chain officer. “We believe operating sustainably provides the best outcome for our team members, customers, vendors and shareholders. We are excited to be among the first fabricators to certify to this standard across our copper manufacturing facilities”.

Through the letter of commitment for each site, Southwire commits to fully meet all applicable Copper Mark standards within 24 months of signing the letter, demonstrate conformance with the Copper Mark standards through participation in the Copper Mark assurance process, nominate and provide support and resources to a point of contact who will coordinate with the Copper Mark and share information with the Copper Mark and the public as stipulated in the assurance process.

“We’re proud to work with partners like Southwire to advance the responsible production of copper,” said Michèle Brülhart, Copper Mark’s executive director. “Southwire’s new Copper Rod Plant will be the largest of its kind in the world and will help to move the needle in setting a new industry standard for responsibly manufactured copper products.”

To learn more about Southwire’s commitment to sustainability, visit www.southwire.com/sustainability. For more Southwire news, visit www.southwire.com/newsroom.

CAMDEN, N.J., and WASHINGTON, March 1, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Subaru of America, Inc., and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the Science family of journals, today announced the 2023 winners of the AAAS/Subaru Prize for Excellence in Science Books. The awards, which celebrate outstanding science writing and illustration for children and young adults, honor four titles ranging in subject from dinosaurs to digestion.

The prize-winning books for 2023 are:

“Fox: A Circle of Life Story by Isabel Thomas and illustrated by Daniel Egnéus”“It Takes Guts: How Your Body Turns Food Into Fuel (and Poop) by Dr. Jennifer Gardy”“Funky Fungi: 30 Activities for Exploring Molds, Mushrooms, Lichens, and More by Alisha Gabriel and Sue Heavenrich”“The Last Days of the Dinosaurs: An Asteroid, Extinction, and the Beginning of Our World by Riley Black”

Since 2005, Subaru of America and AAAS have partnered together to encourage the writing and publishing of even more high-quality science books for young readers – and to foster their interest in and appreciation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics and inspire the next generation of scientists. With today’s announcement, the AAAS/Subaru Prize for Excellence in Science Books has now honored 72 books and more than 100 authors and illustrators.

“AAAS is proud to partner with Subaru to recognize the prize-winning books for sharing science with young readers in an accurate and approachable way and helping to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,” said Sudip S. Parikh, Ph.D., AAAS chief executive officer and executive publisher of the Science family of journals.

Awards are given in four categories: Children’s Science Picture Book, Middle Grades Science Book, Hands-on Science Book and Young Adult Science Book. Judging panels composed of librarians, educators, scientists and literacy experts evaluate each submission according to detailed criteria that include age-appropriateness, scientific accuracy and clarity, and the depiction of people of a broad range of backgrounds engaging with science.

Winning authors and illustrators each receive $1,500 and a commemorative plaque and will be recognized at the 2023 AAAS Annual Meeting, held March 2-5 in Washington, D.C. Several winners will speak at the SciMic Stage and make appearances at the Subaru Loves Learning lounge in the exhibit hall.

“Subaru Loves Learning is all about giving students the tools to reach their full potential, and books are powerful tools of inspiration that not only inform, but help expand a child’s world,” said Thomas J. Doll, President and CEO, Subaru of America, Inc. “These prize-winning books were selected to empower an appreciation of STEM, unlocking a new generation of innovators.”

Learn more about each winning book, author and illustrator below: 
 

Children’s Science Picture Book

Fox: A Circle of Life Story, by Isabel Thomas. Illustrated by Daniel Egnéus. Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2021.

In the frost-covered forest of early spring, fox is on a mission to find food for her three cubs. As they grow, she teaches them how to survive in the wild. Until one day, fox dies. Her body goes back to earth and grass and air, nourishing the world around her and bringing the forest to life. Death is not just an end, it’s also a beginning.

With gorgeous illustrations and lyrical, kid-friendly text, Fox: A Circle of Life Story answers the big scientific question: What happens when animals die?

Isabel Thomas studied human sciences at the University of Oxford. She is a science writer and children’s author who has been shortlisted for the Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize, the ASE Book of the Year, and the Blue Peter Book Awards. She is also a primary school governor and STEM ambassador. Her previous books include Moth: An Evolution Story, which was also illustrated by Daniel Egnéus. She lives in the UK. 

Daniel Egnéus collaborated with Neil Gaiman on an illustrated edition of American Gods and also illustrated Moth: An Evolution Story, The Raven Child and the Snow Witch, and The Thing. He is a well-regarded fashion artist, too, regularly illustrating for the likes of Chanel, H&M, Nike, and many more. He was born in Sweden and now makes his home in Greece. 
 

Middle Grades Science Book

It Takes Guts: How Your Body Turns Food Into Fuel (and Poop), by Dr. Jennifer Gardy. Illustrated by Belle Wuthrich. Greystone Kids, 2021.

Everybody eats, and everybody poops. Pretty ordinary stuff, right? But what happens in between is far from ordinary! That’s where your digestive system—also known as your gut—works its magic. It Takes Guts is an excellent, science-based resource for classroom learning and home-schooling for kids aged 9 to 13, with information about:

The surprising role that food and digestion play in your mood and immune system.The amazing tools your body uses to break down food including acids, which do their thing without burning a hole in your stomach!The incredible truth that not all bacteria are bad! Billions of “helpful bacteria” belong in your gut.

Dr. Jennifer Gardy is a scientist who has worked at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control and is now part of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Malaria team. She appears frequently on television programs such as CBC’s The Nature of Things and the Discovery Channel’s Daily Planet. She lives in Chicago. 
 

Hands-on Science Book

Funky Fungi: 30 Activities for Exploring Molds, Mushrooms, Lichens, and More, by Alisha Gabriel and Sue Heavenrich. Chicago Review Press, 2022.

They live in the coldest corner of Antarctica and on hot, sandy desert dunes. They’re in the air you breathe and the food you eat. But fungi are more than pizza toppings.

They form partnerships with plants and help us clean up our planet through bioremediation. Some fungi eat our crops; others protect them. Some fungi cause diseases; others cure them. Some are bigger than you; others are so tiny you need a microscope to see them. And now, people are finding ways to use fungi to make furniture, building materials, and even sneakers. So, grab your gear and let’s go find some Funky Fungi.

Alisha Gabriel is an elementary music teacher by day, and somehow finds the time to write fiction and nonfiction for children. She loves visiting schools and libraries to connect with her readers.

Sue Heavenrich writes about science and environmental issues and is passionate about insects. She began writing about our backyard science explorations for Home Education Magazine. Sue has followed ants in the Arizona desert, tagged bumblebees in the Rocky Mountains, and tallied insects on Cocos Island, Costa Rica. 
 

Young Adult Science Book

The Last Days of the Dinosaurs: An Asteroid, Extinction, and the Beginning of Our World, by Riley Black. St. Martin’s Press, 2022.

In The Last Days of the Dinosaurs, Riley Black walks readers through what happened in the days, the years, the centuries, and the million years after the impact, tracking the sweeping disruptions that overtook this one spot, and imagining what might have been happening elsewhere on the globe. Life’s losses were sharp and deeply-felt, but the hope carried by the beings that survived sets the stage for the world as we know it now.

Picture yourself in the Cretaceous period. It’s a sunny afternoon in the Hell Creek of ancient Montana 66 million years ago. A Triceratops horridus ambles along the edge of the forest. In a matter of hours, everything here will be wiped away. Lush verdure will be replaced with fire. Tyrannosaurus rex will be toppled from their throne, along with every other species of non-avian dinosaur no matter their size, diet, or disposition. They just don’t know it yet.

The cause of this disaster was identified decades ago. An asteroid some seven miles across slammed into the Earth, leaving a geologic wound over 50 miles in diameter. In the terrible mass extinction that followed, more than half of known species vanished seemingly overnight. But this worst single day in the history of life on Earth was as critical for us as it was for the dinosaurs, as it allowed for evolutionary opportunities that were closed for the previous 100 million years.

Riley Black has been heralded as “one of our premier gifted young science writers” and is the critically-acclaimed author of Skeleton Keys, My Beloved Brontosaurus, Written in Stone, and When Dinosaurs Ruled. An online columnist for Scientific American, Riley has become a widely-recognized expert on paleontology and has appeared on programs such as Science Friday, HuffingtonPost Live, and All Things Considered. Riley has also written on nerdy pop culture.

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About Subaru of America, Inc. 

Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile manufacturing plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company’s vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA and the SOA Foundation have donated more than $270 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged nearly 78,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do.

For additional information visit media.subaru.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About American Association for the Advancement of Science

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science, as well as Science Translational Medicine; Science Signaling; a digital, open-access journal, Science Advances; Science Immunology; and Science Robotics. AAAS was founded in 1848 and includes more than 250 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. The nonprofit AAAS is open to all and fulfills its mission to “advance science and serve society” through initiatives in science policy, international programs, science education, public engagement, and more. For additional information about AAAS, visit www.aaas.org.

Media Contacts: 

Diane Anton 
Manager, Corporate Communications 
Subaru of America, Inc. 
danton@subaru.com 
(856) 488-5093

Andrea Korte 
Digital Manager, AAAS 
media@aaas.org 
(202) 326-6440

Since 1898, International Paper transforms renewable resources into products people depend on every day, from planet-friendly packaging and recycling to absorbent pulp. Our dependence on natural resources has helped cultivate our admiration for environmental stewardship. Today, our commitment to sustainability is much broader — it encompasses planet, people and our company’s performance. It is a source of pride for our employees and it’s woven into how we work every day.

As we celebrate our 125th anniversary, we have a renewed sense of purpose, energy and optimism. To express those changes, we have updated our company brand to highlight the resilience of International Paper, the sustainability of our mission and our commitment to creating what’s next.

Our new brand identity is rooted in our legacy of ethics, stewardship and safety – three drivers that have made the company what it is today – and denotes the company’s renewed emphasis on employee engagement and customer commitments.

We will continue to lead the world in responsible forest stewardship to ensure healthy and productive forest ecosystems for generations to come. We will deliver sustainable solutions for our customers from planet-friendly packaging to pulp for absorbent products by transforming renewable resources into products people depend on every day. And we will continue to be a leader in the recycling and reuse of paper, helping to reduce waste and build a better future for our planet.

From our sourcing practices to our manufacturing operations,  we’re building a better future for people and the planet. We’re International Paper. Join us in creating what’s next.

About International Paper

International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a global producer of planet-friendly packaging, pulp and other fiber-based products, and one of North America’s largest recyclers. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., we employ approximately 39,000 colleagues globally who are committed to creating what’s next. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa and Europe. Net sales for 2022 were $21.2 billion. Additional information can be found by visiting InternationalPaper.com.

Down a long, dirt backroad in this tiny Georgia town, the beginnings of millions of acres’ worth of forests are budding in a Rayonier seed orchard.

The tiny pine cones forming in these carefully-bred trees—so tiny, they’re called “conelets”—will grow into the forests that provide wood products for future generations 20 years from now. Rayonier’s Forest Productivity & Sustainability team is determined to ensure they’ll be the best trees this company has ever seen.

Morning after morning, Genetic Resources Manager David Barker stops at this seed orchard on his way to the office, climbing into a mechanical lift to take a peek at the conelets. He is watching for signs that the conelets, which are the female “flower” part of the tree, are nearly ready to peel back their leafy outsides, called bracts. Known to researchers as “stage 5,” it will be the precious, short window of time when the conelets are receptive to pollination before the bracts close again.

Acting Fast in the Seed Orchard

When they’re nearly ready, Seed Production Manager Austin Smith snaps into action, working with a dedicated team of contractors to place a paper bag over each flower cluster. At this tender size, the conelet is very fragile and must be handled with care, so each bag is fitted with a wire that keeps the sides of the bag from injuring the flower. With the bags in place, the random pollen that comes with the wind, which could come from disease-prone or less robust trees, won’t be able to interfere with the conelets’ potential.

Austin and his helpers work from sunrise to sundown, using mechanical lifts to reach into the treetops and access the flowers. Tens of thousands of clusters are covered with bags that look similar to a paper lunch sack.

Introducing Pollen From Superior Trees

The research team will check the flowers again in the days to come until they’re open. Then they will use air guns to dust pollen from superior trees into each of the bags. (Rayonier also harvests the male part of the tree, called the catkin, to collect pollen in liter-sized jugs, drying it into a powdery substance and storing it in freezers for future years). The pollen comes from trees that Rayonier has chosen for disease resistance, straightness, volume growth, height and diameter.

“It’s really incredible to be able to actually make this happen when we’ve spent so much time on paper planning to make it happen,” Austin said during a rare break at Millwood recently. He likes to compare the process to horse breeding: the best of the best trees are selected, the result of years of genetic research.

Once the conelets’ scales close up, they are no longer receptive to pollen and the bags will be removed. The conelets will grow to full-size pine cones over the next 18 months. Then the cones will be harvested and sent to a seed extracting company. The resulting millions of seeds will then be shipped to our seedling nursery in Elberta, Alabama, for planting. After growing in the nursery for about a year, the baby pine trees will be planted in forests throughout our ownership across the United States.

Decades of Research

For over 50 years, our research team has nurtured seed orchards of pines that, unlike plantation pines, are intentionally spaced wide apart to allow their branches to spread, producing as many cones as possible. While the seeds that come from the Millwood Orchard will be sent into our forests, we also use the controlled pollination process on a much smaller scale for research as we continue to improve the parents of our future generations of trees.

Just a few weeks before the mass bagging operation in Millwood, Tree Improvement Forester Serenia O’Berry bagged and pollinated conelets in Rayonier’s Ohoopee Seed Orchard in Reidsville, GA, on a small cluster of trees. Each had to be specially tagged and marked to ensure researchers would know which male and female parents were used. Seeds from those cones will be harvested, planted and grown and monitored closely. In about five to six years, testing on the trees that grow from those seeds can determine whether they are ideal parents. It sounds like a long time to wait for results, but by forestry standards, it’s not. Researchers in previous generations had to wait as much as 15 years before testing their genetic breeding.

Serenia says selective breeding, something that has been done in the agricultural world for centuries, speeds up what nature would have done on its own over a much longer period of time. And, by managing the parents of our trees, Rayonier is able to make more uniform, consistently-growing stands of trees, which is ideal in forestry.

Despite the long hours during pollination season and countless trips up and down into the treetops to monitor the flowers, the research team looks forward to this process all year.

“I love getting to do the research, I love getting to be in a lift and I really love to be able to contribute to that next generation of trees,” Serenia says. “This is hands-down my favorite part of my job.”

The U.S. Department of Labor’s new rule, Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights, “levels the playing field so fiduciaries can consider all financially relevant factors in making investment decisions,” Ceres said in a statement today.

The response from Ceres follows the backdrop of a pending lawsuit in Texas that a coalition of 25 states filed days before the rule went into effect on January 30. The lawsuit aims to halt the rule as part of broad political efforts taking place nationwide to diminish investors’ ability to consider climate change and other sustainability factors in their decision-making.

“The rule was prepared after careful consideration of the extensive and overwhelmingly supportive submissions. Despite efforts from special interests to cast the new rule as political, it merely restores the government’s neutral stance, requiring fiduciaries to use their best professional judgment to make investment decisions,” said Steven M. Rothstein, managing director of the Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets at Ceres.

Passage of a new House resolution would roll the law back to the problematic rulings from the prior administration, which cast doubt on the financial relevance of climate and other sustainability factors when making investment decisions. “This will significantly increase expense and legal risk for retirement plans and require managers to ignore significant financial risks,” added Rothstein.

There are 140 million-plus participants in 401(k) and other ERISA plans worth nearly $11 trillion. At its core, the DOL rule reinforces the fiduciary responsibilities of prudence in evaluating risks and loyalty to people who entrust those fiduciaries with their money.

“Climate-related disasters are becoming increasingly frequent. With this new rule in play, there is more opportunity to give Americans the options to invest in funds aligned with their values and safeguard their retirement savings from climate risks,” said Rothstein.

About Ceres 

Ceres is a nonprofit organization working with the most influential capital market leaders to solve the world’s greatest sustainability challenges. The Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets is a center of excellence within Ceres that aims to transform the practices and policies that govern capital markets to reduce the worst financial impacts of the climate crisis. It spurs action on climate change as a systemic financial risk—driving the large-scale behavior and systems change needed to achieve a net zero emissions economy through key financial actors including investors, banks, and insurers. The Ceres Accelerator also works with corporate boards of directors on improving governance of climate change and other sustainability issues. For more information, visit: ceres.org and ceres.org/accelerator and follow: @CeresNews.

Media Contact: Becca Johnson

RESTON, Va., March 1, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Leidos (NYSE: LDOS) today announced the appointment of Thomas Bell as Chief Executive Officer, expected to be effective May 3, 2023.

Bell, current President – Defense Rolls-Royce plc; Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce North America, Inc., will succeed current Chairman and CEO, Roger Krone, who has served in the role since 2014.

Krone will retire as Chairman at the time of the Leidos 2023 annual meeting of stockholders, and CEO when Bell’s appointment becomes effective. The Board expects to appoint Robert S. Shapard independent, non-executive chair after the 2023 annual meeting of stockholders and will also nominate Mr. Bell to the Board.

To facilitate a seamless leadership transition, Krone will continue as a fully employed advisor through July of this year.

Bell was selected by the company’s Board of Directors following a thorough and thoughtful process to select a successor.

“Tom’s exceptional track record in harnessing the power of technology to drive growth and innovation, with his strong leadership skills and focus on understanding the needs of the customer, has resulted in a consistent record of success and value creation in both products and services,” said Bob Shapard, lead director of the company’s board. “His deep understanding of many of our customers will facilitate a smooth transition.”

Prior to his current role, Bell was senior vice president of global sales & marketing for defense, space & security at The Boeing Company. Before joining Boeing in 2015, he was President of Rolls-Royce Defense Aerospace, having joined as President, Customer Business, North America in mid-2012. Previously he spent more than two decades with Boeing in a variety of leadership positions within the defense, space and security business and began his aerospace career with Lockheed Martin in human space flight.

“Roger Krone’s impact on Leidos and its customers will be felt for years to come. Under his leadership, Leidos has achieved tremendous growth, evolved its business strategy, and made a positive difference in the lives of countless people around the world. Now, Leidos is not only a market leader but, just as importantly, a place where employees feel a deep sense of mission and community,” said Shapard. “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I extend our deepest gratitude to Roger for his nearly nine years of dedicated service. He has left an indelible mark on our company and our culture, and we are a better organization because of his leadership. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors, and we look forward to continuing to build on the foundation that he has laid for Leidos’ future success.”

“Working with the extraordinary people of Leidos has been the honor of my career,” said Krone. “Their dedication, innovation, and unwavering commitment to our mission have been the driving force behind our success. I want to thank them for the privilege of serving as their leader for nearly nine years, and for inspiring me with their passion, their brilliance, and their unwavering commitment to excellence. It has been a privilege to be a part of this remarkable team, and I am confident that the future of Leidos is in the best possible hands with all of them.”

About Leidos 
Leidos is a Fortune 500® technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world’s toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, civil, and health markets. The company’s 45,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $14.4 billion for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2022. For more information, visit www.leidos.com.