Month: April 2023

Cummins

Accelera™ by Cummins, a business segment of Cummins Inc., will supply a 90-megawatt (MW) proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer system for Varennes Carbon Recycling’s (VCR) plant in Quebec, Canada – a key step in advancing North America’s green hydrogen economy. 

Varennes is a consortium between Shell, Suncor and Proman, with the support of the Canadian and Quebec governments. The biorefinery will be powered by the exclusive waste-to-methanol technology platform developed by Enerkem.

This electrolyzer system will be comprised of four HyLYZER®-5000s—Accelera’s largest electrolyzer product. Each HyLYZER-5000 utilizes 25MW of electricity and can produce up to 10 tons of hydrogen per day. This first-of-its-kind installation will provide the capacity needed to generate clean, renewable hydrogen and oxygen for VCR’s conversion of waste material to low-carbon-intensity fuels and circular chemicals. The facility is under construction and scheduled to be operational in 2025.

An electrolyzer splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen can be stored as a compressed gas or liquid and used as an energy-dense, clean power source to help decarbonize a variety of hard-to-abate sectors. The VCR plant will use both the renewable hydrogen and oxygen to recycle carbon and hydrogen from waste materials. 

Cummins launched its zero-emissions technology brand Accelera on March 8, with a broad portfolio of market-leading renewable hydrogen solutions that have been part of many of the world’s hydrogen “firsts.”

They include powering the world’s largest PEM electrolyzer in operation at 20MW in Bécancour, Canada; the world’s first megawatt-scale demonstration plant for storing wind energy in the natural gas grid in Windgas Falkenhagen, Germany; and the world’s first hydrogen refueling station for ships, cars, trucks and industrial customers in Antwerp, Belgium.

“Our partnership with VCR illustrates Accelera’s role as a global technology leader and highlights our ability to scale hydrogen production across a variety of industries,” said Amy Davis, President of Accelera by Cummins. “This project will be the first installation of Accelera’s HyLYZER-5000, which generates five times more hydrogen than any of our PEM electrolyzer products currently in use and can accommodate the power needs for large-scale hydrogen production.

“Additionally, this is the first time our electrolyzers will power biofuel and circular chemical production, showcasing our unique capabilities to innovate and meet customer demands while accelerating the shift to net-zero emissions.”

By Jeremy King

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., April 3, 2023 /3BL Media/ – The Regions Foundation and Jefferson State Community College on Wednesday unveiled a transformational resource connecting Jefferson State students with no-cost services ranging from emergency grants to food pantry access, mental healthcare, and more.

The Regions Foundation Student Success Center is funded in part by a $500,000 grant from the Regions Foundation, a nonprofit initiative primarily funded by Regions Bank.

“We are invested in the success of our students, and we want to remove as many barriers as possible to help them complete their education,” said Jefferson State Community College President Keith Brown. “The Regions Foundation Student Success Center is a one-stop hub where students facing a variety of challenges can receive valuable support – at no cost to the student. Many of our students are the first in their family to attend college, or they are adults who are working full-time jobs and managing households. These challenges often make completing an education and acquiring a stable career difficult. What we’re offering here helps keep them on the road toward earning their degrees and building a brighter future.”

The Regions Foundation Student Success Center is a one-stop hub where students facing a variety of challenges can receive valuable support – at no cost to the student.

Keith Brown, President of Jefferson State Community College

The Regions Foundation Student Success Center is more than a program. It’s a complete facility on Jefferson State’s Carson Road campus where students receive free, in-person support in a customized manner.

Services include:

Emergency grants for qualified studentsFinancial counselingFood pantry access, with a well-stocked pantry of nutritious food options on siteMental health accessConfidential peer-to-peer supportReferrals to additional Jefferson State services providing personal support, as well as to state and federal programs supporting student success

“Jefferson State Community College recognizes that, for students to truly succeed, they need support in ways that go beyond academics,” said Marta Self, executive director of the Regions Foundation. “Jefferson State is using this understanding to change the way things are done. They are taking a bold step forward, creating comprehensive support and outreach so every student knows the college is in their corner, ready to support them to graduate and build a successful career. That’s why the Regions Foundation is honored to support this truly innovative Student Success Center.”

Self said the Regions Foundation prioritizes funding for initiatives that advance three key priorities:

Education and workforce readinessEconomic and community developmentFinancial wellness

The Regions Foundation Student Success Center supports all three and, in turn, creates more inclusive prosperity, said Alan Register, Birmingham market executive for Regions Bank.

“The resources here have the power to change the trajectory of one’s family – for generations to come,” added Register, who volunteered on the fund-raising committee for the center. “Too often, only one life event or one financial challenge can derail a student’s plan for completing their degree. But here at Jefferson State, there is a best-in-class network of support that sends a powerful message to students. That message is, ‘You can complete your education, and we will stand behind you.’ That benefits not only the student – but also their families – in ways that will have a positive impact for many years to come. We appreciate our colleagues from the Regions Foundation for making such a significant investment for all who will be served.”

While the Regions Foundation Student Success Center is based in Lurleen Wallace Hall on Jefferson State’s campus on Carson Road, its services are also available to students who are based at Jefferson State’s additional campuses in Shelby, St. Clair and Chilton counties. Students can access services offered by the center at www.jeffersonstate.edu/ssc.

The center is open each weekday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Students interested in exploring services can also email successcenter@jeffersonstate.edu or dial (205) 856-7913.

About Regions Foundation
The Alabama-based Regions Foundation supports community investments that positively impact communities served by Regions Bank. The Foundation engages in a grantmaking program focused on priorities including economic and community development; education and workforce readiness; and financial wellness. The Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation funded primarily through contributions from Regions Bank.

About Regions Financial Corporation
Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $155 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates more than 1,250 banking offices and more than 2,000 ATMs. Regions Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.

About Jefferson State Community College
Jefferson State Community College has provided educational opportunities and workforce training in central Alabama since 1965. As one of the largest community colleges in the state, Jefferson State serves more than 13,000 students each year with campus locations in Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, and Chilton counties. The college offers 116 transfer programs to four-year colleges, 39 career and technical education programs, 30 workforce education “fast-track” programs, and over 60 dual enrollment classes to more than 2,700 high school students. At $166 per credit hour, Jefferson State remains one of the most cost-effective options for an education and workforce training. Jefferson State is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog

Cheri Kay Getz’s career at U.S. Bank began in September 1980 as a safe deposit attendant at the Lake Street branch in south Minneapolis. While she liked the bank, she quickly found the job itself – literally, manning the safe deposit vault all day – to be less than stimulating.

So when the role of maintenance worker at the branch opened up, Getz literally jumped at the opportunity. She had spent her childhood helping her father, a carpenter, doing all manner of plumbing and home repairs and knew she was qualified for the job.

The only problem: no woman had ever held a role in the bank’s maintenance department before, and her male colleagues and hiring managers were skeptical that she would have the strength or stamina required.

“It was not easy for me to get that job,” Getz said. Although she convinced them to hire her, she was on probationary status for an entire year, rather than the typical 90 days, all while receiving a lower wage than the $5 an hour her male counterparts received – a pay differential that was customary at many companies at the time.

Nonetheless, Getz loved her job and thrived in the role, expanding her responsibilities to handle maintenance for five branches in the area. The Lake Street branch remained nearest to her heart, and she got to a point where she could tell what was wrong with the building “simply by the sounds it was making,” she said – whether it was a plumbing issue or if the air handling system wasn’t working right.

Contrary to the initial concerns of her coworkers, she had almost no issues with the physical demands of the job, including moving heavy boxes around the stock room or cleaning up sewage from plumbing problems in the bathroom.

“The only thing I couldn’t do was go up a ladder vertically, like to replace a light in a stairwell – I was too much of a coward to do that,” she said.

(Check out the #usbankroadtrip video on some of the U.S. Bank memorabilia Getz has collected and curated over the years above.)

#usbankroadtrip: Lake St., Minneapolis

Every company needs a Cheri Kay. She’s a banker who loves history, and over the years, she’s made it her mission to save stuff. Thanks, Cheri Kay! #usbankroadtrip #usbanklife

During the 1980s, the Lake Street branch was bustling – it had 25 teller windows on the main floor, in addition to a basement, sub-basement and multiple corporate offices. Getz created a computer program to track all of the stock supplies in her five buildings at the appropriate levels, an idea that caught on with other maintenance workers.

Over time, though, consumer habits changed and the Lake Street branch reduced its footprint. Getz spent nine years in the role before the company decided to outsource maintenance to a vendor.

She then transitioned into a role as a teller and found she thrived in that position, too, because she loves working with people – especially the community around Lake Street she knows so well.

“That building was my home for 40 years,” she said. So it was heartbreaking when the property was damaged during civil unrest in May 2020.

Within weeks, U.S. Bank set up a mobile banking unit in the branch’s parking lot to help the community with banking services, and Getz was eager to volunteer to staff it because she knew the customers would want to see familiar faces when they came back.

She now works as a banker at the new branch about a mile away at 3600 East Lake Street, but before construction crews tore down the damaged old location, she got permission for a bittersweet final tour.

“I took one last tour through the building, and I could still see my name on some of the tags documenting work and maintenance on the air handling unit and all throughout the basement and sub-basement,” she said.

While the new building has none of the familiar sounds of the old Lake Street branch, Getz said, the welcoming feeling is the same.

“I live in this community, I work in this community, my religion is in this community,” she said. “This community knows and trusts me, and I want them to know that the bank is always going to be here for them.”

Originally published on GoDaddy Life

What does work-life balance mean for you?

Work-life balance means finding a happy medium — feeling fulfilled (but not overwhelmed) by your job, spending time with your family, and doing the things you love. Often times, it’s a balancing act, as you don’t want one aspect of your life to suffer for another. It’s important for me to find that place where you can get the most of all three at the same time.

How does GoDaddy help with this?

The culture at GoDaddy places such a high priority on our personal well-being. In the past five years, I can’t think of one time where I had to miss out on one of my kids’ performances for the sake of work or couldn’t take time when needed to take care of sick kids or family members. At GoDaddy, not only can I take the time off, but I don’t feel guilty about it upon my return. There’s also been a strong push to make sure that my leadership has visibility on my workload. This is to make sure that I am not being overworked or overburdened. In instances where I feel like there is too much work, we go back to the drawing board to see how we can reallocate things to avoid burnout.

How do you wind down after work?

After work hours, my dad duties pick up, including (but not limited to): picking up the kids, making them snacks, driving my daughter to gymnastics, making dinner, and then bedtime. Once those duties are done, I typically relax by either playing video games with my daughter or spending time with my wife, talking about our day, or strategizing on our side business.

What’s one thing you do to recharge your batteries?

Ironically enough, one of the things that recharges my battery is working more! To provide a bit more context, my wife and I have a 3D printing side business called Mage Gear. We typically attend event or shows on the weekends. Time spent working with her on the products or talking to customers really motivates me!

What does a perfect evening or ‘5–9’ look like for you?

For me, the perfect 5 to 9 would be making dinner for the family, hanging out with our kids before their bedtime routine, spending time catching up on the day with my wife, and then grabbing a bowl of mint chocolate ice cream while I work on other projects!

Who is Victor outside of being a Program Manager ?

Well, I like to joke around that my hobby is collecting hobbies. I am a huge nerd both in fantasy and in tech. I’m an avid Dungeon and Dragons player and play weekly with a long term group. My wife and I have been running our 3D printing company for five years, now. And most recently, I joined some friends from the gaming community to help form a group called Phoenix RPGS. We’re a local charity with the goal of helping enrich the Tabletop Roleplaying Game scene in Arizona.

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