Month: May 2023

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When Paulette Burks joined Bread Financial’s Corporate Affairs team in September 2020, it was the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and, like millions of other Americans, she had been laid off by her previous employer. Although a frightening time for many reasons, Paulette said the insecurity she felt related to her financial health after six months of unemployment was most nerve-wracking.

“It was very stressful, partly because I had to manage my money differently while I was on unemployment, and partly because I wasn’t able to plan ahead and save,” said Paulette, a senior sustainability specialist at Bread Financial. “When I joined the company, I knew I needed to get my finances back on track to where I had been before the pandemic, and I needed to make sure I was financially prepared for any unexpected situations that might happen in the future.”

When I joined the company, I knew I needed to get my finances back on track to where I had been before the pandemic, and I needed to make sure I was financially prepared for any unexpected situations that might happen in the future.”

Paulette Burks – Senior Sustainability Specialist, Bread Financial

Amid an uncertain global economy and the inflation that accompanied the pandemic, Bread Financial’s holistic associate well-being program, LivingWell, recognized the significant opportunity to support the financial health and wealth of its associates and their families.

“For years, we had been offering a handful of financial wellness resources, including monthly financial education workshops, but we wanted to do more,” said Lindsay Madaras, senior manager of associate well-being, Bread Financial. “By implementing the total financial wellness solution, BrightPlan, we are now able to give our associates an on-demand library of financial education resources and the ability to speak directly with a financial planner who can offer them guidance related to their specific needs at no cost to our associates.”.

By implementing the total financial wellness solution, BrightPlan, we are now able to give our associates an on-demand library of financial education resources and the ability to speak directly with a financial planner who can offer them guidance related to their specific needs at no cost to our associates.”

Lindsay Madaras – Senior Manager of Associate Well-Being, Bread Financial

For Paulette, BrightPlan® has been essential in rebuilding her savings and financial confidence, and since she began using the benefit to stay organized, and as a source for advice and reminders, her savings hasn’t just recovered – it has increased 50%.

“Things are going so well, I’ve even started a separate savings account just for travel and activities, and I track my progress on those specific savings goals regularly,” said Paulette. “It has really helped me plan ahead for major expenses. Now, instead of having to pay for trips using a credit card, I’ve been able to pay with cash.”

In addition to BrightPlan, Bread Financial offers associates a full array of financial resources, including a 401(k) with company match, health savings account, college savings plan and an associate-driven fund to help associates in emergencies. According to Lindsay, these offerings reflect how caring for associates’ well-being and personal financial health has become fundamental aspects of Bread Financial’s culture.

“I say it all the time, I wish I’d had something like BrightPlan when I was in college. It would’ve set me up for a better future because I would’ve had so much more financial knowledge,” said Paulette. “It really is lovely to have that tool in the palm of my hand.”

For more information on careers at Bread Financial and its benefits, click here.

Disclaimer: This article includes statements about BrightPlan by current customers/clients. BrightPlan did not provide any compensation in exchange for these statements.

NEW YORK, May 10, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Resilient Cities Catalyst (RCC) has expanded its Board of Directors with two esteemed individuals: Christine Heenan, the Chief Communications Officer and Executive Partner at Flagship Pioneering and the founder and former president of Clarendon Group, and Dr. Carlos Martín, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow at Brookings Metro and the Director of the Remodeling Futures Program at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. RCC, a nonprofit organization consisting of urban practitioners and resilience experts with deep experience in cities and communities around the world, was launched in January 2020.

Heenan and Dr. Martín join current RCC Board Members: Dr. Judith Rodin, former President of both The Rockefeller Foundation and the University of Pennsylvania; Dr. Helene Gayle, 11th President of Spelman College; Henk Ovink, Special Envoy for International Water Affairs for the Kingdom of the Netherlands; Lt. General (Ret.) Thomas P. Bostick, who served as the 53rd Chief Engineer of the United States Army and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and RCC Founding Principal Andrew Salkin.

“Christine Heenan brings a wealth of experience influencing the messages, policies and laws that accelerate innovation. As RCC continues to expand its work, we aim to communicate best practices as effectively as possible so that our work drives real systemic change beyond our direct interventions,” said Dr. Rodin, Chair of RCC’s Board of Directors. “Dr. Carlos Martín helped lead the evaluation of 100 Resilient Cities while at the Urban Institute. He has an unmatched network and experience connecting resilience work to historically disadvantaged communities,” she added.

Christine Heenan has made a lasting impact in the worlds of academia, communications, and philanthropy. Her career includes serving as Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications at Harvard University and as Senior Vice President for Global Policy & Advocacy at The Rockefeller Foundation. As a Senior Policy Analyst and speechwriter in the White House during the Clinton Administration, her main areas of focus were health care policy, women’s issues, and other areas of domestic policy. Today, she holds the position of Chief Communications Officer and Executive Partner at Flagship Pioneering, the founder of Moderna and more than 70 other health and climate-focused biotechs, where she oversees the organization’s communications, government and regulatory affairs, as well as brand and marketing.

“In this moment of rapid climate change, adaptation is not a luxury, but a necessity. Building resilience is the only road forward. We must all become the change agents that our communities need,” said Heenan. “I’m excited to be part of RCC’s efforts to work together to build a just world, one that can survive and thrive in the face of adversity.”

Dr. Carlos Martín’s background in architecture and engineering has made him a global expert in the intersection of environmental and construction quality in housing, as well as its connection to racial equity and income disparity. As a senior fellow in the Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center at the Urban Institute, he conducted research on the physical quality of housing and communities. He also analyzed housing strategies for climate adaptation for the National Academies’ Gulf Research Program, strategies for promoting technological innovation in homebuilding for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the rate of housing recovery under HUD’s Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Recovery. As the former leader of the global evaluation of the Rockefeller Foundation-pioneered 100 Resilient Cities, Dr. Martín brings invaluable insight and knowledge to the mission of RCC.

“Having witnessed firsthand the transformative work and pioneering legacy of RCC’s precursor, 100 Resilient Cities, I am thrilled to connect RCC’s work to the pressing issues of climate and economic justice,” said Dr. Martín. “It is my pleasure to join the RCC board because of their dedication to creating a more equitable and resilient future for all.”

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About Resilient Cities Catalyst

Resilient Cities Catalyst (RCC) is a nonprofit composed of urban practitioners and resilience experts with deep experience working in cities around the world. RCC joins with cities worldwide to help them better leverage the experience, resources, and energies of their leaders, managers, communities, companies, and urbanists to realize their collective visions. Founded by executives from 100 Resilient Cities, RCC’s work is anchored in the knowledge gained in the development of the urban resilience movement. For more info, please visit: www.rcc.city.