Tag: 3BL

ATLANTA, May 8, 2026 /3BL/ – Georgia-Pacific announced that Nick Trainer has been named vice president, market sales of GP PRO. In this role, Trainer will lead market sales strategy and execution, strengthen customer partnerships, and drive growth across the business.

“I’m excited to have Nick rejoin the Georgia-Pacific family. His strong leadership experience and deep knowledge of our industry will help us continue to deliver superior value to our customers,” said Nate Medina, senior vice president and general sales manager, GP PRO.

Georgia-Pacific named Nick Trainer vice president, market sales of GP PRO. Trainer will lead market sales strategy and execution, strengthen customer partnerships, and drive growth across the business.

Prior to rejoining GP PRO, Trainer served as senior vice president of sales and marketing at Handgards, a manufacturer and supplier of foodservice disposable products focused on food safety and cross-contamination prevention.

During his 18-year tenure at Georgia-Pacific, Trainer held several leadership roles, including Southern regional sales manager and vice president and general manager of the GP PRO Tissue and Wiper business. In that role, he drove significant growth of the Compact tissue business, led the launch of multiple new products across categories, and advanced key investments in manufacturing. He also helped shape category strategy, strengthen customer engagement, and accelerate innovation across GP PRO.

Earlier in his career, Trainer held sales leadership roles at Unisource and Kimberly-Clark.

In addition, Ryan Elwart has been named senior vice president, sales and innovation for GP Foodservice Solutions, the company’s new business that includes Dixie® and Anchor Packaging. In this role, Elwart will lead transformation efforts for Georgia-Pacific’s away-from-home foodservice disposables — driving growth across categories and bringing together the Georgia-Pacific and Anchor sales teams.

Georgia-Pacific today named Ryan Elwart senior vice president, sales and innovation for GP Foodservice Solutions. Elwart will lead Georgia-Pacific’s away-from-home foodservice disposables initiatives.

“I’m delighted to have Ryan rejoin the GP family. His strong commercial leadership experience, deep understanding of our customers and industry, and proven ability to drive growth at scale position him to make an immediate impact,” said Chris Warburton, chief customer officer of Georgia-Pacific’s Consumer Products group. “He will play a key role in accelerating our foodservice business by strengthening customer partnerships and advancing innovative solutions to better serve a growing market.”

Prior to joining GP Foodservice Solutions, Elwart served as Group President at Mativ, where he oversaw multiple categories and segments across the business. He led efforts to strengthen company performance, build commercial capabilities, and unlock strategies to drive growth with customers across the marketplace. He also led the Sustainable & Adhesive Solutions business unit, driving alignment across sales, marketing, sales operations, and research and development to improve execution, drive innovation and scale best practices.

Elwart previously spent 16 years with Georgia-Pacific, including serving as chief customer officer for the Consumer Products Group. In that role, he led a combined sales and commercial capability organization spanning retail and B2B sales, eCommerce, training, customer planning, category management, and sales strategy across the company’s retail and commercial businesses.

Earlier in his career, Elwart held leadership roles at PepsiCo and Hormel Foods and has extensive experience across customer- and consumer-facing businesses.

About Georgia-Pacific 

Based in Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific and its subsidiaries are among the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of bath tissue, paper towels and napkins, tableware, paper-based packaging, cellulose and building products. Our familiar consumer brands include Angel Soft®, Brawny®, Dixie®, enMotion®, Quilted Northern®, Sparkle® and Vanity Fair®.

Georgia-Pacific has long been a leading supplier of building products to lumber and building materials dealers and large do-it-yourself warehouse retailers. Its Georgia-Pacific Recycling subsidiary is among the world’s largest traders of paper, metal and plastics. The company operates more than 150 facilities and employs approximately 30,000 people directly and creates more than 80,000 jobs indirectly. For more information, visit: gp.com/about-us. For news, visit: news.gp.com. Follow Georgia-Pacific on LinkedIn, Meta, Instagram, X and YouTube.

About GP PRO

Based in Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific and its subsidiaries are among the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of bath tissue, paper towels and napkins, tableware, paper-based packaging, cellulose and building products. The company operates approximately 150 facilities and employs approximately 30,000 people directly and creates nearly 80,000 jobs indirectly. GP PRO, a division of Georgia-Pacific, manufactures and sells well-known brands like enMotion^®, Compact^®, Angel Soft^® Professional Series, Brawny^®, Dixie^®, Pacific Blue™ and the KOLO^® Smart Monitoring System. GP PRO products meet restroom, foodservice, and break room needs for office buildings, healthcare, foodservice, high traffic, lodging, retail, and education facilities, plus a wide range of industrial and manufacturing facilities in North America. For more information, visit: gppro.com.

As the official bank of the Buffalo Sabres, KeyBank continued its longstanding partnership with the team by bringing excitement directly into the community ahead of the second round of playoffs. Through the HocKey Assists program, KeyBank and the Sabres hosted a high-energy pep rally at the Seneca Street Community Development Corporation, creating a shared moment of celebration for local families and young fans.

Sabretooth, along with Sabres alumni Rob Ray and Marty Biron, joined KeyBank and Sabres teammates to deliver an energetic experience filled with playoff spirit. Participants received rally towels and gameday items while interacting with the alumni and mascot, helping bring the excitement of postseason hockey to the next generation of Sabres fans.

For KeyBank, the pep rally reflects the purpose behind HocKey Assists: using the strength of collaboration to create meaningful, community-centered experiences. By meeting participants where they are and making the playoff atmosphere accessible beyond the arena, the program helps ensure that the energy of this moment is shared across the entire community.

KeyBank is proud to partner with the Buffalo Sabres to continue celebrating this playoff run and to support local organizations like the Seneca Street Community Development Corporation. As Buffalo rallies around its hometown team, initiatives like this help extend that momentum into neighborhoods across Western New York—strengthening connections, inspiring fans and reinforcing what makes the community so special.

• Learn more about KeyBank’s longstanding partnership with the Buffalo Sabres and commitment to the Western New York region.

 

 

 

 

 

This article is authored by Roland Duquesne, Director of Key Accounts, EMEA, Trane Technologies

Across transportation and the built environment, electrification is delivering real-world benefits. Electric cars are a familiar sight, while electric buses, delivery vehicles and bicycles are increasingly common. Yet long-range transport, a critical link that delivers everything from food to lifesaving medication, was viewed as too complex to electrify. Now, as innovative new electrification technologies shift the commercial transport industry, that is changing.

Transport electrification’s tipping point

Long-haul transportation is essential. Around the world, the freight transported by these vehicles, from food and fuel to vital healthcare supplies, keeps daily life moving. But long-haul trucking also generates a disproportionate share of overall transport emissions.

For decades, as electrification technologies became commonplace in other sectors, long-haul transport was left behind. Issues like battery size and weight, charging infrastructure availability and recharging time requirements conflicted with existing logistics processes and routes.

But now, new electrification technologies are available that can help decarbonize this critical sector while also reducing fuel costs. Trane Technologies is accelerating this shift with innovative electrification solutions that optimize energy use. For the leaders responsible for logistics networks, the question is no longer whether to decarbonize commercial transport, but how to do it in ways that support key business outcomes while also reducing emissions.

Scalable electrification strategies

The pace of technological innovation in the transport sector is accelerating. Rather than relying solely on larger batteries, new solutions are reducing energy demand across the entire vehicle system. Electrified trailers can actively support propulsion, reducing the load while extending operating range, lowering fossil fuel use and improving overall vehicle efficiency. Electric refrigerated transport solutions are already being deployed in commercial fleets. Systems that can capture and reuse the residual energy from commercial trucks’ braking systems and downhill momentum are now a reality.

At Trane Technologies, electrification is a central lever in our Climate Transition Plan and our goal of achieving net-zero by 2050. For long-haul commercial transport, that means looking at the system holistically, and asking how every component can consume less, waste less and ultimately operate with lower emissions.

“We’ve never seen as much innovation in the transport industry as we have today.”

Roland Duquesne
Director of Key Accounts, EMEA, Trane Technologies

Electrification innovation on the road

New electrification technologies are already making an impact on the road. Our Thermo King team has introduced electrified transport refrigeration solutions that can reduce diesel fuel use while maintaining reliable temperature control. Another innovation, Advancer AxlePower, uses generators located in the axle of the trailer that recuperate the energy lost when the truck’s braking system is activated or when the truck drives downhill. It then repurposes that energy to power a refrigeration unit.

Innovations like these are creating efficiencies across the transport sector. The AxlePower technology, which was co-developed by Thermo King and BPW Bergische Achsen, captures energy at the trailer axle and stores it in a high-voltage Thermo King Energ-e battery to continuously power refrigeration units while driving and at stops.

In a recent pilot, Thermo King EMEA worked with a partner in Holland to trial the AxlePower configuration side by side with traditional gas-powered transport systems. After two years, the AxlePower system had reduced fossil fuel use, demonstrating how hybrid systems can improve overall performance while decarbonizing.

In another pilot with logistics provider DP World and retailer Woolworths, the first electric refrigerated transport trailer to operate across the African continent delivered both fuel savings and emissions reductions of up to 20 tons of CO₂ per year compared with diesel-powered refrigerated transport. The trailer with the AxlePower technology logged 146,000 kilometers (over 90,000 miles) of all-electric operation, relying on gas backup just 3% of the time.

Trane Technologies is also collaborating with other ground-breaking pioneers in the electrification realm, such as Germany-based transport company Trailer Dynamics. Abdullah Jaber, a physicist and the company’s CEO, notes that Europe was making progress towards decarbonizing vehicles of almost all types except long-haul trucks.

That light bulb moment led to the company’s focus on decarbonizing long-haul transport, including a battery-powered trailer that reduces the energy needed by the trucks pulling it. Trailers like these have multiple benefits:

• when integrated with a diesel-powered vehicle, the trailer reduces the amount of fossil fuel needed, cutting both emissions and fuel costs.
• and, when paired with an electrified vehicle, the trailers increase the potential range of the truck before refueling or recharge is needed.

Solutions like these are creating practical pathways to integrate electrification into existing operations, reducing fuel costs and emissions without wholesale fleet overhauls.

Electrification innovations such as these demonstrate how the freight industry can move forward with fuel-saving, emission-reducing solutions while charging infrastructure continues to evolve.

The path to net-zero transport electrification

Long-haul transport sits at the center of both the global economy and the decarbonization challenge. Moving goods over vast distances was once seen as one of the hardest sustainability challenges to solve, but as technological innovation in the sector grows, that assumption is beginning to shift.

Infrastructure gaps, like the lack of appropriate chargers on some long-haul routes, remain a challenge for freight transport electrification. But it’s not a zero-sum choice between waiting and acting. Innovative solutions, like electrified refrigeration units, AxlePower and eTrailers, allow transport operators to upgrade in a modular, cost-effective way that can reduce fuel costs and emissions now without waiting for perfect infrastructure alignment.

As we look ahead at the future of the transport sector, the key question is how quickly we can scale these innovations. When energy optimization strategies are managed holistically across the long-haul transport system, electrification becomes a competitive advantage, impacting how energy is generated, recovered and conserved. That leads to measurable cost savings, improved performance and reduced emissions — proving that decarbonization can help create business value over the long haul.

Electrification of Transport – Listen to the Healthy Spaces podcast to discover how electrification of transport can reduce carbon emissions for long-haul trucking and transportation.

The future is ours to create. Explore careers that make an impact at Trane Technologies.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 7, 2026 /3BL/ – In the wake of recent hurricanes that have left lasting impacts across western North Carolina, Truist Charitable Fund is helping communities take an important step toward recovery one tree at a time. Through a partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, residents in impacted areas can now reserve free trees to replant, restore, and rebuild the natural spaces that make their communities feel like home.

These trees will help grow hope and renewal in the wake of disaster, while also providing a range of other benefits to the community including cleaner air and cooler neighborhoods, improved stormwater management, and fostering local resilience.

“For many families, trees are more than just part of the landscape – they’re tied to memories, comfort, and a sense of place,” said Kristen Bousquet, Senior Partnerships Manager at the Arbor Day Foundation. “This initiative is about helping communities heal and move forward, restoring not just tree canopy, but a sense of normalcy and hope.”

Residents can reserve their free trees at getarborday.org/truist. Through a simple online experience, participants can choose trees suited for their property and receive guidance on where to plant them for the greatest long-term benefit. Each household may reserve up to 5 trees, with delivery direct to doorsteps for ease and inclusivity. The program will continue until all 4,400 trees have been claimed.

Powered by research from the USDA Forest Service and developed in partnership with the Davey Institute, the Arbor Day Foundation’s platform ensures each tree is planted in the right place for long-term success, supporting recovery efforts that will be felt for generations.

Truist is steadfast in its purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities, and in 2024 announced “Truist Cares for Western North Carolina,” a three-year, $725 million commitment to support critical needs in Western North Carolina as communities impacted by Hurricane Helene recover and rebuild. For more information on this initiative, visit truist.com/TruistCares.

About the Truist Charitable Fund

The Truist Charitable Fund (“TCF”) is committed to Truist Financial Corporation’s (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives. TCF was established as a donor-advised fund and invests in local community organizations, focusing on grants that support initiatives and programs in the areas of educational opportunity, leadership development, and community services. To learn more about Truist’s purpose, visit truist.com/purpose.

About the Arbor Day Foundation

The Arbor Day Foundation is a global nonprofit inspiring people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. They foster a growing community of more than 1 million leaders, innovators, planters, and supporters united by their bold belief that a more hopeful future can be shaped through the power of trees. For more than 50 years, they’ve answered critical need with action, planting more than half a billion trees alongside their partners. And this is only the beginning.

The Arbor Day Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit pursuing a future where all life flourishes through the power of trees. Learn more at arborday.org.

# # #

CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 7, 2026 /3BL/ – In the wake of recent hurricanes that have left lasting impacts across western North Carolina, Truist Charitable Fund is helping communities take an important step toward recovery one tree at a time. Through a partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, residents in impacted areas can now reserve free trees to replant, restore, and rebuild the natural spaces that make their communities feel like home.

These trees will help grow hope and renewal in the wake of disaster, while also providing a range of other benefits to the community including cleaner air and cooler neighborhoods, improved stormwater management, and fostering local resilience.

“For many families, trees are more than just part of the landscape – they’re tied to memories, comfort, and a sense of place,” said Kristen Bousquet, Senior Partnerships Manager at the Arbor Day Foundation. “This initiative is about helping communities heal and move forward, restoring not just tree canopy, but a sense of normalcy and hope.”

Residents can reserve their free trees at getarborday.org/truist. Through a simple online experience, participants can choose trees suited for their property and receive guidance on where to plant them for the greatest long-term benefit. Each household may reserve up to 5 trees, with delivery direct to doorsteps for ease and inclusivity. The program will continue until all 4,400 trees have been claimed.

Powered by research from the USDA Forest Service and developed in partnership with the Davey Institute, the Arbor Day Foundation’s platform ensures each tree is planted in the right place for long-term success, supporting recovery efforts that will be felt for generations.

Truist is steadfast in its purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities, and in 2024 announced “Truist Cares for Western North Carolina,” a three-year, $725 million commitment to support critical needs in Western North Carolina as communities impacted by Hurricane Helene recover and rebuild. For more information on this initiative, visit truist.com/TruistCares.

About the Truist Charitable Fund

The Truist Charitable Fund (“TCF”) is committed to Truist Financial Corporation’s (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives. TCF was established as a donor-advised fund and invests in local community organizations, focusing on grants that support initiatives and programs in the areas of educational opportunity, leadership development, and community services. To learn more about Truist’s purpose, visit truist.com/purpose.

About the Arbor Day Foundation

The Arbor Day Foundation is a global nonprofit inspiring people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. They foster a growing community of more than 1 million leaders, innovators, planters, and supporters united by their bold belief that a more hopeful future can be shaped through the power of trees. For more than 50 years, they’ve answered critical need with action, planting more than half a billion trees alongside their partners. And this is only the beginning.

The Arbor Day Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit pursuing a future where all life flourishes through the power of trees. Learn more at arborday.org.

# # #

CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 7, 2026 /3BL/ – In the wake of recent hurricanes that have left lasting impacts across western North Carolina, Truist Charitable Fund is helping communities take an important step toward recovery one tree at a time. Through a partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, residents in impacted areas can now reserve free trees to replant, restore, and rebuild the natural spaces that make their communities feel like home.

These trees will help grow hope and renewal in the wake of disaster, while also providing a range of other benefits to the community including cleaner air and cooler neighborhoods, improved stormwater management, and fostering local resilience.

“For many families, trees are more than just part of the landscape – they’re tied to memories, comfort, and a sense of place,” said Kristen Bousquet, Senior Partnerships Manager at the Arbor Day Foundation. “This initiative is about helping communities heal and move forward, restoring not just tree canopy, but a sense of normalcy and hope.”

Residents can reserve their free trees at getarborday.org/truist. Through a simple online experience, participants can choose trees suited for their property and receive guidance on where to plant them for the greatest long-term benefit. Each household may reserve up to 5 trees, with delivery direct to doorsteps for ease and inclusivity. The program will continue until all 4,400 trees have been claimed.

Powered by research from the USDA Forest Service and developed in partnership with the Davey Institute, the Arbor Day Foundation’s platform ensures each tree is planted in the right place for long-term success, supporting recovery efforts that will be felt for generations.

Truist is steadfast in its purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities, and in 2024 announced “Truist Cares for Western North Carolina,” a three-year, $725 million commitment to support critical needs in Western North Carolina as communities impacted by Hurricane Helene recover and rebuild. For more information on this initiative, visit truist.com/TruistCares.

About the Truist Charitable Fund

The Truist Charitable Fund (“TCF”) is committed to Truist Financial Corporation’s (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives. TCF was established as a donor-advised fund and invests in local community organizations, focusing on grants that support initiatives and programs in the areas of educational opportunity, leadership development, and community services. To learn more about Truist’s purpose, visit truist.com/purpose.

About the Arbor Day Foundation

The Arbor Day Foundation is a global nonprofit inspiring people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. They foster a growing community of more than 1 million leaders, innovators, planters, and supporters united by their bold belief that a more hopeful future can be shaped through the power of trees. For more than 50 years, they’ve answered critical need with action, planting more than half a billion trees alongside their partners. And this is only the beginning.

The Arbor Day Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit pursuing a future where all life flourishes through the power of trees. Learn more at arborday.org.

# # #

CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 7, 2026 /3BL/ – In the wake of recent hurricanes that have left lasting impacts across western North Carolina, Truist Charitable Fund is helping communities take an important step toward recovery one tree at a time. Through a partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, residents in impacted areas can now reserve free trees to replant, restore, and rebuild the natural spaces that make their communities feel like home.

These trees will help grow hope and renewal in the wake of disaster, while also providing a range of other benefits to the community including cleaner air and cooler neighborhoods, improved stormwater management, and fostering local resilience.

“For many families, trees are more than just part of the landscape – they’re tied to memories, comfort, and a sense of place,” said Kristen Bousquet, Senior Partnerships Manager at the Arbor Day Foundation. “This initiative is about helping communities heal and move forward, restoring not just tree canopy, but a sense of normalcy and hope.”

Residents can reserve their free trees at getarborday.org/truist. Through a simple online experience, participants can choose trees suited for their property and receive guidance on where to plant them for the greatest long-term benefit. Each household may reserve up to 5 trees, with delivery direct to doorsteps for ease and inclusivity. The program will continue until all 4,400 trees have been claimed.

Powered by research from the USDA Forest Service and developed in partnership with the Davey Institute, the Arbor Day Foundation’s platform ensures each tree is planted in the right place for long-term success, supporting recovery efforts that will be felt for generations.

Truist is steadfast in its purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities, and in 2024 announced “Truist Cares for Western North Carolina,” a three-year, $725 million commitment to support critical needs in Western North Carolina as communities impacted by Hurricane Helene recover and rebuild. For more information on this initiative, visit truist.com/TruistCares.

About the Truist Charitable Fund

The Truist Charitable Fund (“TCF”) is committed to Truist Financial Corporation’s (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives. TCF was established as a donor-advised fund and invests in local community organizations, focusing on grants that support initiatives and programs in the areas of educational opportunity, leadership development, and community services. To learn more about Truist’s purpose, visit truist.com/purpose.

About the Arbor Day Foundation

The Arbor Day Foundation is a global nonprofit inspiring people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. They foster a growing community of more than 1 million leaders, innovators, planters, and supporters united by their bold belief that a more hopeful future can be shaped through the power of trees. For more than 50 years, they’ve answered critical need with action, planting more than half a billion trees alongside their partners. And this is only the beginning.

The Arbor Day Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit pursuing a future where all life flourishes through the power of trees. Learn more at arborday.org.

# # #

CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 7, 2026 /3BL/ – The Truist Championship, in partnership with the Charlotte Trail of History, unveiled a commemorative statue honoring Dr. Charles Sifford at Elizabeth Park, celebrating the trailblazing golfer’s enduring legacy and ties to the Charlotte community.

The ceremony marked the launch of Truist Championship Tuesday, a new initiative designed to extend the championship’s impact beyond tournament week and invest meaningfully in the community year-round. Tuesday’s unveiling brought together tournament representatives, civic leaders and members of the Sifford family to reflect on Dr. Sifford’s historic role in breaking color barriers in professional golf and his lasting influence in Charlotte and beyond.

“The Truist Championship is proud to have partnered with the Trail of History to spotlight Dr. Sifford’s story that is defined by his excellence, courage and lasting impact in professional golf,” said Adam Sperling, executive director of the Truist Championship. “Launching Truist Championship Tuesday with this commemorative statue is a powerful way to honor Dr. Sifford’s legacy in his hometown while reaffirming our commitment to creating meaningful moments in Charlotte that extend far beyond tournament week.”

The statue was created by acclaimed sculptor Emmanuel Gillespie, who worked closely with the partners and the Sifford family to ensure the piece authentically reflects Sifford’s presence and significance.

“The Trail of History is delighted to welcome the addition of Dr. Charles Sifford as our 12th project,” said Scott Syfert, chair of the Charlotte Trail of History. “Since 2010, the TOH has sought to recognize outstanding individuals who made important contributions to Mecklenburg County across its 250-year history. We are very grateful to not only Emmanuel for his artwork but also to Truist, the Truist Championship and the PGA TOUR for their leadership as we commemorate Dr. Sifford’s sporting legacy.”

Dr. Charles “Charlie” Sifford (1922–2015) was a pioneering professional golfer whose courage and perseverance helped break the color barrier in the sport. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Sifford began caddying on segregated golf courses at age 13 and turned professional in 1948, competing primarily in tournaments organized by Black golfers while barred from the PGA. He won the United Golf Association’s National Negro Open six times before making history in 1961 as the first African American to join the PGA Tour. Over his career, Sifford competed in more than 400 PGA events, won the 1975 PGA Seniors’ Championship, and earned induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004. In recognition of his lasting impact on golf and civil rights, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014.

“The Sifford family would like to thank Mecklenburg County, the Charlotte Trail of History, Truist Championship, Truist and all the other sponsors that made this moment possible,” said Charlie Sifford Jr. “I believe never in his wildest thoughts that a day like this would happen in his hometown of Charlotte. You are not just honoring my Father’s legacy, you are continuing it. Thank you so very much.”

As title sponsor of the Truist Championship, Truist emphasized the alignment between the tournament’s community commitment and the values embodied by Sifford.

“On this inaugural Truist Championship Tuesday, we’re honored to dedicate this moment to Dr. Charlie Sifford and the values he embodied that resonate so deeply with our purpose at Truist,” said Dontá Wilson, Truist chief consumer and small business banking officer. “Dr. Sifford didn’t just change the game of golf. He changed who got a chance to play it, and his legacy inspires us all to make sure more people get that chance on the course, in their communities, and in life.”

The Truist Championship returns to Quail Hollow Club May 6-10, 2026. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit TruistChampionship.com.

Verizon

By Stacy Morrison

At a glance

• Professional development: Teachers are utilizing research-backed strategies and free online courses from Verizon Innovative Learning HQ to increase student engagement.
• Shift in pedagogy: The program moves away from passive lecturing toward a collaborative culture where students direct their own learning and creative projects.
• Digital citizenship: Educators are balancing high-tech tools with analog skills to help students develop intentionality and curiosity in a digital-first environment.

When Dove Science Academy High School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, joined Verizon Innovative Learning Schools in fall 2025, its teachers embraced not just the infusion of technology, but also the novel ways they could inspire their students. “Being part of the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools program has completely elevated the way we teach and the way our students learn,” says M. Atay, Principal of Dove Science Academy High School. “Our students are no longer just receiving information, they are creating, collaborating and solving real-world problems.”

As part of their Verizon Innovative Learning Schools professional development, each Dove educator learned research-backed strategies and explored tools to help them get more out of a technology-supported classroom. The training features teaching approaches that support student choice and collaboration, reach all learners and increase student engagement with the material. Professional development opportunities—and courses such as Creating a Collaborative Classroom Culture, Leveraging Flexible Learning Formats and Design Better Learning Experiences with Learner Variability—are available freely for all educators online through Verizon Innovative Learning HQ.

“I’m really encouraged to see how much autonomy we’re providing the students,” says Verizon Innovative Learning Schools Coach Casey Lawrence. Instead of a “chalk and talk” teaching style, where students passively listen as the teacher lectures, Lawrence sees students collaborating and directing their own learning. “Now they are talking with each other and working with each other and that sets them up for success in the real world,” she says.

Here, four Dove Science Academy High School educators share how their fresh teaching approaches are making an impact.

“Students have new ways to share.”

Although she has taught English language arts for decades, Amber Harrison still embraces every chance to expand her skills. “Even with 20 years in education, I have the mindset that there’s always going to be something new I can learn,” she says.

As part of the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools professional development, Harrison was introduced to imaginative ways to engage students and connect them with the material. “It’s nice to have this fresh, new information,” Harrison says of the Verizon resources. “I liked getting to hear about tested and proven strategies that are actually working.”

Harrison learned a new prompt to use for exit tickets—short exercises that check for student understanding—that she applied after a poetry lesson. The responses revealed a shift in how her students viewed poetry. One student wrote: “When it comes to poetry, I used to think about boring words. But now I think that it is such a better way for people to express themselves.”

“Out of a class of 20 students, 16 of them are feeling more inspired to read and write poetry as a way to express feelings and connect with other humans,” Harrison says. “That is a win.”

She took the lesson further: She had students write their own poems, with some choosing to share their work on a hallway bulletin board. Harrison also anonymously shared poetry written by some of the quieter students in the digital classroom, an online space where the students and Harrison collaborate on assignments. “Those students got the shout out that what they’re doing is working,” Harrison says. “And now they are even speaking up in class more. They are feeling confident enough to share themselves out loud.”

“I see that the students are much more curious now.”

Daisy Colindres readily admits that before this year—her twenty-fourth as a teacher—she used a computer only to take attendance. “I was not using technology much,” she says. “But now, after learning all of the advantages [for the students] and how important technology is to their future, I realized I had to be updated.”

Once she started integrating technology in the classroom, she saw an immediate shift in how students communicated with her and with each other. One of her first tablet-based assignments asked students to research a Spanish-speaking country and make a presentation based on their findings. “They were very engaged, just in looking up this information,” she says. “They were excited and finding new ways to look for what they needed.”

As they worked, students began asking more questions than usual—even messaging her in the evenings through the digital classroom when ideas came to them. “I feel like the tools have helped extend their world a little bit more,” says Colindres. “And I’m more involved with them because they are bringing me their ideas and asking questions. I can see they are much more curious now.”

“It’s my goal to help them find the balance.”

Adam Jester is no stranger to using technology in the classroom: He came to Dove Science Academy High School in fall 2025 from a district where 98 percent of learning was virtual. But through the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools professional development, Jester has learned strategies to help students stay engaged and practice strong digital citizenship, while balancing technology with traditional learning skills.

Students have access to devices during class time, so Jester uses a tool he learned about in professional development to monitor and moderate which websites they can visit when doing research. At the same time, he wants to ensure students keep critical thinking at the center of their learning. He regularly switches between tech-based activities and analog approaches.

“It definitely helps to have a monitoring tool,” he says. “You can set it up on a schedule, so that it opens automatically at class time, or you can set it up to exclude certain websites or only allow certain websites.”

Jester’s priority is teaching students intentionality: choosing the right tool for the task and staying engaged in the learning process. The training reinforced strategies for building focus and supporting independent work, whether students are using devices or taking notes by hand. “It’s my goal to help them find the balance,” he says.
 

“I try to connect the topic closer to them.”

As a math teacher, Tam Hua knows that the conceptual nature of math can create an obstacle to learning for some students. During professional development, she picked up a simple, easy-to-apply tip that helps students stay engaged: “We were taught to make the topic, whatever it is, more related to the students,” Hua says. “We need to make the connection. Otherwise they will not be interested.”

Her real life example? Instead of using world population as a data set for a math problem, which can feel remote to the students, “I now will bring in sports data collected from a sporting event,” she says. “So that is helping a lot.”

Hua was already using digital tools to help her students master complex graphing problems. But she sees that the presence of additional tech in the classroom, such as the interactive worksheets she now creates, makes learning “very accessible for the student,” she says.

“I have learned a lot from [professional development], such as how to make fun activities where I can engage the students in class and not just be lecturing every day,” she says. “It takes time to create those exercises, but it’s worth it.”

 

^{Verizon Innovative Learning is a key part of the company’s responsible business plan to help move the world forward for all. As part of the plan, Verizon has an ambitious goal of providing 10 million youth with digital skills training by 2030. Educators can access free lessons, professional development, and immersive learning experiences to help bring new ways of learning into the classroom by visiting Verizon Innovative Learning HQ.}

How we’re developing the premier workforce 
Our human resources team focuses on a talent and culture strategy aimed at increasing our organizational resilience to mitigate risks. Our strategy is only as strong as our leadership, capability and culture. We’re working to ensure our people and teams are at the right levels, with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time, at the best cost, and are continuously driving performance improvement and innovation. We’re committed to fostering an inclusive environment where every employee feels valued, supported and excited to come to work each day.

Workforce planning and development 
Our workforce development initiatives focus on partnerships with high schools, technical and community colleges, universities and industry associations. These programs range from general promotion of energy and STEM careers to technical training programs that produce graduates aligned with our staffing needs.

How we’re building premier utility capability 
We’re committed to equipping our employees with foundational training, professional development and meaningful career growth opportunities. In 2025, we continued to invest in our workforce through a robust suite of courses offered in our employee development catalog.

We also continued three development programs for high-potential talent:

• RISE is our emerging leader program for top high-potential individual contributors. In 2025, 112 employees engaged in self-assessments, training, site tours, volunteer activities and networking to prepare for their first leadership roles at Entergy.
• Our 12-month VOLT leadership program, completed by 23 mid-level leaders, combines leadership assessments, team building, executive engagement, mentoring and team project assignments to strengthen our leadership pipeline and support sustainable high levels of performance and company growth.
• Power Up was completed by 17 leaders during a 12-month journey that blended field visits, executive engagement, skills assessments and memorable experiences.

Read the full report here.