Tag: 3BL

Originally published on Saint-Gobain North America LinkedIn

For people entering the workforce with a degree in engineering, one of the best ways to start a career is through an early career program such as Saint-Gobain North America’s Essentials of Manufacturing (EOM) program. Over the course of 18 months, participants work in a full-time operational role while learning about Saint-Gobain’s business, products, and bridging the gap between educational theory and real-life manufacturing practices.

Mackenzie Moore, a West Virginia University graduate and EOM Engineer at the CertainTeed Gypsum Plant in Moundsville, WV, graduated from the Essentials of Manufacturing program in December 2024. She continued to learn technical and soft skills through the program while she was still in a learning mindset. The supportive environment of this program allows for engineers to work through challenges as part of the learning process.

“The EOM program has given me the opportunity to grow in ways I didn’t think were possible before joining Saint-Gobain. I was able to travel across the US, visiting different plants and learning about various processes, which pushed me outside of my comfort zone and kept me learning.” 

– Mackenzie Moore

When Allie Brayton joined EOM in 2023, she was transitioning from the world of R&D into manufacturing and did not know the doors this opportunity would open for her.

“The various learning and development opportunities provided by the program along with the superb networking helped me flourish in this company right from the get-go, which has helped progress my career far beyond where I thought I would go,” said Allie. “In such a short period of time, I have moved from a local plant to a national role and now into a global position in under two years.”

One of the greatest advantages of the EOM program is the breadth of knowledge and experience it provides, according to Megan Conard, current EOM engineer. Not only does the Essentials of Manufacturing program encourage strong connections within the industry, it can open a variety of different doors. Megan, Mackenzie, and Allie are currently enrolled in the company’s Essentials Global Experience, an international career development opportunity in Paris, France.

Many people who graduate from Essentials of Manufacturing enter into full-time careers within Saint-Gobain, like Benjamin Thieme, current Plant Manager at our GCP facility near Chicago, IL. When he began his career as an EOM engineer for ADFORS in 2022, he imagined that he would be designing and making parts for a company. At Saint-Gobain, he was exposed to so many different aspects of the manufacturing industry, and his career has thrived.

“From an overall standpoint, the EOM program exposed me to the Saint-Gobain way of doing things,” said Ben. “I didn’t feel like just an ADFORS employee but had more visibility into what all of Saint-Gobain North America was doing. So now at my plant in Chicago, I know what Saint-Gobain wants across all its businesses and how I can drive those initiatives at my plant.”

As part of our current and largest EOM cohort to date, Jake Mcbride says working as a sustainability engineer has been an amazing opportunity for him. He’s been able to lead projects and contribute meaningful change, which is a different experience than many of his friends from college.

There are so many possibilities for career and personal growth with Saint-Gobain North America. And we are currently hiring for the next cohort of Essentials of Manufacturing Engineers in both the United States and Canada. Check out our open early career engineering jobs.

Southwire Company, LLC., the leading North American manufacturer of wire and cable, will tap Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ: PLUG), a global leader in hydrogen solutions for the green hydrogen economy, to implement a green hydrogen ecosystem at its new distribution site in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas.

This initiative marks Plug’s entry into the industrial supplier market, building on its established presence in the e-commerce and retail sectors. Through this partnership with Southwire, Plug is expanding its reach by demonstrating the versatility and appeal of its green hydrogen solutions in new markets.

Under the recently signed agreement, Plug will supply more than 50 hydrogen-powered forklifts, equipped with GenDrive fuel cells, and a fueling station featuring four GenFuel dispensers. Plug will also source hydrogen from one of its production facilities in Georgia, Tennessee or Louisiana. Additionally, Plug will provide on-site service for the fuel cells for an initial five-year period and maintain the hydrogen infrastructure for 10 years.

Aiming to accelerate carbon reduction goals from the supply chain, Southwire has embedded sustainability into the strategy and its business practices. The company’s commitment to sustainability encompasses promoting energy and water efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, sourcing and redesigning with sustainable materials and enhancing circular economy. The Plug solution is expected to displace over 1 million pounds of CO2 per year from our direct operations.

“The deployment of our hydrogen and fuel cell solutions at Southwire reflects our laser-focused commitment to our core markets and a return to the fundamentals that have driven our success,” said Plug CEO, Andy Marsh. “Today, sustainability is a critical factor in the decision-making processes of many organizations. Our innovative hydrogen infrastructure provides a sustainable alternative at any scale.”

“Our partnership with Plug Power is a testament to the commitment of our stakeholders, as well as our team members to ensure sustainability is part of our culture, embedded in our daily decision-making process,” said Se Oh, Southwire’s vice president of operations sustainability. “As we seek to discover what is possible, we’ll continue to leverage our partners such as Plug Power to help make Southwire generationally sustainable for the next 75 years and beyond.”

Plug revolutionized the material handling industry by establishing the first commercial market for fuel cells. Designed as direct replacements for traditional batteries, Plug’s fuel cells deliver reliable, consistent power while eliminating emissions. With the added benefit of clean hydrogen supply, Plug enables customers to keep their fleets running 24/7, maximizing productivity and operational efficiency.

About Plug Power

Plug is building the global hydrogen economy with a fully integrated ecosystem spanning production, storage, delivery, and power generation. A first mover in the industry, Plug provides electrolyzers, liquid hydrogen, fuel cell systems, storage tanks, and fueling infrastructure to industries such as material handling, industrial applications and energy producers—advancing energy independence and decarbonization at scale.

With electrolyzers deployed across five continents, Plug leads in hydrogen production, delivering large-scale projects that redefine industrial power. The company has deployed over 70,000 fuel cell systems and 250 fueling stations and is the largest user of liquid hydrogen. Plug is rapidly expanding its generation network to ensure reliable, domestically produced supply, with hydrogen plants currently operational in Georgia, Tennessee, and Louisiana, producing 39 tons per day.

With employees and state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities across the globe, Plug powers global leaders like Walmart, Amazon, Home Depot, BMW, and BP.
For more information, visit www.plugpower.com.

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

AllianceBernstein is honored to have been announced as the winner for the Best ESG Investment Fund: Thematic and Best ESG Research: Investment Manager at the ESG Investing Awards 2025. These awards celebrate the best in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) funds, research and products.

To learn more about the awards: https://www.esginvesting.co.uk/awards/

Learn more about AB’s approach to responsibility here.

About AllianceBernstein 
AllianceBernstein (AB) is a leading global investment management firm that offers diversified investment services to institutional investors, individuals, and private wealth clients in major world markets. We believe corporate responsibility, responsible investing and stewardship are intertwined.

To be effective stewards of our clients’ assets, we strive to invest responsibly—assessing, engaging on and integrating material issues, including environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into most of our actively managed strategies (approximately 79% of AB’s actively managed assets under management as of June 30, 2024). We also strive to hold ourselves as a firm to similar practices that we ask of issues. Our stewardship practices, investment strategy and decision-making are guided by our purpose, mission and values.

Our purpose—pursue insight that unlocks opportunity—inspires our firm to act responsibly. While opportunity means something different to each of our stakeholders; it always means considering the unique goals of each stakeholder. AB’s mission is to help our clients define and achieve their investment goals, explicitly stating what we do to unlock opportunity for our clients. We became a signatory to the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in 2011. This began our journey to formalize our approach to identifying responsible ways to unlock opportunities for our clients through integrating material ESG factors throughout most of our actively managed equity and fixed-income client accounts, funds and strategies. AB also engages issuers when it believes the engagement is in the best financial interest of its clients.

Because we are an active manager, our differentiated insights drive our ability to deliver alpha and design innovative investment solutions. Material ESG and climate issues are important elements in forming insights and in presenting potential risks and opportunities that can affect the performance of the companies and issuers that we invest in and the portfolios that we build.

Our values provide a framework for the behaviors and actions that deliver on our purpose and mission. Values align our actions. Each value emerges from the firm’s collective character—yet is also aspirational.

Invest in One Another means that we have a strong organizational culture where diversity is celebrated and mentorship is critical to our success. When we invest in one another, we empower our employees to reach their potential, so that they can help our clients realize theirs. This enables us to partner with clients to design and deliver improved investment outcomes.Strive for Distinctive Knowledge means that we collaboratively identify creative solutions to clients’ economic, ESG and climate- related investment challenges through our expertise in a wide range of investment disciplines, close collaboration among our investment experts and creative solutions.Speak with Courage and Conviction informs how we engage our AB colleagues and issuers. We seek to learn from other parts of our business to strengthen our own views. And we engage issuers for insight and action by sharing ideas and best practices.Act with Integrity—Always is the bedrock of our relationships and has specific meaning for our business. Unlike many other asset managers, we’re singularly focused on providing asset management and research to our clients. We don’t engage in activities that could be distracting, or create conflicts—such as investment banking, insurance writing, commercial banking or proprietary trading for our own account. We are unconflicted and fully accountable.

As of June 30, 2024, AB had $770B in assets under management, $539B of which were ESG-integrated. Additional information about AB may be found on our website, www.alliancebernstein.com.

Food fortification is one of the most cost-effective, scalable solutions to tackle hidden hunger – and yet, its full potential remains untapped.

At Griffith Foods, we believe fortification is a low-hanging fruit that can drive massive impact on public health. By adding essential vitamins and minerals to everyday foods, we can help prevent deficiencies, improve global food and nutrition security, and harness nutrition as a key driver of healthier, more sustainable food systems.

That’s why we are proud to have contributed to WBCSD’s new playbook, a practical resource for businesses to accelerate action on fortification.

Download the playbook here: https://lnkd.in/eaFHG4tt and let’s Create Better Together!

Our Sustainability Journey
At Griffith Foods, we are committed to driving positive impact through a regenerative mindset. Sustainability is connected to everything we do as a business, and by 2030, we are dedicated to significantly improving the future with a singular sustainable business strategy that we call our 2030 Aspirations. To learn more about Griffith Foods and its current sustainability efforts, visit them online and download the 2023 Sustainability Report.

About Griffith Foods
At Griffith Foods, our purpose defines who we are, what we do, and why we exist, highlighting what makes us distinct and authentic in the marketplace. We help our partners meet the evolving needs and desires of consumers in ways that respect and sustain the planet. Our care and creativity mean we’ll find the right mix of global reach and local impact to serve the earth and nourish all of us who call it home.

View original content here.

Cummins

Uchenna U.’s journey at Cummins Inc. showcases the power of curiosity, growth and making a lasting impact. Since joining the company in 2013, Uchenna has navigated a dynamic career path, with roles spanning engineering, quality, supply chain and marketing. His transition from mechanical engineering to business operations within Cummins underscores his adaptability and passion for learning, making him a prime example of the growth opportunities available at Cummins.

Born and raised in Nigeria, Uchenna moved to the U.S. to pursue higher education, earning a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, followed by a master’s in engineering management.  After completing his studies, he joined Cummins with a clear goal: to blend his technical expertise with a broader understanding of business. 

Today, he is part of a team that develops essential diagnostic tools for industries worldwide, and his work reduces downtime and boosts productivity. “I get to work with multiple stakeholders and manage initiatives across various projects. The diversity of my role adds a lot of excitement to my work,” Uchenna shares. 

As a Digital Product Marketing Manager within Cummins’ business operations, he contributes to a group that ensures the effectiveness, accessibility and impact of Cummins’ tools. One of the most rewarding aspects of his job is knowing that those diagnostic tools directly impact critical industries, minimizing downtime for engines and getting vital equipment back into service swiftly. This is especially crucial in sectors like healthcare, transportation and mining.

Despite the demands of his role, Uchenna places great importance on maintaining a work-life balance, which Cummins actively supports. He appreciates the company’s efforts to provide flexible work options, particularly in a remote-first world. “Cummins has always prioritized work-life balance. Even before remote work became widespread, they supported employee well-being,” he notes. This environment allows him to take time for personal reflection and growth while still achieving his professional goals.

Uchenna thrives in Cummins’ collaborative and supportive culture. He describes the company as a place where people genuinely care about each other’s success. “I often describe Cummins as a large organization with a family business vibe. Everyone genuinely cares, helps each other and wants the best for everyone,” he says. For Uchenna, the company’s culture is one of the most rewarding parts of his job. “It’s wonderful to work with people who care not just about the job but also about your development and well-being.”

As he looks to the future, Uchenna is excited about his career growth at Cummins. His goal is to continue expanding his business expertise and take on larger leadership roles within the company. “The opportunity to work on diverse projects and grow professionally is something I’m really excited about,” he remarks. He also acknowledges that Cummins offers an environment where employees can continuously grow, both professionally and personally.

Working at Cummins has empowered Uchenna to shape his career in the direction he’s always wanted. He believes the broad range of experiences he’s gained within the company, from engineering to marketing and business operations, has prepared him for the challenges and opportunities ahead. “The opportunity to steer my career in my desired direction, with the support of mentors and sponsors, has been crucial to my growth,” he reflects.

Uchenna’s journey at Cummins is more than just a career—it’s a testament to the power of curiosity, growth, and the drive to make a lasting impact. From engineering to business operations, he has embraced every opportunity to learn and expand his horizons, all while contributing to solutions that power vital industries across the globe. His story is a powerful reminder that at Cummins, the path you choose is just the beginning. With a culture that values collaboration, innovation, and personal growth, Cummins provides the opportunity to shape your future and create meaningful change. If you’re ready to power your potential and make a difference, Uchenna’s experience shows that at Cummins, the possibilities are limitless.

LINCOLN, Neb., March 17, 2025 /3BL/ – The Arbor Day Foundation celebrates its newest cohort of the Evergreen Alliance, a collective of corporate leaders committed to planting trees in cities and forests to create positive change.

“We are bold enough to believe in better days ahead, because our collaborators are committed to helping make them a reality. This group of forward-thinking leaders has demonstrated a willingness to go above and beyond to shape a better future for us all,” said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “We’ve seen the Evergreen Alliance help drive meaningful impact in big ways, and we’re eager to see our newest members embody that same ambition.”

The Evergreen Alliance’s newly inducted members include Enterprise Mobility, Publix, Truist, PwC, Clayton, Niagara Bottling, and KPMG. There are also several standing members that have committed to continuing their impact through the Evergreen Alliance, including FedEx, Georgia-Pacific, HP, Inc., International Paper, L’Oreal, Marriott International, P&G, Salesforce, and Verizon.

The Evergreen Alliance is a select group of Arbor Day Foundation collaborators committed to advancing trees and forests as natural solutions for corporate sustainability and citizenship goals. Members of the Evergreen Alliance contribute to high-impact tree planting projects and help drive innovation, discovery, and action alongside other leading organizations.

Corporations have an outsized ability to address some of the biggest challenges facing the planet by making bold investments in reforestation, community engagement, and the voluntary carbon market. Polling data from the Arbor Day Foundation’s Canopy Report indicates there’s a strong desire from Americans to see companies take a leading role in the fight against climate change.

The Arbor Day Foundation has helped hundreds of corporations leverage trees to achieve their sustainability goals. Click here to learn more about how to become a corporate partner of the Arbor Day Foundation.

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.

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LEEDS, England, March 17, 2025 /3BL/ – Antea Group UK is proud to announce that, through Inogen Alliance, we will be a first-time co-sponsor of the 10th annual Global Water Stewardship Forum hosted by the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS). This marks our debut year supporting the event, and we are excited to join industry leaders in advancing global water stewardship. The forum will take place June 24-25, 2025, in Edinburgh, Scotland.

As part of Inogen Alliance, Antea Group UK will co-sponsor the forum alongside Antea Group Brasil, Antea Group France, and Antea Group USA, as well as several of our Inogen Alliance associates, including Baden Consulting (Switzerland), Chola MS Risk Services Limited (CMSRS) (India), HPC France, HPC Italy, HPC Germany, Hydrophil (Austria), Mediterra (Spain), Peter J. Ramsay & Associates (Australia), and Tonkin + Taylor (New Zealand).

Since its launch in 2016, the AWS Global Water Stewardship Forum has become a cornerstone event for water stewardship professionals worldwide, fostering collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and strategic discussions on responsible water management.

“We’re thrilled to take part in our first AWS Global Water Stewardship Forum as a co-sponsor through Inogen Alliance,” shares Alex Perryman, Senior Client Director of Water Services at Antea Group UK. “Water stewardship is an increasingly critical issue in the UK and globally, and this event provides a unique opportunity to learn from industry experts, exchange insights, and contribute to shaping the future of sustainable water management. Through Inogen Alliance, our Water Working Group brings together over 30 professionals from 16 countries, all part of the AWS Professional Credentialing System, which supports the implementation of the globally recognized AWS Standard.”

This year, we are honoured to sponsor the event alongside organizations such as Diageo, Nutrien, and WWF.

Read Inogen Alliance’s press release on sponsoring here.

To learn more about the AWS Global Water Stewardship Forum 2025, visit thier website.

About Inogen Alliance

Inogen Alliance is a global network made up of 70+ local businesses and over 6,000 consultants around the world who can help make your project a success. Our Associates collaborate closely to serve multinational corporations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations, and we share knowledge and industry experience to provide the highest quality service to our clients. If you want to learn more about how you can work with Inogen Alliance, you can explore our Associates or Contact Us. Watch for more News & Blog updates here and follow us on LinkedIn.

About Antea Group UK

Antea®Group is an environment, health, safety, and sustainability consulting firm. By combining strategic thinking with technical expertise, we do more than effectively solve client challenges; we deliver sustainable results for a better future. We work in partnership with and advise many of the world’s most sustainable companies to address ESG-business challenges in a way that fits their pace and unique objectives. Our consultants equip organizations to better understand threats, capture opportunities and find their position of strength. Lastly, we maintain a global perspective on ESG issues through not only our work with multinational clients, but also through our sister organizations in Europe, Asia, and Latin America and as a founding member of the Inogen Alliance. 

Originally published on Aflac’s newsroom

When I look back over my 23 years in the philanthropic world, the highlights reel consists of a lot of inspiring moments — delivering smiles with My Special Aflac Duck® for children with cancer and sickle cell disease, creating special moments for children and families facing those same conditions, and tallying the ever-growing donations made to the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (which is now nearly $190 million to date).

I am a firm believer in the saying “there is strength in numbers.” It has been a privilege to share in moments when our employees get involved, whether it’s with the causes mentioned above or other activities throughout their own communities. There is a sense of passion and joy on display, not just in their volunteer work but in their day-to-day work, as well.

It’s something that I’ve known and felt for years, and with the Aflac WorkForces Report, we have the data to back it up: Corporate social responsibility (CSR) boosts well-being. In fact, a staggering 91% of employees who participate in their employers’ CSR initiatives say it has a positive impact.

At Aflac, this comes as no surprise — we are rooted in a culture of caring for others. We make a point to share our philanthropic activities regularly and invite employees to give back to causes that align with their passions. But for many organizations, the culture is different. According to the same report, 1 in 4 survey respondents who do not participate in CSR activities said they don’t know about their employers’ CSR efforts. Other reasons cited for not participating include that they either don’t see the impact of CSR activities or don’t feel encouraged by management to participate, emphasizing the importance of both companies and leadership communicating and encouraging participation in CSR efforts.

There lies a simple yet big opportunity: Talk about your company’s goodness more.

A few tips to make the most of your philanthropy program:

Storytelling is powerful. Share stories internally and externally that show your company’s purpose in action — perhaps also showcasing your employees in action. There is a delicate balance to consider — for example, we never want to appear boastful. We don’t consider Aflac to be the main character, but rather a supporting actor in the story of the individual or organization we’re supporting.Engage at all levels. Ensure your company’s policies allow for time to volunteer during work hours, and equip leaders and employees with details of upcoming opportunities that align with your company’s purpose.Incorporate CSR information into recruiting efforts. The Aflac WorkForces Report findings showed that CSR efforts also can boost employee recruitment and retention, as 77% of employees said employers’ CSR initiatives matter when making an employment decision — and 71% of employees indicated they currently participate in or are interested in participating in CSR initiatives.

Whatever role you play in your organization, I encourage you to gather a team together and take a few hours to volunteer with an organization or help your community. Most importantly, you’ll be giving time and resources to those in need, and you’ll likely build a stronger bond and greater respect — both for your colleagues and for your community.

# # #

Read about these findings and more from the Aflac WorkForces Report, visit Aflac.com/AWR.

Aflac WWHQ | 1932 Wynnton Road | Columbus, GA 31999

Z2401063 EXP 11/25

Originally published on Forbes

For millions around the world, washing clothes is a physically demanding and time-consuming task. Navjot Sawhney, founder of The Washing Machine Project, is dedicated to changing that. His incredible organization designs, manufactures, and distributes manual washing machines for people living in remote, low-income, and displaced communities worldwide.

“The ability to wash clothes, using an electric machine or a launderette, is something many of us take for granted,” Sawhney explained. “Yet for 60% of the global population, handwashing is a physically draining task that costs individuals, predominantly women and girls, up to 20 hours of their week. It affects people’s time, health, and ability to pursue an education, work, or even rest.”

Click here to continue reading on Forbes.

By Candace Higginbotham

When the Regions MagnusCards app was launched, Raleigh Branch Manager Nancy Lancaster put her own personal focus group to work to provide feedback.

“I have an adult son with autism,” Lancaster said. “When MagnusCards came out, I shared the app with him, and he was excited. His reaction let me know that this tool could be very impactful for the neurodivergent population.”

MagnusCards is an app that provides visual how-tos called Card Decks to help autistic and neurodivergent people perform home and community activities. The technology is produced by Magnusmode, a company that creates practical tools to improve everyday experiences for the neurodivergent population.

I have an adult son with autism. When MagnusCards came out, I shared the app with him, and he was excited.
Nancy Lancaster, Raleigh Branch Manager

The app uses a well-known concept called social stories – a learning tool that provides written or verbal stories that help autistic people understand what to expect in certain social situations and how to respond, cope and learn.

Last year, Regions collaborated with Magnusmode to offer the Regions MagnusCards app, which provides visual, audio and step-by-step instructions for bank transactions. Users can consult the app for assistance with activities such as using a debit card, opening a checking account, depositing a check, withdrawing cash at a Regions ATM and using online banking.

The app and cards allow people to practice before visiting the bank, making them more comfortable and confident before they even interact with a Regions banker.

The launch of MagnusCards was an important step in executing our priority to better serve customers with neurodiverse abilities.
Schiela Peña, Disability Services and Outreach Manager for Regions.

MagnusCards is the most recent addition to Regions’ efforts to accommodate people with autism, which include sensory packs in bank branches and quiet areas in Regions facilities that guests can use during sensory episodes.

“The launch of MagnusCards was an important step in executing our priority to better serve customers with neurodiverse abilities,” said Schiela Peña, disability services and outreach manager for Regions. “We’ve received positive feedback from customers and want to continue to raise awareness with our associates and community members about this useful tool that makes banking easier for many of our customers.”

Lancaster is doing her part to spread the word in Raleigh. “I know the importance of social stories to help prepare for big steps in life,” she said. “So, I introduce the app to all the teachers that come into the branch and to the parents of anyone in the neurodiverse community. One teacher I shared the app with was so excited to pass it along to her team and students.”

“Everyone that’s familiar with social stories loves the idea of MagnusCards. The more tools and information out there that allow this community to bank independently is good for everyone.”

Understanding the needs of all customers is an important part of serving our clients and communities, according to Jimmie Lawrence, Regions Consumer Banking leader for North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina.

“Nancy’s passion for helping individuals with special needs, particularly those who are neurodivergent, is not only commendable but also essential in fostering a more inclusive banking experience,” Lawrence said. “Financial literacy and independence are universal necessities, and by recommending tools like the MagnusCard app, we empower customers with the resources they need to confidently manage their finances.”

Financial literacy and independence are universal necessities, and by recommending tools like the MagnusCard app, we empower customers with the resources they need to manage their finances confidently.
Jimmie Lawrence, Regions Consumer Banking leader for North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina.

Lancaster’s support for the autistic and neurodivergent community doesn’t stop when she leaves the bank each day. It’s also a personal passion. She and her son are actively involved with Triangle Disability & Autism Services. According to Lancaster, her son takes part in the Triangle Self Advocacy Network (TSAN) program there, which is a group of self-advocates with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He also participates in First Friday, a social time for fun, games and hanging out with friends.

Recently, Lancaster organized a financial wellness session at Triangle Disability & Autism Services, where the local Regions team delivered the Money Basics for Life course, part of the Regions Next Step® financial education curriculum.

The Money Basics for Life course is tailored for people with disabilities and includes two learning modules, Managing Your Money and Credit and Identity Theft. These financial wellness lessons enhance independent living skills and help participants learn to make good financial decisions.

Lawrence took part in the session, his first time delivering financial education to an audience of people with disabilities.

“What stood out most was the eagerness of the participants to learn and take steps toward financial independence,” he said. “They did not see their disability as a limitation but rather embraced financial literacy as a means of empowerment. Witnessing their joy and determination underscored why we do what we do, and that’s serving the community in a way that truly makes a difference.”

Peña is thrilled about the Raleigh team’s enthusiasm and dedication – and all the great work going on throughout the Regions footprint to support the disability community.

“At Regions we want to ensure everyone has access to the tools and knowledge they need to succeed financially, regardless of their circumstances,” Peña said.

Lancaster agreed, saying, “This kind of inclusivity and increased access to banking is directly aligned with our mission at Regions to make life better,” she said. “We’re able to live our values and deliver a personalized path to financial confidence and well-being from someone who cares.”

In this short video, Lancaster talks about the importance of inclusive banking.For information about downloading and using the Regions MagnusCards app, go to regions.com. Learn more about Regions Next Step® Financial Wellness resources.