By Nate Paszczykowski, Fifth Third Bank

Fifth Third and community leaders celebrated the groundbreaking for a new full-service banking center in Cincinnati’s Avondale neighborhood, which has been without a standalone bank branch for nearly five years. 

The new branch is expected to open to the public in late summer or early fall and is among 15 banking centers Fifth Third plans to open in low- and moderate-income (LMI) or high minority (HMT) population census tracts this year. The branch will enable Fifth Third to increase financial access for the community while contributing to the revitalization of Avondale. 

Fifth Third prioritizes financial access and neighborhood revitalization through its Neighborhood Program, a community development initiative which creates and implements innovative place-based strategies to effect positive change in historically disinvested neighborhoods across the bank’s 11-state footprint. As Fifth Third strategically expands and opens new financial centers across the U.S., 30% of new branches in development will be in LMI and/or HMT areas. In addition to new centers, Fifth Third offers its Financial Empowerment Mobile, known as the eBus, and Banking to Go kiosks to address gaps in financial services in underserved communities. 

“At Fifth Third, we believe that strong banks need strong communities, and strong communities need strong banks,” said Kala Gibson, chief corporate responsibility officer for Fifth Third. “We are proud to contribute to the revitalization of Avondale by expanding financial access through this new branch, in addition to many other community investments in recent years.” 

Located in the Avondale Town Center, the new branch will be a model for innovation and sustainability, occupying 2,024 square feet in a storefront along Reading Road. The existing full service drive-up ATM in the town center parking lot will remain. Inside, the center’s open design will make it easy for customers to get quick digital service or discuss more complex banking products, like college savings plans, mortgages, or retirement solutions. The branch is expected to open in late summer or early fall 2025, with Walnut Hills-based Triversity Construction serving as the general contractor. Soul Palette, a local Cincinnati artist, will design and install a mural that celebrates Avondale’s history. 

Avondale, Cincinnati’s largest African American community, has experienced decades of disinvestment leading to population decline, aging housing stock and increased poverty. 

“The Avondale Development Corporation is excited to welcome Fifth Third to our Avondale community,” said Russell Hairston, executive director of the Avondale Development Corporation. “This is more than just a bank opening; it represents a commitment to Avondale’s future. This marks a significant step toward economic empowerment and neighborhood revitalization. By providing accessible financial services, small business support, and homeownership opportunities, Fifth Third is helping to create a more financially inclusive Avondale. We look forward to partnering with them on financial literacy programs, workforce development initiatives, and community investment strategies that will uplift residents and drive sustainable growth, which aligns with ADC’s mission to foster sustainable community development.” 

In partnership with the Avondale Development Corporation and other community partners, Fifth Third has made $33.6 million in direct investments into Avondale and helped catalyze $17.9 million from other entitles for a total financial impact of $51.5 million. 

Key initiatives include: 

• Blair Lofts: The Fifth Third Community Development Corporation invested $15.5 million into Blair Lofts in 2021. The 64-unit affordable housing development located on Reading Road features one-, two-, or three-bedroom apartments, on-site management and amenities that include laundry, resident storage spaces, a community kitchen and a fitness center. Fifth Third also funded wrap-around services such as a move-in care package for residents, financial education workshops, funding so that 55 children could attend a summer camp, furnishing for the community room, and five desktop computers and furnishings for a computer lab. 
• Digital Accessibility: Fifth Third has been working to help close the digital divide and bring Avondale residents into the technology mainstream. Key partners in the effort include the Avondale Development Corporation, Uptown Consortium Inc., and the University of Cincinnati. Following a community-wide assessment of the neighborhood and its needs, in fall 2024 the partners began replacing non-functional and outdated equipment at eight housing complexes and adding service in two locations that were not previously served, thanks to funding from the United Way of Greater Cincinnati. In early 2025, 319 apartments are expected to have free internet connectivity, including 779 residents and 374 school-age students. Six free outdoor hotspots are also being installed along Reading Road. The final phase includes a neighborhood-wide Wi-Fi project that will provide free and/or discounted servicing throughout all of Avondale. 

The post Fifth Third bank breaks ground on new branch in Avondale appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

By Russell Hairston

Executive Director

Avondale Development Corporation

and

Robyn Judge

Senior Vice President

Community Impact Territory Manager

Fifth Third Bank.

Cincinnati has seen remarkable progress and innovation in recent years. At the same time, the heart of many of our neighborhoods is at risk. Large-scale investment can lead to intentional and unintentional displacement of low-income residents who have helped build and shape the city for decades. Ensuring legacy residents are part of a neighborhood’s growth is possible, but it takes organizations stepping out in a visionary way to understand what residents seek, aspire to, and embrace before making plans to address what is missing. It requires communication, collaboration, and co-design of related community plans and neighborhood programming.

Too many communities have endured years of wealth extraction and income disparities due to racial inequities and a lack of basic services like grocery stores and pharmacies. In turn, these structural inequities create an influence vacuum where residents feel socially, economically, and politically isolated and abandoned by the decision makers and institutions that can impact the community’s direction. Structural inequities also lead to disassociation and apathy, which may be viewed as non-commitment to growth opportunities. 

Strategic, resident-driven partnerships in the community have the power to repair these structural inequities. 

Over two years ago, Avondale Development Corporation was selected by Fifth Third Bank and Enterprise Community Partners to participate in the Empowering Black Futures Neighborhood Program, created to advance economic mobility in disinvested communities. Our economic mobility plan in Avondale centers on erasing structural inequities. 

Organizing resident-driven endeavors like ours with multiple stakeholders can be daunting, but this collaborative process is critical to the future success of communities. There’s almost always going to be limited funding for community-based nonprofits, regardless of location. Yet, in the most underinvested places, relationship building is simultaneously the most difficult and most essential factor driving meaningful and lasting change. 

Nonprofits, business owners, and institutions of all types must ground their transformative work in the strengths and desires of the area’s most important stakeholders—its residents—through active listening. Stakeholders will always have some divergent perspectives, but this tension can sometimes force meaningful progress that is critical to successful outcomes. This listening and community engagement process can overcome barriers and aggravators, like underfunded programs, costly environmental obsolescence, distrust of the collaborative process, and leadership voids, to build an aligned community-driven plan that reflects the shared goals of all stakeholders. 

While municipal funding and creative leadership are key, public-private partnerships are essential for bridging funding, capacity, and skills gaps. Avondale is fortunate to have the benefit of anchor institutions that support community development work in many different capacities.  It has become essential that nonprofit organizations within greater Cincinnati or cities across the country have this access to high levels of expertise, resources, capacity building, and partnership to grow communities.

A lack of anchor institutions, however, should not deter any neighborhoods from seeking resident-led transformation. Collective public, private, and nonprofit partnerships require a shared understanding of community challenges and a willingness to participate in creative solutions. Local public schools, community councils, places of worship, business owners, public safety officials, recreation centers, and libraries, in addition to peer nonprofits, are potential stakeholders in the process and together bring the same strengths as anchor institutions. In Avondale, the city of Cincinnati, Uptown Consortium, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Recreation Commission, Avondale Community Council, and other essential partners have been vital to the success of Empowering Black Futures and other programs and initiatives.

Once partners are in place, there’s often a tendency to focus too narrowly on how to shape the neighborhood’s future. Instead, look at an issue from multiple angles, add new stakeholders, or simply start with what you have. A one-year program grant may be enough to start and produce results that impact an important residential need or draw resources, but, a two- to five-year program that mobilize resources and investments to create high-opportunity neighborhoods is a winning strategy to address the goal of stronger, more resilient communities.

With Avondale’s transformational change, significant partnerships were secured after the neighborhood created its resident-driven plan in 2020. Then, many major funders, like Fifth Third, arrived or were brought in to implement a sustainable, measurable plan focused on investing in affordable housing, supporting small businesses, and improving quality of life. With the foundation of the community plan and buy-in from stakeholders in place, we elevated our partnership with Artworks to create a youth mural depicting Avondale’s historic figures, expanded the ROOTS Ambassadors trauma healing program through our partnership with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and provided funding to Avondale homeowners for essential repairs, while investing in affordable housing development to promote equity and ownership through our partnerships with Kaiser Development and Kingsley + Co.

In Avondale, our economic mobility plan is helping drive forward the programs and investments aligned with the community’s successful Quality of Life plan. As a result, we’re attracting new partners, interested investors, and innovative design specialists, both local and national, who want to be a part of the neighborhood’s resident-led transformation, too. 

One of the hardest challenges to overcome when building partnerships is identifying and centering shared goals. Without a common vision, it is easy for partnerships to stray from their original neighborhood-based intentions. Through Avondale’s success, neighborhoods across Cincinnati and the country can build sustainable, resilient communities by harnessing resident-driven partnerships and essential collaboration. 

The post Empowering black futures in Cincinnati neighborhoods appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

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Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024

BFR College Tour

(sponsored by Western & Southern Financial Group)

Location: Tour will depart from Fountain Square at 9:30 a.m.

and tour the following schools: Wilberforce University and Central State University

BFR Job Fair

(presented by Superior Career Fairs)

Location: Cincinnati Music Hall

1241 Elm St., Cincinnati, OH 45202

11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

BFR Speaks

(presented by First Financial Bank)

Keynote Speaker: Roland Martin

Location: Corinthian Baptist Church

1920 Tennessee Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45237

7 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 16, 2024

BFR Heritage Breakfast

(presented by Fifth Third Bank)

Keynote Speaker: Sheryl Long

Location: Fountain Square

9 a.m. – 11 a.m.

BFR College Tour

(sponsored by Western & Southern Financial Group)

Location: Tour will depart from Fountain Square at 9:30 a.m. and tour the following schools: Wilberforce University and Central State University.

BFR Historic Tour of Black Cincinnati

(presented by Metro)

Location: The tour will leave at 11 a.m. immediately following the Heritage Breakfast from Fountain Square with transportation provided by Metro. The tour is free and open to the public.

BFR Lounge Honoring Courtis Fuller

Location: First Financial Bank Community Innovation Center

1 East Fourth St., Cincinnati, OH 45202

Noon – 8 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024

BFR Parade

(sponsored by Nissan)

Avondale Town Center

Grand Marshall: Annie Ruth

10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

BFR @ Sawyer Point + Urban Concert Series

Featuring Doug E. Fresh (mainstage opens @ 5 p.m.)

Sawyer Point Park

Noon – 8 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024

BFR @ Sawyer Point + Gospel Concert Series

Featuring Ricky Dillard (mainstage opens @ 5 p.m.)

Sawyer Point Park

Noon – 8 p.m.

The post Exciting events planned for 36th annual BFR appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

Fifth Third announced the second cohort of its Empowering Community Leaders career development growth program, aimed at fostering the next generation of nonprofit leaders in the communities the Bank serves. 

“When nonprofit organizations have the resources they need to succeed, the benefits become exponential,” said Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer Kala Gibson. “It means more effective programs that better serve the community, which leads to greater success, more demand, and the ability to hire and onboard more new employees.” 

The Empowering Community Leaders program was launched in 2022 to provide resources and training to nonprofit leaders across Fifth Third’s footprint. Each leader is nominated for participation in the 18-month-long program by Fifth Third’s community impact managers. 

Jointly funded by the Fifth Third Foundation and Fifth Third, ECL provides nonprofit leaders with lessons in leadership development, technical skills and specialized certifications that enable access to resources and knowledge necessary to achieve great community outcomes. 

“The Fifth Third Foundation is dedicated to strengthening our communities,” said Heidi B. Jark, managing director of the Fifth Third Foundation. “This program equips and empowers community and nonprofit leaders with the skills and knowledge to create positive and long-lasting impacts and pathways to opportunity.” 

The ECL program provides nonprofit leaders with access to training and development through several national organizations: 

• Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education: Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership 
• Grow America (formerly the National Development Council): Rental housing development certification. 
• Resilia: Nonprofit capacity building program 

The post Fifth Third empowering nonprofit leaders appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

Contributed

Cincinnati Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney and Cincinnati City Council honored Royce Sutton with a resolution presented from City Council for his outstanding career with Fifth Third Bank, superior leadership in government, and legendary commitment to community inclusivity and economic development in Cincinnati and abroad.

Sutton is an experienced Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) compliance manager with more than 20 years of regulatory and community development achievement. In leadership at Fifth Third Bank, he  headed a new $180 million investment project to redevelop neighborhoods. This project, one of the most important projects in the history of Fifth Third Bank, was created to enhance predominantly Black neighborhoods nationwide, including the Cincinnati neighborhood of Avondale.

The post Fifth third bank leader recognized for commitment to community appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

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Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney and The City of Cincinnati are partners in the two-day OwnBlkCincy Homeownership Symposium scheduled for 9 a.m. — 4 p.m. on Friday, June 28 and Saturday, June 29 at Xavier University’s Cintas Center. Free lunch and parking will be provided for Friday, and free breakfast, lunch, child care, parking and Metro passes are provided for Saturday. Union Savings Bank and Guardian Savings Bank are the presenting sponsors, and Fifth Third Bank is the title sponsor.

On Friday, June 28, the symposium will focus on policy to address homeownership challenges. A few examples are lack of housing inventory, the need for down payment and home repair assistance, racial bias in appraisals and more. Mayor Aftab Pureval, City Manager Sheryl Long, State Sen. Cathy Ingram, State Reps. Sedrick Denson, Dani Isaacsohn and Cecil Thomas, County Commission Vice President Denise Driehaus and others will weigh in on the discussions with representatives from HOME, LISC, 10k Appraisers, Working in Neighborhoods, and other organizations. Anthony Forté, a representative from the HUD Regional Office in Columbus will speak during lunch.

On Saturday, June 29, U.S. Senator Sherod Brown (virtually), U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman, and Hamilton County Commissioner President Alicia Reece will greet future and current homeowners. There will be workshops on how to purchase a home, maintain and renovate a home, invest in multifamily housing, hire contractors, and make do-it-yourself home repairs. They’ll also learn how to find needed resources for down payments, maintenance, and investing. Celebrity guest, comedian Mike Epps will share his real estate journey. Made famous through his appearances in numerous movies and TV shows including “Def Comedy Jam” and “Next Friday,” Mike Epps has a proven track record in developing affordable housing. He and his wife recently had a show on HGTV called “Buying Back the Block” which showed their journey in revitalizing the neighborhood in which he grew up, combating gentrification and bringing affordable housing to the area. 

Attendees will be able to walk through the Wealth Building Marketplace and discover how 13 nonprofits and 10 lending partners can assist them in building their financial future and establishing generational wealth. Organizations include HUD, the Urban League, HOME, LISC, Working in Neighborhoods, Price Hill Will, the City of Cincinnati, Hamilton County, the Port Authority, CMHA, the Community Action Agency, and many others. 

Lincoln Ware on Friday, and Ebony J on Saturday will broadcast LIVE from the symposium! Doors open at 9 a.m. on Friday, and 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, at Xavier University’s Cintas Center.

For more information and to register, visit www.ownblkcincy.org.

The post Comedian Mike Epps shares housing journey appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

By Marla Hurston Fuller

Office of Human Relations

City of Cincinnati

In recognition of Juneteenth, the City of Cincinnati’s Office of Human Relations (OHR) is collaborating with Kai Stoudemire-Williams, community advocate and Black is Excellence founder, on the fifth annual citywide marketing campaign, Black is Excellence (BIE). The campaign celebrates the numerous contributions to the city of 15 of Cincinnati’s finest. The honorees will be featured on banners that will be on display downtown and in surrounding areas beginning June 1 through July 1.

Sponsored by Fifth Third Bank, 2024’s Black is Excellence theme, “We’re not next. We’re now,” this year’s artistic direction is inspired by local photographer Ninamdot, BIE’s creative director, who designed the digital content and artwork on the street banners.

Black is Excellence’s visual campaign aims to acknowledge and promote diversity, inclusion and representation, and to celebrate the achievements of local Black/African Americans. It’s also a way to ensure that Black/African Americans see themselves represented truthfully and accurately in print and digital media.

Kai Stoudemire-Williams said, “Black is Excellence is committed to honoring local hometown heroes that are actively creating spaces for future generations to thrive.” She refers to Fannie Lou Hamer’s quote “We are to work for the not yet but function as if it already is, our responsibility is to build for a generation that is not yet born, that’s all you can do with your time, with your space, with the gifts that you’ve been given, build for those who have not yet been born.”

The fight for justice continues through the work of Black leaders and allies, organizers and advocates who ensure all lives feel loved, listened to and affirmed in the spaces we call home and in every corner of our democracy.

Paul M. Booth, Office of Human Relations division manager, said that Black is Excellence is an important time to reflect on the contributions of African Americans today and in the history of our great city. “It is important because, as we have discovered, in too many instances these contributions have been either deliberately ignored or are just not known or recognized,” he said.

“I am proud to work for an organization that continues to recognize African American trailblazers in our communities,” said Phenise Poole, senior vice president and deputy general counsel for Fifth Third Bank. “Our continued support of this campaign shows our commitment both to celebrating our leaders’ achievements and recognizing that we all play a part in creating a community of belonging.”

The 2024 BIE honorees are:

Andra’ Ward — President, chief culture & transformation office, KhafreWard

Donna Robinson — Police chief of Cincinnati State

Chenelle B. Price, Ph.D. — Founder/CEO, LIMBright Education

Rikki Lee — CEO/founder, The Rikki Lee Agency

Sylvia Brownlee — CEO/founder Skin by Brownlee & Co

Deasa Dorsey — Founder, I Can Health

Manny Addo — CEO, True Shea 

Delores Hargrove-Young — Vice chairwoman of d.e. Foxx & Associates, Inc. 

Ozie Davis — President, Ozie Davis & Associates 

Renee Mahaffey-Harris — President/CEO, Center for Closing the Health Gap

Natasha Williams — Resident Lush/CEO

LeAndre McFadgen — Vice president, business controls manager, Fifth Third Bank

Samantha Rogers — Assistant vice president/Lead business analyst, Fifth Third Bank

Brian Thomas — Associate general counsel/SVP, Fifth Third Bank

Barbara Turner — CEO/founder, BT RISE

“There’s a long list of influential African Americans who made their mark on society either as dreamers, brave achievers or innovators,” said Booth. “We not only celebrate Black men and women, but we remember their sacrifices, their determination and resilience in the face of adversity. The Office of Human Relations is committed to recognizing the historical and present-day contributions made for the advancement of our society.”

      Additional visual locations for the BIE project can be found at:

• Fountain Square’s LED screen.
• Fountain Square’s Plaza Garage
• Orange Barrell Media LED screen outside Kroger on Vine Street.
• Findlay Market.
• The “Cincinnati” sign at the Cincinnati Convention Center and interior LED screen colors will be changed to red, yellow and green.
• Washington Park LED screens in the parking garage entrances. 

To learn more about BIE, visit blackisexcellence.com or @blkisexcellence on Instagram.

The Office of Human Relations serves as a catalyst to promote the building of positive relationships between and among the various groups and cultures that make up Cincinnati. The office works to mobilize institutions and individuals to resolve diversity issues while developing mechanisms to ensure fair treatment of all persons.

The office also functions as an integral part of furthering relationships between various community groups and the City of Cincinnati Government.

A celebration of Black History Month, the Black is Excellence campaign seeks to acknowledge, celebrate and promote the contributions African Americans are making in our communities. The BIE campaign aims to acknowledge and promote diversity, inclusion and representation and to celebrate the achievements of Cincinnati’s African Americans. 

The post Black is Excellence honors unsung local hometown heroes appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

By Tiffaney Hardy

Vice President

Senior Public Relations Manager  

Fifth Third Bank

Fifth Third Bank, National Association has announced that its Empowering Black Futures Neighborhood (EBF) Program featured locally in Avondale has in two years already exceeded the program’s $180 million, three-year commitment. The program has invested $187 million in nine low-to-moderate income neighborhoods that have experienced disinvestment. Fifth Third also is extending technical assistance related to the program by an additional year, through 2025, to ensure continued, sustained impact and progress. 

“While we have exceeded our original financial commitment of $20 million in the Avondale community, it’s really about our long-lasting commitment to enhancing the lives and providing safe, affordable housing for those who call Avondale home,” said Tim Elsbrock, regional president, Fifth Third Bank of Cincinnati. “We are proud of our partnerships that enable us to strengthen the communities we serve in the Greater Cincinnati region.”

Fifth Third announced comprehensive updates for the neighborhoods, along with progress on additional initiatives to drive transformation in low-to-moderate income areas, in its inaugural Community Impact Report.

The Community Impact Report illustrates Fifth Third’s commitment to building stronger communities and promoting inclusion by partnering directly with individuals in those communities to achieve their plans. Fifth Third’s Empowering Black Futures Neighborhood program effort has five key goals: to create equitable connected systems; improve upward mobility among residents; build inclusive civic infrastructure; promote prosperous small businesses; and develop healthy built environments.

“We’ve been intentional about working with our community stakeholders over the past several years,” said Jada Grandy-Mock, senior vice president and chief community impact officer. “These partnerships have enabled us to pioneer a new model for how we create pathways for economic mobility in low-to-moderate income areas. It’s not just about capital infusion, products and services, but about making connections and bringing the right partners to the table. We’re excited about having a report of sharing our impact in the community across our footprint.” 

The Avondale Development Corporation has been integral to the success of this program in Cincinnati’s Avondale neighborhood by serving as a facilitator and collaborator in the community.

“Our partnership with Fifth Third is not merely another project; it’s a testament to our commitment to building a community where everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic status can thrive,” said Avondale Development Corporation Executive Director Russell Hairston. “In the pursuit of a more equitable society, our partnership and community-led approach exemplifies our vision for a brighter future where together, we can redefine what it means to live in dignity and hope. We remain, thrilled to be part of the EBF program.”

Specific projects of investment in Avondale include: 

• Blair Lofts (64 units of affordable housing units)
• Avondale Home Improvement Program (made critical repairs on 35 existing homes with the Avondale Development Corp. and the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority)
• Empowering Black Futures Capital Readiness Grant Awardees in Avondale including a $5,300 grant, technical support, business coaching, and business health assessment for the following businesses to prepare for future capital investment:
• Arielle Nelson, Saturday Morning Vibes Cereal Bar owner 
• Dr. Jamila Maddox, Cincinnati Healing Arts LLC

“Our Empowering Black Futures Program extends Fifth Third’s goal of building strong neighborhoods and improving the upward mobility by increasing access in the Avondale neighborhood,” said Royce Sutton Fifth Third’s community impact territory manager for the Cincinnati region.“Our place-based approach to community development represents our continued commitment to transform the neighborhoods and empower the residents in the communities we serve as a pivotal step towards a better tomorrow.”

Fifth Third collaborated with Enterprise Community Partners and key community organizations in each of the neighborhoods to foster implementation of community-driven economic mobility plans. 

“It’s been a distinct privilege to work with Fifth Third on their transformative neighborhood program,” said Jacqueline Waggoner, president, solutions division, Enterprise Community Partners.  “This program represents a unique and innovative approach, and they are leading it in every way. It’s not just their significant financial investments that are making a difference. Their local teams are on the ground helping to lead and contribute to the development of sustainable, community-driven solutions.” 

To read the Community Impact Report in full, visit www.53.com/CIR.

The post Fifth Third Bank exceeds commitment to Empowering Black Futures program appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

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Now in its 13^th year, Men of Honor | A Salute to African American Men will take place on Saturday, November 18, 2023 at 6:00 PM at the Duke Energy Convention Center. This upscale, strictly black tie event was created to provide an exciting and unique opportunity for the community to celebrate the accomplishments of African American men who have succeeded against all odds and achieved special greatness.  Our 2023 distinguished honorees are:

• Joe Allen, Business System Operations Leader, Commercial Engines & Services, GE Aerospace

• Jim Anderson, Retired Running Backs Coach, Cincinnati Bengals

• Woodrow Keown, Jr., President & Chief Operating Officer, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

• Jeremiah Kirkland, President & COO, Bethesda Butler Hospital & Executive Leader of Women’s Services, TriHealth

• Royce A. Sutton, Senior Vice President, Community Investment Manager, Fifth Third Bank

The event is presented by Fifth Third Bank, Friends of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, GE Aerospace, and TriHealth | bi3. The evening will include a cocktail reception hosted by Visit Cincy; dinner and honors ceremony with inspiring tributes and live entertainment; and an after party hosted by Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

Each honoree will receive a $5,000 grant from the 7 Principles Foundation to designate to an organization of his choice that serves African American males. 

Tickets are $200 per person. Valet parking is complimentary.  For more information, please call 513.733.1555 or visit www.theabercrumbiegroup.com/menofhonor.

Meet the honorees:

Joe Allen is Business System Operations leader for Commercial Engines and Services at GE Aerospace. In this role, he collaborates across functions to translate business plans into operational plans for execution while leveraging his cross-functional experience and deep business and financial acumen to help drive cost. Allen joined GE in 1989 as part of GE’s Financial Management Program and later joined the corporate audit staff. In his 12 moves with the company, he has held progressive financial leadership roles across GE businesses in numerous locations, including New York, Atlanta and Singapore.

In Cincinnati, Allen led GE’s Global Operations at The Banks, where employees represented at least 25 nationalities. Later as chief diversity officer, he led the creation and implementation of diversity programs and institutional accountability.

Allen’s passion for developing a diverse and inspired next generation of leaders is demonstrated by his participation in the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, United Way and the University of Cincinnati, to name a few. He and his wife, Mary, have four children.

Jim Anderson is a retired running backs coach for the Cincinnati Bengals. He was the first African American coach to work for the Bengals, and he did so for 29 seasons, giving him the longest uninterrupted coaching tenure in franchise history.

Anderson coached a long line of running backs to outstanding performances with five of them earning spots in the Pro Bowl. He received the Fritz Pollard Lifetime Achievement Award, named for the man who became the first African American assistant coach in 1921.

Just as Anderson was all-in on the football field, he is now all-in in service to the Cincinnati community and schools. At Bond Hill Academy, he is the chairman of the Donald Spencer Reading Academy, where he tutors third graders in reading and helps to coordinate activities beyond the classroom for exposure and experiences to enhance student desire to reach higher. He also works with and tutors the students of Winton Hills Academy. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and Alpha Delta Boule. He and his wife, Marcia, have a son, Derek, daughter-in-law, Minette, and two grandsons.

Jeremiah Kirkland is president and chief operating officer of Bethesda Butler Hospital and the executive leader for Women’s Services at TriHealth. In these roles, he is responsible for strategy, growth, finance, logistics, and support services, including technical components of perioperative operations.

Previously, he worked at Strong Memorial Hospital, the University of Rochester medical center, where he was a senior administrator supporting strategic planning and operations management for clinic and surgical/procedural areas. He also led numerous service lines, including women’s primary care, and GI and hepatology.

Prior to that, he worked for 14 years at Rochester General Hospital, flagship of the Rochester Regional Health System in New York. He holds a master’s degree in health administration from Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester and a BA in health care administration from State University of New York-Brockport. He is board certified in health care management through the American College of Healthcare Executives.  Jeremiah and his wife, Lavonda, have two children.

Woodrow Keown Jr. is president and chief operating officer of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. In this role, he is responsible for the overall executive leadership of the organization, including strategic planning, financial management, governance, organization development, operations and external relations.

Since his tenure began in Nov. 2019, he has guided the organization through a significant turnaround based on a transformational strategic plan and organizational restructuring, most notably, a plan to generate new sustainable sources of revenue. In 2013, Woody retired from Procter & Gamble with over 35 years of experience. He led P&G’s creation and globalization of Swiffer and Febreze, both in the coveted “Billion Dollar” brand club; co-led development of a new corporate technology core competency; and collaborated with start-ups and venture capital firms. With two personal businesses under his belt, he is a globally recognized leader in the field of new business development, entrepreneurship, and innovation. He and his wife, Edna, have one adult daughter.

Royce Sutton serves as senior vice president, community investment manager, for Fifth Third Bank. In this role, he leads the bank’s efforts to build community-based partnerships, investment strategies, and philanthropy across Ohio, Northern Kentucky and West Virginia.

He manages a $5 million philanthropic budget focused on transformation and impact, and he also drives the bank’s $180 million Empowering Black Futures program in under-invested neighborhoods. This initiative is impacting neighborhoods, such as Avondale, with new affordable leased and market-rate single family housing, capital access for small businesses, public art, and Wi-Fi access.

Sutton serves as board president of the Avondale Development Corporation, treasurer of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber Board of Trustees, a reading tutor at Rockdale Academy Elementary School, a member of the Cincinnati UNCF Advisory Council, a board member of the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio and a trustee at New Prospect Baptist Church. He and his wife, Lori, have four adult children.

The post Men of Honor salutes its five 2023 distinguished honorees appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

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Women Helping Women is thrilled to announce that strong community support of the organization’s mission culminated in a record-breaking $10 million fundraising campaign that nearly doubled our $5.6 million goal. 

WHW’s “Rise Beyond Violence” campaign will strengthen and expand ongoing work to support survivors of gender-based violence in Hamilton, Butler, Brown, and Adams Counties. Throughout the organization’s 50 years, we continue to reach a record-breaking number of survivors — in 2023, we’re on track to break another record of serving 9,000. 

“The vision of the Rise Beyond Violence campaign is to fully serve 50,000 survivors and reach 25,000 students and community members within five years,” says WHW CEO Kristin Shrimplin. “We cannot afford to stand by and continue to increase our response to the gender-based violence epidemic. Rates continue to spike, and prevention is the only sustainable solution.”  

The generous support of both public and private partners highlights regional support for a comprehensive, public health response to the gender-based violence epidemic. The $10 million investment over the next five years will strengthen the agency’s commitment to intervention and innovation while expanding prevention efforts. 

Francie Pepper, philanthropist, and wife of former Procter & Gamble Co. CEO John Pepper was one of the generous community donors of the campaign: “From the time I was a young woman, I was impassioned to stand with survivors. It mattered to me then, as it matters to my husband and me now, that survivors are not only supported but empowered. That is why we are honored to invest significantly  in the innovative “Rise Beyond Violence” campaign. Over the years, WHW continues to “think outside the box,” and the Campaign gives the agency the freedom to expand its groundbreaking Survivor Equity Fund. Now, it will support over 800 survivors a year and aid them in tackling financial obstacles, preventing eviction, and finding safety in their homes.” 

The overwhelming response to the campaign came from all corners of the region, including Fifth Third  Bank and bi3. 

“bi3 is leading the way to a day when every person has a just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. Intimate partner violence disproportionately affects women of color, particularly mothers,” Jill Miller,  President & CEO of bi3, said. “Our $1.5 million investment was a building block to fuel others to invest in this vital campaign. Expanding the DVERT program will better support women throughout Hamilton  County.” 

DVERT™ (Domestic Violence Enhanced Response Team) is a trauma-focused crisis response team that  provides an on-call, on-scene response to domestic violence survivors to avert gender-based violence and to prevent children from growing up in violent homes. DVERT™ provides on-scene safety planning, access to resources, empowerment, and engagement in ongoing support services. 

“As a member of the Cabinet of the Rise Beyond Violence Campaign, I am proud of how Fifth Third showed up with a leadership investment of $300,000 to empower Women Helping Women’s vision to serve 50,000 survivors and educate 25,000 young people on prevention,” said Stephanie A. Smith, chief  inclusion officer for Fifth Third Bank. “This work matters to me and matters to Fifth Third. The inequities of violence demand collaborative and innovative solutions. From the corporate boardroom to the classroom, courtrooms, emergency rooms, and the living rooms of our homes–it’s on all of us to lean in  and lend influence, investment, and actions to prevent gender-based violence and to empower all survivors.” 

Women Helping Women is recognizing its 50th anniversary of supporting survivors of gender-based violence. Prevention, intervention, and innovation are the core pillars of the organization’s strategic vision that will be enhanced as a result of this generous giving.

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