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Associated Press
13 hours ago
- Business
- Associated Press
KeyBank Recognized as One of the 50 Most Community-Minded Employers in the Greater Philadelphia Region
PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA, June 27, 2025 /3BL/ – KeyBank has been named a 2025 honoree of the Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia by the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia (the Chamber), in partnership with globally recognized nonprofit Points of Light, lead partner the Philadelphia Foundation, and other local partners. Modeled after Points of Light's national program, the Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia measures and recognizes civic-minded companies using their time, talent, and resources to drive social impact within their organizations and communities – setting the standard for civic engagement in the region. 'At KeyBank, we believe that being a good corporate citizen means showing up for our communities with purpose and consistency,' said KeyBank Eastern Pennsylvania Market President Youseff Tannous. 'We are honored to be recognized as one of the Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia honorees. This distinction reflects the deep commitment of our teammates who invest their time, talents and resources to help our neighborhoods thrive. It's a proud moment for all of us at KeyBank to be acknowledged for doing what we believe in—making a meaningful difference where we live and work.' The 2025 Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia honorees represent private and public companies, as well as nonprofits, agencies, and institutions (e.g., hospitals and universities) of more than 10 employees operating in the 11-county Greater Philadelphia region. They have been selected based on four dimensions of their community engagement program: Since 2011, the national Civic 50 has provided a national standard for superior corporate citizenship and has showcased how companies drive social impact in their business and within the community. 'The Chamber is proud to recognize KeyBank as a 2025 honoree of the Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia,' said Chellie Cameron, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber. 'Each of this year's honorees are valued members of Greater Philadelphia's business community, exemplifying what it means to be a positive corporate citizen and demonstrating the power of service. We thank KeyBank for their efforts to drive impact and congratulate them on this tremendous achievement.' In keeping with the Chamber's efforts to drive regional impact and achieve its vision, it also serves as home to the Greater Philadelphia Corporate Volunteer Network (GPCVN), a community of diverse businesses committed to giving back to their communities. The Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia honorees were officially recognized on Thursday, June 26, 2025, at an Honoree Reveal Celebration hosted at the Cira Centre. The Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia Self-Assessment is administered by True Impact, a company specializing in helping organizations maximize and measure their social and business value, and consists of quantitative and multiple-choice questions that inform the scoring process. To learn more about the Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia and its honorees, please visit About Keycorp In 2025, KeyCorp celebrates its bicentennial, marking 200 years of service to clients and communities from Maine to Alaska. To learn more, visit KeyBank Heritage Center. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $189 billion at March 31, 2025. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit KeyBank Member FDIC. About the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia works together with members, investors, and stakeholders, to realize our bold vision: Greater Philadelphia is a top global destination for business and a leader in inclusive growth. As the metro-regional chamber of commerce serving the 11-county, tri-state Greater Philadelphia region, we are the premier organization to convene and connect business, government, and civic leaders to drive economic growth and prosperity for all. Learn more at About Points of Light Points of Light is a nonpartisan, global nonprofit organization that inspires, equips, and mobilizes millions of people to create positive change through volunteering and civic engagement. Through work with nonprofits, companies and social impact leaders, the organization galvanizes volunteers to meet critical needs in communities. As the world's largest organization dedicated to increasing volunteer service, Points of Light engages more than 3.8 million volunteers across 32 countries. For more information, visit Partners for Greater Philadelphia Civic 50 Regional partners with the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia on the Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia are the Philadelphia Foundation (lead partner), Greater Philadelphia Corporate Volunteer Network, Philanthropy Network, and True Impact (National Partner). ### Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from KeyBank

RNZ News
11-06-2025
- RNZ News
Rotorua homeless trespassed in Amohia St in council operation with police
Rough sleepers and their possessions outside the Salvation Army store on Amohia Street. Photo: Kelly Makiha Homeless people have been moved on and trespassed from a makeshift camp in Rotorua's CBD in a scene a charity worker described as "heartbreaking". The Rotorua Lakes Council said its operation, with support from police, was respectful, safe and necessary given concerns about antisocial behaviour by rough sleepers on Amohia Street. People have been staying outside the Salvation Army building in recent weeks, near sources of free food, showers and laundry facilities. Businesses complained about people urinating in public and other bad behaviour deterring customers. This morning, the camp was disestablished. Rough sleeper Adrianne Renata said authorities "came in and moved everybody" about 7am. She said they gathered loose belongings into bins and took away trolleys being used to carry them. Renata said she walked away to avoid being trespassed. The group had been warned at dinner the night before that police would be coming at 7am, she said. A woman with her wondered where they would sleep that night, and Renata said her head was spinning. "I feel like we're being moved around like cattle … like, 'oh, you need to go and graze in another garden'." A council spokesperson said the operation was responding to "increasing concern" about people sleeping rough in the CBD, including reports of anti-social behaviour and intimidation. Homelessness in the city was a complex issue, and the council worked with agencies to encourage people to accept support and "explore opportunities for stable accommodation". "However, there comes a point where anti-social behaviour and intimidation - and their impact on the public's sense of safety in the CBD - must be addressed." The area outside the Salvation Army on Amohia Street after authorities cleared it. Photo: Ben Fraser Operating under several council bylaws, trespass notices were issued. Belongings left behind were not seized, but collected by staff and stored for the owners to retrieve. More locations will be visited this week, and the council encouraged the government and social services to provide meaningful support and solutions for those experiencing homelessness. Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell met last week with concerned CBD business owners, who urged the council to take action. Tapsell said the footpath was not an appropriate place to sleep, and the council had heard about illegal, offensive and anti-social behaviour by rough sleepers. "This has created unacceptable safety concerns for others and impacted businesses. We've taken action to resolve this issue." Rotorua mayor Tania Tapsell. Photo: LDR / Laura Smith Salvation Army Rotorua community ministries manager Darnielle Hoods said it was not warned of the operation. "It is heartbreaking to see that this had to happen at such an early time of the morning, where some [homeless whānau] were having breakfast and some were still asleep." Hoods was not sure how many were moved on, but by 8am "everyone and everything" was gone. Staff saw people trespassed, and two were handcuffed and taken away. She emphasised that whānau could still access the charity's support, and it would continue working with rough sleepers. "Homelessness is not a moral failing; it is a complex social challenge that requires compassionate systemic solutions that uphold people's dignity." Hoods believed the incident reinforced the need for council, police and agency collaboration, and a compassionate approach for "our most vulnerable community members". "We believe there are more innovative ways to address rough sleeping that centre on the needs and voices of those experiencing homelessness, and that includes advocating for approaches that preserve human dignity." Rotorua's area commander, Inspector Herby Ngawhika, said the police role was to ensure council staff could conduct their work without incident and those trespassed remained safe. "By and large, people moved away quickly and without incident." Two were arrested for disorderly behaviour. The operation followed one to remove people from a geothermal park. Council active and engaged communities manager Rob Pitkethley told a meeting this month that the accumulation of people sleeping rough in Kuirau Park reached a point of "significant public concern". Police issued nine trespass notices there, and one person was later arrested for trespassing. Rotorua Lakes Council destination development group manager Jean-Paul Gaston and community safety and regulatory services director Mihikore Owen. Photo: LDR / Laura Smith In a report to a meeting on Wednesday, community safety director Mihikore Owen said "increasingly visible" homelessness in the CBD was driven by emergency housing facility closures and "prevailing economic pressures". Tents erected in Kuirau Park resulted in litter and "disorderly behaviour". Safe city guardians provided referrals to support services and encouraged behavioural change, but "behaviours did not improve". The meeting heard that at times there were about 40 rough sleepers, with 12-15 not engaging with support offered. Destination development group manager Jean-Paul Gaston said the team worked to communicate with support agencies to convey how the support and help offered to homeless people created challenges. "We've seen that amplified in recent weeks around Amohia Street." He said previous council efforts to trespass the homeless from reserves drove more to the CBD. A further update on homelessness in the CBD was heard in a confidential phase of the meeting. The council said this discussion was not heard in public because it contained information provided in confidence, and it was not in the public interest to share it at the time. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air. Additional reporting by Kelly Makiha of NZME.

Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Queens City Council candidate running as ‘100% a Democrat' has GOP roots
A Queens City Council candidate is campaigning as a true-blue Democrat — but he was a longtime Republican who didn't register to vote as a Democrat until just last fall. Paul Pogozelski, who's running to replace term-limited Councilmember Bob Holden, first registered to vote as a Republican in Nassau County in 2000. He moved to Middle Village, Queens in 2017, but didn't register to vote there until October 2024, when he decided to run for the seat, he said. He's sworn that he is 'not a knockoff Democrat' on his campaign's Facebook account. 'If I secure the seat, this community will have a moderate Democrat at the helm once again,' he wrote in a Tuesday newsletter. 'Not a Democrat moonlighting as a Republican.' In an interview, Pogozelski acknowledged his past but said that he's now '100% a Democrat.' He said that he registered to vote as a Republican as a young person and actively voted in the party until 2008, and then lapsed when it came to political involvement because he felt disillusioned. 'I mean, I apologize, I wish I was more involved with voting… but I just didn't feel it,' Pogozelski said. The moderate candidate said that he became more politically motivated after getting involved with civic work in Queens. He's been involved in cleanup projects with the Middle Village Property Owners and Residents Association and the Middle Village Roller Hockey League. He decided to run for office last year, and then registered to vote as a Democrat. 'There's no excuses,' Pogozelski said of the gap in his voting records. 'It's just being disenfranchised, it's feeling like you can't be a change.' Pogozelski last voted as a Republican in the 2008 general election, records show. He voted in the 2024 election, saying he cast his ballot for Kamala Harris. Also in the race for the Council seat are Dermot Smyth, a strategist for the United Federation of Teachers and Phil Wong, a current staffer for Holden. Alicia Vaichunas, also a Holden staffer, is running as the only competitive Republican in the race, in addition to perennial political candidate Jonathan Rinaldi, also known as the 'Sperminator.' Fr. Mike Lopez, a Ridgewood priest and the founder of food non-profit, also announced his run for the seat in February. Smyth has raised the most fundraising money so far in the race and snagged endorsements from Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. Holden is a registered Democrat but co-chairs of the council's conservative Common Sense Caucus and has run on the Republican line in past races. In an unusual move, he's endorsed both Wong and Vaichunas.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
2 Taylor County students recognized as ‘Honorary Secretaries of State'
GRAFTON, (WBOY) — Two Grafton High School students are being recognized by West Virginia Secretary Kris Warner for their efforts in getting classmates to vote. According to a press release from the Secretary of State's office, Michael Niggemyer and Violet Rubenstein, seniors who will graduate this year, were recommended by their principal to represent GHS as honorary secretaries of state. The WV Secretary of State website lists the following requirements to be selected: The student must play an important role in a student-led voter registration drive at their high school Their high school must qualify for the Jennings Randolph Award for Civic Engagement (at least 85% of the eligible student body must register to vote) The student must be nominated by their school Principal Here's when you can visit your favorite Monongahela National Forest campground in Spring 2025 'Participating in the elections process helps shape the future of our state and country.' Secretary Warner said in the release. 'I commend both Michael and Violet for being student leaders and mobilizing their entire senior class at Grafton High School to register to vote.' After spending the morning with Secretary Warner and touring the State Capitol, Michael and Violet were recognized on the Senate floor by Senator Jay Taylor. The Taylor County Clerk's Office also congratulated the students and confirmed that Grafton High School won the Jennings Randolph Award for Civic Engagement. The award was started by the Secretary of States Office in 1994 in honor of West Virginia's late U.S. Senator Jennings Randolph's legacy as the Father of the 26th Amendment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.