Celebrating Women’s History Month

By Edward Pollard Contributing Writer

March is Women’s History Month – a month that gives us the opportunity to commemorate and celebrate the vital role of women in American history. There are so many women who never make headlines or evening news coverage, but accomplish heroic feats on a daily basis and contribute to the overall progress of women everywhere. As a boy being reared by a single mother, every day I witnessed my mother being superwoman. She had to provide for two children (one with autism), as well as take care of household responsibilities. She was a college professor during the day, a student studying for her doctorate in the evenings, and still had time to make it to every one of my basketball games, school performances, and everything else in between. From the outside looking in, she never displayed any worry or doubt; she never communicated any of her struggles or barriers, but I’m certain she had many. In classic woman form, she leaned on her strong faith, pressed forward, and did not make excuses. She made it happen.

As a Houston City Council Member, I have the privilege to serve with nine extraordinary women. When I was elected in 2019, I was the only male joining an incoming class of eight other women. On the campaign trail, I rarely heard people talk about the possibility of electing more women to council than men, but at our council freshman orientation, we all looked around the room and noticed, “wow, other than Pollard, it’s all women.”

For the first time in our city’s 183-year history, we have a majority of women on city council, serving in 9 of the 16 seats, each elected solely on intellect, merit, and hard work. Also, for the first time, we have five black female council members. In each of the historically African American districts (B, D, and K), all three are represented by black women. In the long history of District F, which represents primarily Alief, residents there have never elected a woman or black person before, until now. Additionally, we also have the first Muslim woman serving on council in our city’s history.

We are seeing a political shift all over the nation, but especially locally here in Harris County. Women are outvoting men at the polls, and women are winning many bids for public office traditionally held by men. Not only do we have more women than men on city council, we also have more women than men serving on judicial benches in our Harris County courts, as well as the first woman being elected Harris County Judge, our county’s highest ranking elected official. However, for all the strides women continue to make in every space in society, they still face many barriers that need to be permanently knocked down, such as pay inequity, motherhood penalties, sexual harassment, and others. Many of the challenges women face have a foundation laid with a lack of respect for them and what they have to offer. The contributions of women must be not only acknowledged and celebrated, but they must be seen and felt in a tangible way from the living room to the board room. And in the words of the late Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.”

In my own life, the contributions and sacrifices of my wife – the first in her family to graduate from college, then earn her law degree – have allowed me to pursue many of my own ambitions. Moreover, every person can likely think of many women who have poured into their lives to shape you into who you are. We must value women, for without them there would be no us. Women are phenomenal, and I am honored to recognize them for Women’s History Month, where I have no doubt that as the history book continues to be written, the pages will be filled with more progression, accomplishment, and success.

FINANCE Comerica Bank Appoints Summer Faussette National African American Business Development Manager

By d-mars.com News Provider

Comerica Bank announced it has appointed Summer Faussette as its National African American Business Development Manager supporting its ongoing commitment to building strong relationships with African American business leaders, entrepreneurs and communities across all markets. These responsibilities are an extension of Faussette's current role as Vice President, External Affairs - Arizona.

As National African American Business Development Manager, Faussette will collaborate with Comerica's African American Business Resource Groups, Chief Diversity Officer Nate Bennett, and Chief Community Officer Irvin Ashford, Jr. on building external partnerships with African American nonprofit organizations across the bank's national footprint. "Summer brings with her a wealth of experience and knowledge, which will benefit us as we continue to support initiatives that engage African American communities across our markets," said Ashford, Jr. "Comerica's hallmark is building relationships and this role will allow us to continue strengthening partnerships with nonprofits and community leaders who do so much for our communities," said Faussette. "I am also honored to accept these new responsibilities and broaden Comerica's reach in our communities."

A veteran of more than 17 years in the financial services industry, Faussette will continue to oversee Arizona's Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) activities, which include CRA volunteerism, civic and community relations, internal and external CRA strategic planning, and fostering community partnerships and investments.

Pivotal to the external affairs team's outreach includes the Business Bootcamps and Comerica Money $ense programs that have gone virtual since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Comerica's impact on local communities in 2020 was felt through the more than 110 of the business bootcamps hosted across for working in our communiits markets, assisting ties and will serve to play an 1,250 small businesses. instrumental role in developing And, more than 35,000 ways to strengthen our racial low- to moderate-income equity efforts internally and individuals took part in externally," said Bennett. financial education ses- Comerica Bank is a subsidisions and in 2021 it looks ary of Comerica Incorporated to increase its reach. (NYSE: CMA), a financial ser-

In late 2020, Comerica vices company headquartered also moved $10 million in deposits to Minority Depository Summer Faussette, National African American Business Development Manager in Dallas, Texas, and strategically aligned by three business segments: The Commercial Institutions (MDIs), as Bank, The Retail Bank, and well as established mutual mentoring re- Wealth Management. Comerica focuslationships with these institutions. MDIs es on relationships, and helping people assist minority and underserved commu- and businesses be successful. In addition nities and foster economic viability in their to Texas, Comerica Bank locations can communities. Specifically, Comerica al- be found in Arizona, California, Florida located $2.5 million to each selected and Michigan, with select businesses opMDI, including First Independence Bank erating in several other states, as well as in Detroit, Mich.; Broadway Federal Bank in Canada and Mexico. Comerica reported in Los Angeles, Calif.; Unity National total assets of $88 billion as of Dec. 31, Bank in Houston, Texas; and Commercial 2020. Bank of California in Irvine, Calif. "Summer has demonstrated a passion SOURCE Comerica Incorporated