Creating a Better Delaware, For All

BY CHIP ROSSI

AT BANK OF AMERICA, our diversity makes us stronger. We bring broad perspectives together to meet the needs of our diverse clients and other stakeholders. We are focused on the representation of our people and our goal is to mirror our clients and the local community.

It is not enough to simply hire a diverse workforce—retention and the development of talent are of equal importance, so employees feel supported and set up with a roadmap to long-term career success.

One example of this is through our longstanding partnership with Delaware State University (DSU). In 2020, DSU and Bank of America announced a jobs initiative partnership to help students of color successfully complete the education and training necessary to enter the workforce and embark on a path to success in Delaware and beyond.

We also partnered to connect DSU students to promising careers and create a more inclusive talent pipeline through our Leader on Loan program. The program enables leaders to have a unique development opportunity while contributing to the community in a significant way. Specifically, the program provided Don Gordon, a Bank of America team member who worked at the bank for more than two decades, the opportunity to work full time for DSU’s Office of Career Services while earning his regular salary and benefits. Through his work at DSU, Don helped organize two career fairs that included more than 100 companies and over 500 students in attendance. His impactful work at DSU helped students land internships and jobs after graduation, both at Bank of America and other companies in Delaware.

Over the past two years Bank of America has doubled down as a company to address the underlying issues facing communities of color affected disproportionately by the health crisis and economic mobility barriers. Another example is our partnership with The Pete du Pont Freedom Foundation (PDFF). PDFF is a key local partner in championing small business owners and entrepreneurs through two key initiatives: Reinventing Delaware and the Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystem (E3). These initiatives work in tandem to improve economic mobility by creating an equitable, supportive landscape that links entrepreneurs with skilled professionals to help bring their ideas to life and/or accelerate their business.

We do all of this because it is the right thing to do, and we are committed to driving progress and being a company of opportunity for all. Thank you to the leaders and businesses across the state for the work you do to create a better Delaware for all. We are proud to be on the journey together with you.

Chip Rossi is the president of Bank of America Delaware.