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Local Voices

MBA's Council of Professional Women in Banking and Finance to Host 2nd Annual Conference

The Full-Day Conference Featuring Nationally-acclaimed Speakers Will Conclude MBA’s 2014 Philanthropy Initiative With Soles4Souls, Inc.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (April 15, 2014)—The Maryland Bankers Association's (MBA) Council of Professional Women in Banking and Finance will host their 2nd Annual Conference on May 1st at the Hilton BWI Hotel in Linthicum, Md. The full-day conference is nearing sell-out, attracting 350 professional women in the banking and finance industry from across the Mid-Atlantic region.

The conference will feature invigorating and inspirational presentations from nationally-acclaimed speakers and award-winning authors, including Chief Financial Officer of Zurich North America, Dalynn Hoch; author of “Must Love Shoes” and Founder of Julie Gaver Training & Development, Julie Gaver; President of Serious Mojo Publications, Theresa Rose; and author of “The Next Generation of Women Leaders” and Founder of NextGenWomen, Selena Rezvani. Organization and institution leaders from across Maryland will participate in the panel session, “Walking in their Shoes: A Conversation with Remarkable Women.”

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In addition to promoting the Council of Professional Women in Banking and Finance’s mission to encourage, empower and inspire women to reach their goals in their banking and finance careers through professional development, innovative programs and activities, the conference will also mark the conclusion of the Council’s 2014 Philanthropy Initiative to help fight poverty by collecting used shoes in partnership with Soles4Souls, Inc. Soles4Souls is an international anti-poverty organization that monetizes used shoes and clothing to create sustainable jobs and fund direct relief efforts, including the distribution of new shoes and clothing. 

“Women have long had their feet firmly on the ground, while inspiring others to engage in and improve their communities,” said President of the Maryland Region for Wells Fargo Bank, Andrew Bertamini. “Wells Fargo proudly supports the Maryland Bankers Association’s Council of Professional Women in Banking and Finance and their successful partnership with Soles4Souls.” Wells Fargo, General Session Sponsor for the Annual Conference, has 76 branches participating in the used shoe drive.

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Since the used shoe drive’s commencement in February, 323 participating bank branches and organizations across the state of Maryland have collected 23,944 pairs of shoes, and collection numbers are expected to well exceed MBA’s original goal to collect 25,000 pairs of shoes. A Soles4Souls truck will be onsite at the conference to collect all donations from the three-month effort, and Soles4Souls CEO Buddy Teaster will give a short presentation during the conference.

“We are honored to work with the Maryland Bankers Association,” said Teaster. “Their willingness to go above and beyond and make a lasting impact through their shoe drive is admirable. I am convinced they will truly help us wear out poverty.”

The 2014 Annual Conference will take place May 1, 2014 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hilton BWI Hotel. Tickets are $295 per person. There will be an opening reception with networking for attendees on April 30 from 7 to 9 p.m. Conference sponsors include:

For additional information about the Council of Professional Women in Banking and Finance’s 2014 Annual Conference, contact Cindy Gentilcore at 443-837-1602 or by email at cgentilcore@mdbankers.com. To join the shoe collection effort, visit the Soles4Souls website at www.soles4souls.org to find the nearest donation location. Visit www.mdbankers.com to follow the progress of the Maryland banking industry reaching their goal of collecting 25,000 pairs of used shoes. Please direct all media inquiries to Kristi Frisch at 410-420-2001 or by email at Kristi.Frisch@FallstonGroup.com

About Maryland Bankers Association
Founded in 1896, MBA’s member banks hold 97% of the FDIC insured deposits in Maryland in nearly 1,800 branch offices. MBA serves member banks and thrifts as a legislative and regulatory advocate at all levels of government, as the public relations voice for the industry, as a provider of professional education to members, and as a promoter of financial education to the community. Please visit www.mdbankers.com for more information. 

About Soles4Souls
Founded in 2006, Soles4Souls, Inc. advances the fight against global poverty through social enterprise – a term describing charities that use proven business practices to create positive social change. Each year, Soles4Souls collects millions of used and new shoes from volunteer shoe drives, civic groups, churches and schools, small businesses and big-brand companies. Most reusable shoes are distributed to support micro-enterprise programs, creating and sustaining desperately-needed jobs in Haiti and other poor nations. The resulting revenue that Soles4Souls earns then helps fund free distribution of new shoes and clothing throughout the U.S. and overseas. In the last fiscal year alone, Soles4Souls distributed almost two million pairs of used shoes and 1.9 million pairs of new shoes in North and Central America, Africa and the Caribbean. Soles4Souls is proud to hold a four-star rating for meeting the highest standards of governance and ethics from watchdog organization Charity Navigator. To learn how you can support Soles4Souls in fighting poverty and human suffering around the world, please visit www.soles4souls.org or call (615) 391-5723.  Soles4Souls headquarters are located at 319 Martingale Drive, Old Hickory, Tennessee 37138.

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