Neighbor News
FIRST BANK PARTICIPATES IN JA DAY IN LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA
First Bank employees visited Whittier Elementary School to teach students about the importance of financial literacy.
As part of Junior Achievement’s JA Day on March 31 in Long Beach, California, First Bank employees visited Whittier Elementary School to teach students about the importance of financial literacy. Francesca Gallard Olick, Program Manager for JA of Southern California, thanked First Bank’s volunteers for their efforts. “We could not have done it without the help of First Bank,” said Olick. “Because of your contributions we were able to reach 263 students at Whittier Elementary School and helped inspire and prepare them to succeed in a global economy.” Said Nancy Jo Rettig, Student Counselor at Whittier Elementary who helps coordinate JA Days at schools, “It’s a beautiful match of Whittier fourth and fifth graders and First Bank volunteers. Our students left the day with excited visions of how they’re going to change the world or at least a small portion of it.” Taking part in JA Day from First Bank were Robert Renteria (Bixby Knolls Branch Manager); Michele McCutcheon (Lakewood Branch Manager); Rick Serrano (Lakewood Financial Services Representative); Yecenia Maldonado (Bixby Knolls Financial Services Representative); Sophak Ok (Gardena Financial Services Representative); Jo Ann Metafas (Long Beach Relationship Manager and Operations Manager); and Dave Olear (Long Beach Relationship Manager and Commercial Loan Officer). JA Day is a one-day presentation of Junior Achievement’s elementary classroom programs. First Bank’s volunteers taught fifth and sixth-grade students. First Bank firstbanks.com is one of the largest privately owned banks in the country with $5.88 billion in assets and 129 locations in California, Missouri, Florida, and Illinois.
