Provident Bank Announces Major Grant to St. Thomas Aquinas College

Nov. 30, 2010 - PRLog -- MONTEBELLO, NY – Provident Bank today announced a $250,000 grant to St. Thomas Aquinas College for the establishment of the Provident Bank Chair of Corporate Responsibility.

The purpose of the Chair is to provide a scholarly perspective on the issue of ethics and social responsibilities facing the business community regionally, nationally and globally. The initial appointment for the Spring 2011 semester will be an expert in corporate and social responsibility who will be in residence on campus for a week, delivering lectures and meeting with students and faculty.

A selection committee has been formed to name the new Chair. The committee is comprised of  Gerald Filandro, Senior Vice President, Compliance and Ethics Officer, Provident Bank; Dr. John Durney, Provost, St. Thomas Aquinas College; Michael Murphy, Chair, Division of Business Administration, St. Thomas Aquinas College; and Barbara Donn, Professor of Accounting, Former Chair, Division of Business Administration, St. Thomas Aquinas College. The Chair is expected to be announced later this year.  

"We are proud to support the establishment of the Provident Bank Chair of Corporate Responsibility at St. Thomas Aquinas College. Today’s complex business world demands leadership that looks beyond the ability to make financial decisions. In the wake of our nation’s financial crisis, the ethical conduct of businesses has come under greater public scrutiny. As a result, the teaching of business ethics and corporate social responsibility is emerging as an important component of business education in colleges and universities. We are pleased to partner with St. Thomas Aquinas College in offering this exciting new program for its students,” said George Strayton, President and Chief Executive Officer of Provident Bank.

"The College is proud to partner with Provident Bank as both institutions share the highest value for instilling ethical behavior and corporate responsibility," commented Dr. Margaret Fitzpatrick, S.C., President of St. Thomas Aquinas College. "We are so grateful for the opportunity to bring national leaders to both the College campus and wider community to understand and promote these issues."

St. Thomas Aquinas College is an independent liberal arts college located in Sparkill, NY which provides education at the undergraduate and graduate levels.  The College’s 2,700 full and part time students can choose from almost 100 different majors, minors, specializations, and dual degree programs across five divisions: Humanities; Business Administration; Social Sciences; Natural Sciences & Mathematics; and Teacher Education programs. For more information visit www.stac.edu.

Headquartered in Montebello, N.Y., Provident Bank, with $2.9 billion in assets, is the largest independent full-service community bank in the lower Hudson Valley. Provident Bank operates 35 branches that serve the Hudson Valley region including three Commercial Banking Centers in Westchester County, and one office in Bergen County, N.J. The bank offers a complete line of commercial, retail and investment services.  Visit the Provident Bank Web site at www.providentbanking.com.

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ABOUT PROVIDENT BANK: Headquartered in Montebello, N.Y., Provident Bank, with $2.9 billion in assets, is the largest independent full-service community bank in the lower Hudson Valley. Provident Bank operates 35 branches that serve the Hudson Valley region including three Commercial Banking Centers in Westchester County, and one office in Bergen County, N.J. The bank offers a complete line of commercial, retail and investment services. Visit the Provident Bank Web site at www.providentbanking.com.