Top Minority and Women-Owned Finance Firm Joins Texas Relief Efforts

HOUSTON - Feb. 24, 2021 - PRLog -- The Siebert Williams Shank Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC (SWS), the nation's top-ranked minority- and women-owned investment banking firm, is donating $100,000 to help Texans impacted by the devastating winter storm.

The firm, with offices in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin, is contributing $25,000 in each city.

As an investment banking firm with deep ties to the state, SWS has helped finance clean water projects, new schools, parks, and transportation systems, among other initiatives.

SWS Vice Chair and equity partner Henry Cisneros is the former mayor of San Antonio and former U.S. HUD Secretary.

"The destruction caused by the recent storm not only dealt a severe blow to Texas' physical infrastructure, but it also took a heartbreaking toll on millions of people, cutting them off from food, water, warmth and, in many cases, critical medical care in the middle of a once-in-a-century pandemic," said Mr. Cisneros, who lives and works in San Antonio. "Sadly, some of our fellow Texans lost their lives. Now we must do everything we can to help those in need immediately, and then make sure we learn important lessons about improving our infrastructure so that we can avoid these kinds of disasters in the future."

"As a firm, we share a close bond with the people of Texas and have been working successfully with people and organizations across multiple sectors, in government and business, for many years," said SWS CEO and co-founder Suzanne Shank. "When I saw the suffering caused by the storm, I thought of my many friends in Texas and the millions of others who were facing life-threatening conditions. We started the Siebert Williams Shank Foundation so that we can help the communities where we have always lived and worked. It is our hope that we can do our small part to improve the lives of those who have been so terribly impacted."

"I was born and raised in Texas, where I still live today, and the devastation caused by this storm is one of the worst disasters we have endured," said Keith Richard, SWS Senior Managing Director and Head of Texas. "As I watched friends and neighbors struggling through this enormous challenge, I knew it was so important that our firm do everything we can to help the residents of our state recover and put their lives back together. We will continue to do our part to help ensure that the state rebuilds in a way that will protect us as much as possible from future crises."

The Foundation is contributing $25,000 each to the Dallas Mayor's Disaster Relief Fund, the Houston Harris County Winter Storm Relief Fund, the Let's Help SA emergency fund, and the Austin Community Foundation