Birmingham, AL (2/15/2021) — Banking institutions, Regions Bank and Renasant Bank, have been named as the 2021 A.G. Gaston Award Recipients. Each year, the A.G. Gaston Award recognizes individuals and corporations who use resources to meet the needs of the community and have distinguished themselves as champions working tirelessly to benefit others.
“For many years, Regions has supported the annual A.G. Gaston Conference because we firmly believe in the importance of elevating Black entrepreneurship,” said Leroy Abrahams, head of Community Affairs for Regions Bank. “Small businesses lift communities by meeting needs, providing jobs and creating wealth. This is important for every community but especially for communities that have not always shared in the economic prosperity of our country. That’s why we are committed to supporting programs like the A.G. Gaston Conference that are working to create more inclusive prosperity and
better outcomes.”
The A.G. Gaston Conference is a two-day event for business owners, educators, community leaders, elected officials, and anyone passionate about African American economic empowerment. For the last 17 years, this conference has been empowering African Americans to excel in entrepreneurship and
business ownership. The conference serves as a platform where accomplished leaders and business owners can share their experience and fosters an environment of celebration and empowerment. It also serves as a place for participants to learn and develop better business practices all while inspiring
the next generation.
“It is with great honor and pride that we accept this award named for a truly remarkable business leader and advocate, Dr. A.G. Gaston. Dr. Gaston was a true business professional; whose practices and principles embodied the ideals of community and economic empowerment for all businesses. At Renasant, we too believe in the guiding principle that economic development begins with community development and empowering the communities we serve to find financial success is what drives us every day,” said Renasant president and CEO, Mitch Waycaster. “It is our humble honor to accept the A.G. Gaston Award in recognition of the success we have found with our partners, but the job of
community and economic development is never done. We look forward to continuing on this journey to improve the financial well-being of the communities we serve.”
Featured speakers for this year’s conference include Marc Morial, president & CEO of the National Urban League, Maggie Anderson, co-founder of The Empowerment Experiment, Shelly Bell, serial entrepreneur and founder of Black Girl Ventures and Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, chief of Race, Wealth and Community of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition.
“We are pleased to present the A G Gaston award to these two fine organizations who have found needs and filled them in our community and have been extremely supportive of our efforts to honor A.G. Gaston’s legacy,” says Bob Dickerson, co-host of the A.G. Gaston Conference.
The curation of the conference was inspired by the life and legacy of Arthur George (A.G.) Gaston, a successful businessman in Alabama during the Jim Crow era. He amassed a fortune worth more than $40 million from a business empire spanning communications, real estate and insurance. Given the title “Entrepreneur of the Century” by Black Enterprise Magazine, the late A.G. Gaston was the mastermind behind the A.G. Gaston Motel, Citizen Federal Savings & Loan, Booker T. Washington Broadcasting and many more that are located in the heart of Downtown Birmingham.
The 17th annual A.G. Gaston Conference will take place Tuesday, February 23 – Wednesday, February 24, 2021 from 9:00 am – 11:30 am. Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the annual conference will be streamed virtually in order to follow health and safety guidelines.
Admission to this year’s conference is free and open to the public. To register to attend the 17th annual A.G. Gaston Conference, please visit www.aggastonconference.biz.
