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Local Voices

UNION BANK AND KPBS HOST 16TH ANNUAL LOCAL HEROES CELEBRATION

SAN DIEGO (November 18, 2013) – As part of its ongoing commitment to cultural diversity and responsible banking, Union Bank N.A., joined KPBS to honor 18 inspirational individuals at the 16th Annual Local Heroes celebration.  The honorees were announced as part of the 2013 Local Heroes Program, which recognizes and pays tribute to exemplary leaders who are making a difference and enriching the lives of others by improving their community, region and the world.  The year-long celebration of diversity culminated with a ceremony and reception held at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla on November 13, 2013. The host for the evening was Elsa Sevilla, host of San Diego’s Historic Places on KPBS-TV.  

The 2013 Local Heroes recognized included:  Professor Chuck Ambers and Dr. Carrol Waymon (Black History Month); Candace Bahr, Ginita Wall and Amina Sheik Mohamed (Women’s History Month); Elmer Bisarra and Sophak Yem (Asian Pacific American Heritage Month); Sy Brenner and Yale Strom (Jewish American Heritage Month); Carolyn Bolton, Max Disposti and Vincent “Vinnie” Pompei (LGBT Pride Month); Fabiola A. Navarro and Andrea Skorepa (Hispanic Heritage Month); Linda Bounds and Al Kovach, Jr. (Disability Awareness Month); and Jane Dumas and Rose Margaret Orrantia (American Indian Heritage Month).

“Diversity and inclusion are an important part of our nearly 150-year Union Bank heritage, and we are proud of our expanded partnership with KPBS that celebrates cultural diversity in our communities,” said Union Bank Senior Executive Vice President Pierre P. Habis, head of Community Banking.  “The program shines a spotlight on these extraordinary individuals, and we are pleased to showcase their tireless efforts and honor them with the recognition they deserve.”  

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Throughout the respective commemorative heritage months, KPBS aired video profiles of each honoree, highlighting how they make a difference in their community.  The 2013 profiles can be viewed on the web at www.kpbs.org/heroes.  For more information about the Local Heroes program, or to nominate a 2014 local hero, please also visit unionbank.com/heroes.

About UnionBanCal Corporation & Union Bank, N.A.

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Headquartered in San Francisco, UnionBanCal Corporation is a financial holding company with assets of $105.5 billion at September 30, 2013. Its primary subsidiary, Union Bank, N.A., provides an array of financial services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, and major corporations. The bank operated 422 branches in California, Washington, Oregon, Texas, Illinois, and New York as well as two international offices, on September 30, 2013. UnionBanCal Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., which is a subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. Union Bank is a proud member of the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG, NYSE:MTU), one of the world’s largest financial organizations. In July 2013, American Banker Magazine and the Reputation Institute ranked Union Bank #1 for reputation among its customers. Visit www.unionbank.com for more information.

About KPBS

KPBS serves our local communities with news and entertainment programming that respects our audience with inspiring, intelligent and enlightening content.  KPBS will deliver this content via multiple outlets, including television, radio, and digital media and will adapt and remain relevant in a rapidly changing world.  KPBS values integrity, truth, transparency and lifelong learning. At KPBS we strive to engage with our citizens and showcase the unique neighborhoods and people that make our community thrive.  And as a public service of San Diego State University, education is a core value – from our children’s programming to our local news coverage.  KPBS is committed to being a reliable source for in-depth, thoughtful, and high quality content.

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