Now is the time for us all to further strengthen our commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Like many of you, I am deeply saddened and concerned about the acts of senseless violence and injustice that we have witnessed across the country over the last few weeks. The deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor, as well as the racial attack against Chris Cooper, are very distressing. A weekend of protests throughout our country – many of them in our markets – followed these events and has compounded the emotional stress that many of our associates and customers are feeling. As parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, neighbors, friends and Regions teammates, I know we want and expect more for each other and our communities.

Reflecting on these tragic events and our path forward, I am even more proud of the culture of inclusion we are building at Regions.  Dedicating time, as we have, to deeper conversations and richer dialogue around culture and heritage is helping us better understand each other.  In turn, we must take those conversations back to our homes and communities, in hopes that we can do our part to drive change.

I hope that you take time this week to check in with each other and show compassion. We must all be willing to step outside our comfort zones and have authentic conversations about what’s going on around us. Let’s vow to listen with a goal to understand and a desire to heal the pain others feel.

Now, more than ever, is the time for us all to further strengthen our commitment to diversity and inclusion. We must have a collective purpose to ensure we’re fostering a culture that acknowledges the pain and struggle people around us are experiencing. I’m confident as a Regions team, we will act on this purpose and bring to life our values and mission in a way we haven’t seen before.

Thank you in advance for standing with me to express care, understanding and support for our Regions teammates most impacted by these events.  Let’s ‘Stand Together’ to make life better for our fellow associates, customers and communities.