December 5, 2006

Bank recognizes local non-profits, individuals and students
with $450,000 to improve and reshape their community

Westmont’s Chelsea Mowery among recipients

Bank of America has announced the 2006 recipients of its second annual Neighborhood Excellence Initiative (NEI) awards in San Jose/Silicon Valley. These recipients include individuals and organizations dedicated to improving the community. One of the awardees is Westmont’s Chelsea Mowery.

Bank of America's Neighborhood Excellence Initiative Awards honored the following Student Leaders: (from left to right) Kimberly Koga, Gilberto Soria, Chelsea Mowery, Nwamaka Uzoh, and Danielle Abaya.

The Bank of America Neighborhood Excellence Initiative began in 2004 to recognize, nurture and reward organizations, local heroes and student leaders helping to rebuild and revitalize their communities. In its first three years, Bank of America has committed over $48 million to the national program, which operates in 40 of the bank’s major markets across the country. With the announcement of this year’s award recipients, Bank of America has committed nearly $1 million to date through the Neighborhood Excellence Initiative in Silicon Valley.

The Neighborhood Excellence Initiative provides essential support through three key programs:

Neighborhood Builders™: $200,000 in grant funding and leadership training over the course of two years to two San Jose/Silicon Valley local non-profit organizations working to promote vibrant neighborhoods. These grants are “unrestricted funds” and can be used by the organization to cover operating expenses and build program capacity. This year’s San Jose/Silicon Valley Neighborhood Builders are:

* Girls For A Change is a non-profit program that engages professional women in supporting urban middle and high school girls to become activist and innovators.The organization helps students identify a community issue and empowers them with the vision and skills to make social changes. An instrumental piece of the program is a yearly “girl conference” that brings together more than 1,500 youth and professional women. Girls For A Change will use its NEI grant to implement systems for tracking and evaluation and to further develop its business and strategic plans.

* Housing Trust of Santa Clara County, Inc. serves as a catalyst for the development of needed housing in the Santa Clara area through loans and grants to qualified first-time homebuyers and to developers of affordable rental housing and housing for the homeless. With the support of corporate and community investors, the organization helps local communities broaden the acceptance of balanced housing options. The funds from NEI will go toward expansion plans and staffing needs.

Local Heroes™: recognition of five community heroes whose achievements and leadership on local issues contributes significantly to neighborhood vitality. Recipients will direct a $5,000 contribution to an eligible nonprofit of their choice. San Jose/Silicon Valley’s Local Heroes, along with their selected non- profit organizations, are:

* Ysabel Duron, an award-winning broadcast journalist, helped form the Latinas Contra Cancer, a nonprofit organization that educates monolingual immigrant women about the important of breast cancer screening.

* Enrique Flores is co-founder and president of East Side Heroes, a program that offers scholarships so low-income students can attend private schools in the area.

* Frank Foehr has been an educator for 39 years and an active volunteer with Junior Achievement. Through his work with the organization, he has inspired young people to value free enterprise, business and economics and improve the quality of their lives.

* Ryan Nguyen is a successful businessman and entrepreneur, and executive director of the Viet Heritage Society, an organization dedicated to building the first Vietnamese Heritage Garden in the United States.

* Joaquin Parra is a committed volunteer at the Washington Youth Center where he mentors at-risk youth and supports them on various levels to help them achieve their goals.

Student Leaders™: development of five exemplary high school students with an interest in improving their neighborhoods. To further their personal an educational growth, Bank of America provides funding for each student to participate in a paid, eight-week summer internship with a community-based organization as well as a series of leadership training and community service activities with Bank of America executives. The five Student Leaders in San Jose/Silicon Valley this year are:

* Danielle Abaya, Woodside High School

* Kimberley Koga, Lincoln High School

* Chelsea Mowery, Westmont High School

* Gilberto Soria, East Palo Alto High School

* Nwamaka Uzoh, St. Francis High School

A local selection committee comprised of key members of the San Jose community and chaired by Gonzalez chose award recipients. San Jose/Silicon Valley committee members included Bill Coplin, managing director, Global Community Affairs, Applied Materials, Carl Guardino, CEO, Silicon Valley Leadership Group, Dan Keegan, executive director, San Jose Museum of Art, Leslye Krutko, director of Housing, San Jose Department of Housing and Jeff Sunshine, director of Programs, Community Foundation Silicon Valley.