Giving is Their Way of Life

Posted March 3, 2010

EARLY ON, Latrisha and David found their calling to lead and to give to others.

OVERCOMING HURDLES and becoming a leader means more than achieving personal success. It also means helping others achieve success in their own lives. Both Latrisha Jemison and David Christian learned that lesson early in life.

For Jemison, who grew up in suburban Nashville, an early obstacle was her diagnosis with diabetes at age 11. “It was very difficult for me for a while, because I couldn’t always do the things other children were doing,” she said, because her whole schedule seemed to revolve around managing the disease.

The upside? “It made me very disciplined,” she explained. “It pushed me beyond so I wouldn’t be looked at as different. It led me to be outgoing.”

What could have been another challenge—being an African-American attending a predominantly white high school—never really was a challenge for Jemison, who went on to become president of her student council.

“What that taught me is that if you are a leader, people will recognize it,” she said. Jemison today regularly uses her skills and drive to help others in need. She remembers the day she reunited with a family friend and discovered the woman and her daughter were homeless.

The next morning, Jemison called a contact of hers at a local non-profit organization, and together they found the woman an apartment with access to computers and tutoring for her daughter, and eventually a full-time job. Jemison continues to mentor the family.

In a similar way—but on a larger scale—Jemison also helps to lead her church’s efforts to revitalize blighted communities in Nashville. “Because of the things I’ve overcome in my own life, I want to share with others and give them the tools they need to improve their lives,” she explained.

Because her job in Community Affairs involves working with Regions’ efforts to support low- and moderate-income communities, these stories give a glimpse into how Jemison’s personal life often mirrors her professional career. They are examples of the way that when the spirit of helping gets into someone’s blood, it becomes a way of life.

Similarly, David Christian, Jemison’s counterpart based in Tampa, believes that because building relationships is integral to his job, it’s natural that it extends outside of the job as well.

“I think everyone is a leader,” Christian noted. “What we do at work or in our personal lives touches other people’s lives, and making life better is something we need to keep at the forefront of what we do every day.”

Christian cited a recent conversation that drove the point home. He was having lunch with a local church leader and mentioned that he sometimes wonders if he’s really making a difference in the community. Christian recalled his response:  “Are you kidding me? Whatever you get involved with has an impact.”

“I thought, ‘Whoa,’” he said. “It made me want to sharpen my pencil and work even harder.”

Like Jemison, Christian was an African-American student who thrived at a predominantly white high school in Green Cove Springs, Fla., where he too was elected president of his student council. But it was another experience that helped to shape his future—participating in the Florida American Legion Boys State, a leadership program designed to teach high-school students about government.

Out of hundreds of boys from across the state, he was elected “governor” of the group and invited to present a budget and plan for the year in the Florida House Chamber. “How likely was that?” he said. “I was just a kid from a small town. That was the Super Bowl to me. I am convinced that it shaped my life of public service.” 

Today, Christian pushes himself in a number of ways to improve his community. He works actively with the Non-Profit Leadership Center of Tampa Bay, helping non-profits manage their organizations. “That is a passion of mine,” he said. “Corporate responsibility is my job, but I love to understand the mechanics and management of non-profits.” Christian also serves on the board of the local YMCA and has been involved in its adoption of an elementary school that was imperiled by low scores in math, science and reading.

In a cause that hits closer to home, Christian works to raise awareness among African-American men about the importance of screening for prostate cancer, a disease he has faced himself. “That experience showed me how fragile life is,” he said. “It’s a wake-up call, and it helps to remind me of all that you can’t take for granted.

“We have so many things to be thankful for,” he continued. “There are so many people who would see a day or two in our life as a vacation in paradise. It makes you want to make a difference in the lives of people who don’t have all the advantages that we have had.”

LATRISHA JEMISON, from Nashville, and DAVID CHRISTIAN, from Tampa, both serve as Senior Vice President/Regional Community Affairs Managers for Regions Bank.

Everyone has a story.