Regions Bank Appoints Lajuana Bradford as Regional Community Development and Partnerships Manager

Bradford assembles an expanded team dedicated to community needs

 Regions Bank has appointed Lajuana Bradford to serve as Regional Community Development and Partnerships Manager.

In her role, she oversees Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) compliance throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina. Her responsibilities also include national community partnerships. She leads a team of Community Development Managers who are responsible for advising local leaders on CRA issues, leading community development initiatives, and tracking performance on CRA activities, investments and lending.

“Regions Bank is committed to helping individuals and families overcome barriers to success, and we know that some communities have higher barriers than others,” said Leroy Abrahams, head of Community Affairs for Regions. “This new role leverages Lajuana’s expertise in community development, and combined with the strong team she has built, it will help create inclusive growth and provide lasting impact across the region.”

Bradford’s extensive career in the financial services industry spans more than 30 years and has included positions in community affairs, community development, retail banking, regulatory compliance and project management.

Bradford holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Rhode Island College in Providence, Rhode Island, and is a graduate of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Executive Leadership Program. She also completed Boston College’s Management Development Program in Corporate Community Involvement. She is a graduate of Leadership Birmingham and the Momentum program for female executives. Bradford has received numerous recognitions during her career, which include being selected as an honoree for The Women’s Fund 2018 Smart Party and being named to Savoy Magazine’s 2018 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America.

Her commitment to community service is seen through current and past board memberships with the YWCA of Central Alabama, The Women’s Fund, the Miles College Board of Trustees, the Red Mountain Theatre Company, the Alabama Humanities Foundation, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the American Red Cross Alabama region. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and The Links, Incorporated. She is also passionate about the American Heart Association and served as the chair of the 2017 Birmingham Go Red for Women campaign.

“It is our mission to make life better, and through community development lending and investments, Regions positively impacts the financial health of the communities it serves,” said Bradford. “It’s exciting to be able to work with such a skilled community development team to help create shared, long-term value for our customers, shareholders and communities.”

Bradford’s team of community development professionals works together to identify opportunities to invest in community development activities related to the Community Reinvestment Act. Primary areas of focus include financial education, affordable housing, small-business development and neighborhood revitalization for low- and moderate-income areas.

New associates joining Bradford’s team include:

Victor Avila serves as Vice President and Community Development Manager, overseeing west Florida. Previously, Avila, who is Tampa-based, served as Community and Economic Development Manager for Fifth Third Bank, as well as Community Consultant for PNC Bank. He has also held business banking positions at PNC Bank and served as Relationship Manager at Bank of America. Before getting into banking, Avila worked for Spectrotel, Inc., in Edison, New Jersey, as Provisioning Coordinator and Bilingual Sales and Customer Care representative. Avila attended Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey.

Hanai Sablich serves as Vice President and Community Development Manager, for the eastern and southern portions of Florida. Prior to her start at Regions, she served as CRA Development Manager for Florida Community Bank in Weston, Florida. In addition to her CRA experience, Sablich also served in banking positions such as Branch Manager, Senior Solution Center Lead at Great Florida Bank, Office Manager for First East Side Savings Bank and Personal Banker at RBC. Sablich attended Florida International University and Broward Community College.

Additionally, LoRose Hunter, who has served as Financial Wellness Relationship Manager for Regions for more than four years, has been promoted to serve on Bradford’s team as Vice President and Community Development Manager, overseeing Mississippi. Previously, Hunter, who is Ridgeland, Mississippi-based, worked for Regions as Business Banker. Hunter earned a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics from Mississippi State University.

These associates join four other longstanding Regions Community Development team members: Paul Carruthers, who serves as Senior Vice President and Community Development Manager and oversees north and central Alabama; Tiffany Kirk, Vice President and Community Development Manager for Georgia and South Carolina; Mike Scott, Senior Vice President and Community Development Manager for Louisiana; and Shirley Sessions, Vice President serving south Alabama and the Florida Panhandle as Community Development Manager.

About Regions Financial Corporation

Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $129 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates approximately 1,500 banking offices and 2,000 ATMs. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.