Texas Border Business
LAREDO, Texas – IBC Bank Executive Vice President Rosalinda “Rosie” Ramirez was named president of the board of United Way of Laredo at an annual meeting on January 22, 2019. Her campaign will official launch on March 1. A Laredo native and mother of two, Ramirez is a graduate of the University of Texas and has been with IBC Bank since 1989. She is responsible for managing the human resources department for over 3,000 employees across the bank’s two-state footprint including payroll, benefit administration, employment relations, Human Resource Compliance and training. She has served as a volunteer and board member of United Way for approximately 10 years.
“As our community has grown, we have seen an increase in demand for services in the areas of homelessness, hunger, domestic violence, child abuse, lack of proper health care and literacy,” explained Ramirez. “I decided to become a part of United Way because of the organization’s dedication to helping address those challenges and their mission to improve the quality of life within our community. Through the fundraising efforts of its members, United Way is able to support 21 local agencies that help meet those basic needs.”
“I am proud of Rosie for her work with United Way,” said Dennis E. Nixon, Chairman and CEO of IBC Bank. “Her service to our community over her tenure at the bank is great example of our ‘We Do More’ philosophy in action. She is a great leader and role model for the rest of our employees. I know that United Way will continue to be successful in their mission with Rosie as president of the board.”
IBC Bank’s “We Do More” philosophy encourages volunteerism among employees and empowers them to take leadership roles to help make a difference in the community. That sense of service and giving back inspired Ramirez to get involved with United Way. “One of the things that I love about IBC is the level of support it provides to the community. The support goes beyond financial assistance. It includes being part of efforts that make a difference in the communities we serve,” she explained. “United Way’s mission is very much the same. It is about getting involved to help resolve problems within our community.”
United Way has held a special place in Ramirez’ heart for many years. “As a child, even though we lived within modest means, my mother made an effort to contribute to the Salvation Army, which is a partner agency of United Way of Laredo. She would explain that the Salvation Army had provided help to someone in our family when they needed food and shelter. She had so much gratitude for the help they had provided. This always remained in my mind and plays a part of why United Way is so important to me,” she explained.
In 2018, the agencies supported by United Way of Laredo were able to provide 1,346,451 meals to those in need; 19,271 students with tutoring or counseling services; 85,776 children with support through the different youth programs; and 17,715 people with specialized health care services. In the past, United Way has had some challenges in meeting their fundraising goals. Ramirez hopes to get the organization back on track to meet their goal in order to help with the challenges the community deals with every day. “As a board, we need to reevaluate how we can make a difference and help achieve our goal,” Ramirez said.
