Bradford National Bank, Illinois National Bank and The PrivateBank Recognized for Exceptional Community Service

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., June 17, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Bradford National Bank, Illinois National Bank and The PrivateBank were honored for their exceptional community service with 2016 Illinois Bank Community Service Awards presented by the Illinois Bankers Association (IBA). The awards ceremony was held on June 14 during the 125^th Annual IBA Conference held at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, Wis. This is the 14th year for the Community Service awards, which honor Illinois financial institutions that demonstrate a high level of service in their communities.

Here is a capsulated look at some of the winners' projects. This is by no means a comprehensive list of the many projects these banks have engaged in within their communities.

Bradford National Bank
Bradford National Bank in Greenville believes in the hallmarks of community banking, local people, local commitment and local investment. For last year's Greenville Bicentennial Celebration, the bank was the first business to step up and support the event financially with a $20,000 Platinum Level Sponsorship. The bank even turned over its Greenville main bank campus to the two-day event. The bank also is a Sponsor/Organizer of the 11th annual Art in Education Art Show. This annual two-day event, sponsored and organized with area schools, is designed to showcase the artwork of students in all Greenville schools. In addition, the bank makes a huge effort to get local resident to "Go Local" for the holidays, using radio, newspaper, web sites and social media to get the word out.

Illinois National Bank
Illinois National Bank employees are passionate about serving the needs of the community and prove it on a daily basis. One of the projects bank employees are most passionate about is their work with low-income children. For the past five years, INB, located in Springfield, has hosted a Spring Break Snack Food Event for the children who live in Brandon Court, a low-income housing development. The event is coordinated with the Central Illinois Foodbank's Kids Café, a nationwide program through Feeding America that assures children a hot, nutritious meal in a safe environment. In 2016, INB employees provided more than 3,500 hundred pounds of food to 160 children. In addition, since the bank's founding in 1999, INB and its employees have donated almost $900,000 to United Way.  Over the years, bank employees have served on the board of directors, as treasurer, and business development chair, and also on the Community Fund Panel.

The PrivateBank and Trust Company
The PrivateBank in Chicago takes great pride in the commitment its employees have to their neighborhood partners. The Lend a Hand Program is one such initiative. In this program, last year, the bank's Credit Risk Team divided up into teams and worked with eight different organizations as a way to "lend a hand." In 2015, in all, more than 300 area non-profits benefitted from volunteer services provided by over 800 PrivateBank employees. Employees logged more than 11,500 hours in 2015—an all-time high for the bank. In 2015, nearly 400 employees from The PrivateBank volunteered at 19 Chicago schools in partnership with Big Shoulders Fund for the Fourth Annual All Team Volunteer Day. In 2015, bank employees spoke at 55 homebuyer seminars and 5 credit education events, and nearly 1,300 people participated in these events.

The Illinois Bankers Association, the voice of Illinois' banking industry, is a full-service trade association dedicated to creating a positive business climate that benefits the entire banking industry and the communities they serve. Founded in 1891, the IBA brings together state and national banks and savings banks that together employ well over 100,000 people in nearly 5,000 offices across the state.

SOURCE Illinois Bankers Association