Irish Immigration Center Presents Solas Award to Wainwright Bank Co-Founder, Robert Glassman

BOSTON, Dec. 13, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The Irish Immigration Center (IIC) presented a Solas Award to Wainwright Bank Co-Founder, Robert A. Glassman, at its 18th annual awards dinner on Dec. 10, 2010 at the Seaport Hotel in Boston.

The award, named from the Gaelic word "solas," meaning "light," is presented in recognition of leadership on behalf of immigrants in Boston.  

Also receiving awards were Congressman Richard Neal, Marie St. Fleur, Chief of Advocacy and Strategic Investment for the City of Boston and Sabine St. Lot, founder of Six and Counting for Haiti.

"We are a global community that reaches out with care and concern not only to diverse communities within our nation but to those beyond," said Sister Lena Deevy, IIC Executive Director, "[At Solas, we] 'celebrated our treasures' -- four American women and men with strong immigrant roots that have distinguished themselves in service to our nation and to the world."

"I am deeply honored to be receiving this award from the Irish Immigration Center and Sister Lena whose commitment to social justice I have admired for many years," said Glassman.  Introducing Glassman was Richard Holbrook, Chairman and CEO of Eastern Bank.  Eastern Bank was a major sponsor of the event.

The IIC was founded in 1989 by a dedicated group of Irish immigrants as a 'mutual assistance' organization.  The only Irish organization accredited by the U.S. Department of Justice, the IIC also assists newcomers from more than 100 nations by addressing the immediate needs of individuals and families with expert legal advice and an array of direct services.  As immigrants make the economic, psychological, and cultural adjustment to a new land, the IIC helps them to become active participants in a new society.  The IIC also emphasizes the contributions of immigrants to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and advocates for comprehensive immigration reform.

Wainwright Bank & Trust Company became a subsidiary of Eastern Bank Corporation on Nov. 17, 2010.  Founded in 1818 and based in Boston, Eastern Bank is the largest independent and mutually owned bank in New England.  Eastern Bank Corporation and its subsidiaries have almost $8 billion in assets and more than 90 branches serving communities from the Merrimack Valley to Cape Cod.  Eastern Bank includes Eastern Wealth Management, Eastern Insurance and Fantini & Gorga, a real estate advisory firm.

In April, Eastern Bank received the highest numerical score among retail banks in the New England region in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Retail Banking Satisfaction Study(SM) . The study was based on 47,673 total responses measuring 9 providers in the New England region (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) and measures opinions of consumers with their primary banking provider.  Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed in January 2010.  Your experiences may vary.  For more information, visit www.jdpower.com.

SOURCE Wainwright Bank & Trust Company