Weltman Community Outreach

Weltman, Weinberg, & Reis Co., LPA, believes that its success and the success of its clients, in part, rests upon its ability to make its surrounding communities a better place. Recently, several attorneys in Weltman’s Cincinnati, Ohio office teamed up with the local chapter of Junior Achievement to do just that.

Junior Achievement is a national organization led by corporate and community volunteers, educators, and parents and focuses on helping students from kindergarten through high school understand the importance of education and personal and financial responsibility.  It also teaches these students skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship.  The organization’s outreach and impact on the communities in which it has a presence is significant.  Junior Achievement USA currently reaches 4.2 million students per year.¹
 
Over the past two months, attorneys from Weltman have been teaching Junior Achievement (JA) courses at elementary schools, middle schools and high schools in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area.  Each course consists of approximately 6 one-hour sessions.  As Weltman is a firm that provides legal representation to financial institutions and other creditors, its attorneys have a unique perspective on the importance of making wise financial decisions and obtaining education to increase understanding and earning potential.

Frank Veneziano, a senior partner at Weltman, is a member of the board with the Cincinnati-Ohio Junior Achievement Chapter.  As a board member, one of his responsibilities is to enlist the services of business leaders and other professionals in the area to contribute their time and other resources to the Junior Achievement program.  “Involvement in JA is personally rewarding and fulfilling,” Veneziano stated.  “Many young people today do not have mentors to teach them important principles that will benefit them today and in the future.  JA provides the opportunity for successful individuals to give back and help the next generation.”

Tom Kendall, an attorney in Weltman’s Collection Practice Group, taught a class of 8th graders at Hughes High School in the Cincinnati Public School District.  “As a collection attorney, I often speak with people who share their regrets about the poor financial decisions that they have made,” said Kendall.  “As a JA volunteer in an 8th grade classroom, I find it very satisfying to have an opportunity to give students information that I hope will enable them to make smart choices about money as they become young adults.”

Anne Smith, an attorney in Weltman’s Real Estate Default Group, taught a class of seniors, juniors and sophomores attending Holmes High School in Covington, Kentucky.  Of her recent teaching experience, Smith stated, “If there is just one of these kids that takes something away from this program, I will consider it a success.  Many of the students I taught have never had a financial talk with an adult, and were very interested in what I had to say.  The JA program is so important to students in that it helps them see the possibilities, rather than the limits, available to them.”

Junior Achievement is just one of the many ways that Weltman and its employees serve their surrounding communities.  To learn more about the Junior Achievement organization, visit www.JA.org.  To learn more about the Weltman attorneys involved in this year’s Junior Achievement program, visit www.weltman.com to view attorney profiles for Jon Clemons, David Cliffe, Zarksis Daroga, James Hart, Tom Kendall, Brady Lighthall, Nick Rohner, Anne Smith, Frank Veneziano & Tina Woods.

¹ http://www.ja.org