Sustainability Q&A with our Chief Administrative Officer Leanne Ladd

Member FDIC | Equal Housing Lender

Which of our three sustainability pillars (driving progress through sustainable finance, integrating sustainable business practices, and supporting our communities), do you spend the most time on in a given month?

Leanne Ladd (LL): Of the three sustainability pillars, I mostly support integrating sustainable business practices. One of the things I appreciate most at Forbright is the opportunity to look for creative solutions through our sustainability mission, and it has been so interesting to learn more about sustainable options available throughout our operations, including moving away from paper business cards and switching to recycled debit cards. There are so many innovative solutions out there, but it does require some additional effort to seek them out.

Do you have a personal favorite moment when volunteering, either through a Forbright-sponsored event or in your personal life?

LL: One of the standout volunteer experiences in my life was working on a Habitat for Humanity house build over a long weekend when I was 13. I was on a team with the children of the future homeowners, who were also around my age. The experience of working side-by-side with my peers to build their future home, which they never thought that they would have, was eye-opening. While I expected to learn some practical life skills, I also took away a broader perspective on the reality of housing insecurity that has stayed with me since and has encouraged ongoing support for affordable housing and to organizations like Habitat.

How would you encourage employees to embrace sustainability in their daily work at Forbright?

LL: I would encourage employees to continuously look for ways to increase sustainability and to share their ideas on sustainable practices. Forbright has a unique culture in embracing creative solutions and there is so much opportunity to contribute to that. We can always do better and a lot of initiatives that we have taken on have come through informal conversations with coworkers, through our Environmental Employee Resource Group that anyone can join, or reaching out to our Sustainability department.

What is the most surprising sustainability-related fact about you that people wouldn’t expect?

LL: I really enjoy upcycling furniture. Most of the furniture in my home is old. Not only is it really affordable and keeps things out of the landfill, but it is also made of better material and construction than most new furniture at any price point, and I love refinishing it to make it my own.

If you’re interested in learning more about Forbright Bank's sustainability efforts, visit our Impact page for more information.