Volunteer Spotlight: James "Rich" Lawrence
Author: Aislinn Klosterman
Corporate Responsibility
Published:
Wednesday, 19 Mar 2025
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Image caption: James and his team volunteering with JA
James "Rich" Lawrence is a passionate advocate for financial literacy, a dedicated community leader, and a true believer in the power of paying it forward. As a longtime volunteer with Junior Achievement, Rich has played a vital role in bringing financial education to students, blending his expertise with his enthusiasm for mentorship. Whether he's leading JA in a Day sessions, inspiring students as a Career Speaker, or collaborating with Bank of America associates and college volunteers to expand JA’s impact, Rich’s commitment shines through in every interaction. His leadership has not only enriched the lives of countless young learners but has also empowered volunteers to grow personally and professionally. We are incredibly grateful for Rich’s dedication, and we can’t thank him enough for his continued partnership in shaping the next generation of leaders!
Read his interview here!
Question: Can you share a bit about yourself?
Answer: I have been with Bank of America, Practice Solution for 25 years. I was a salesperson for 5 1/2 and in 2005 co-founded the Project Consulting TEAM. I managed that TEAM for 16 years. My current role is a Strategy Execution Lead II for the Sales Performance TEAM.
- Fun Facts:
- Love Buckeye Football, hunting , fishing & watching/volunteering/participating in my kid's activities
- I am married to my wife of 20 years, have 1 son 35 years old, 2 daughters that are 18 and 12, we have 3 dogs and 6 chickens
- 2 of my children are in the Westerville Schools, and my son just completed his Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Capella University
- I built a tree house at the beginning of COVID lockdown, 12 feet off the ground, 10 by 10, and it has electric!
- I am a board member for The Center for Healthy Families
Q: What does JA’s mission mean to you personally?
A: I love connecting and educating people in our communities at large. I firmly believe in the spirit of “pay it forward.” I believe we can all learn from each other, and we all have something to offer. I also love JA because of the innovative approaches to teaching Financial Literacy to our young people. Over the last few years, I consistently hear from my JA Alumni volunteers, “I had JA in school when I was a kid and I still remember the experience.” Also love to see the concerned look on my first-time volunteers at the beginning of the day and seeing the confidence and big smiles at the end of the day and their glowing comments about the experiences. The college students and the Bank of America volunteers ask when they can do JA in a day again!!!
Q: In what ways has being a JA volunteer impacted you, professionally or personally?
A: JA has offered me and Bank of America an opportunity to have a huge impact in the communities we serve, live and work in. Through the collaboration with JA of Central Ohio and of OKI Partners, Western Ohio and the OSU Phi Chi Theta Business Fraternity and Miami University, Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity we have taught financial literacy to hundreds of students over the last two years. This is also a tremendous opportunity for Jr Bank of America associates and College Students to practice public speaking, collaboration, problem solving, and a great opportunity to network and build relationships that can lead to career advancement/opportunities. The collaboration with Stephanie Patton, Andrea Keller, and Steven Brokamp has been tremendous, they have supported this idea of blending the college students and BOA associates from the beginning. They are amazing!!! This partnership and commitment to supporting me and my efforts has offered me and my organization the opportunity to enrich our local elementary schools and universities.
I have also done many Career Speaker visits which I also get a big kick out of doing as well. I also volunteered with both of my daughters at Biz Town and more recently did Finance Park with the JA VCC group.
Q: Is there a particular JA volunteer experience that stands out to you?
A: In September of 2024 we did a JA In a Day event at Northgate Intermediate School. We were in 10 classrooms and taught around 280 students. We had around 30 volunteers from OSU/PCT and BOA. It was near flawless. Stephanie and Andera set up us with training and helped with the day of kick off and it ran like a finely tuned machine. We also got recognized by one of the top BOA executives for our efforts and more importantly the principal and teachers were very pleased with our efforts that day. It is a beautiful thing to see when it goes this smooth! Also, all the experiences have been really good, but this one stands out.
Overall, I am pleased with my JA partnership and the opportunity to give back as we pay it forward. It truly fills my heart when I get the opportunity to work with JA!
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