By Veleka Finch and Jeremy King
NASHVILLE, TN — There are times when words simply fail.
They cannot adequately convey our sorrow. They cannot fully grasp our grief.
When we learned on Dec. 28, 2023, that our beloved colleague, Latrisha Jemison, had passed away, the Regions Bank family was stunned.
Whether in-person, or on the other end of a phone line, or through messages of comfort and support to friends and colleagues, our own words failed us. There was just no way to truly reflect how much she means to us.
That’s when we looked back on Jemison’s own words – words that perfectly illustrated her passion and commitment. Jemison’s title was Regional Community Development Manager for the bank. But she wasn’t caught up in those words. Rather, when she spoke, she was focusing on the people she could reach: “Help others. Reach back. Once you’ve been blessed, be a blessing to others.”
Growing up in Metro Nashville, Jemison heard those words many times. She never forgot them. And as she was blessed, she – indeed – blessed others.
Jemison’s position enabled her to advance education programs, share financial education with students, and collaborate with Historically Black Colleges, Universities, and Greek letter organizations. In 2018, she led Regions Bank’s collaboration with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. to launch the Financial Education and Empowerment Initiative. The effort combined the community reach of AKA’s local chapters nationwide with the financial expertise of Regions bankers and as her words illustrate, was especially dear to Latrisha’s serving heart: “Financial education leads to financial empowerment.
No matter what stage of life you are in, the time to prepare for your financial future is now. And no matter how much, or how little, you have to begin with, we want this program to offer a place where you can find the insights, tools, compassion, understanding and resources that can help you save more, spend wisely and reach your goals.”
Jemison also supported affordable housing initiatives, economic development endeavors, and much more.
“Whether it’s loans, contributions, volunteering or providing expertise, I am able to meet so many people, and talk to them about how to make their lives and communities better. At the same time, I’m able to interact with various business groups within the bank and serve as a trusted advisor.”
Jemison offered those words in this 2020 Women in Leadership profile. She was chosen because she had earned a reputation as a financial professional who was laser focused on creating greater prosperity, especially for people who were disadvantaged.
“I think that it’s very important to help others get to that point to where you can really be a homeowner. You can go to school. You can get an education. It’s available to you. And there are so many people that do not think they can have that because of their circumstances. So, it’s important to work with organizations that help those individuals realize you can do it, too.”
She spoke those words in this video documenting her work in 2015, when she earned Regions’ highest associate honor, the Better Life Award.
Jemison never lost sight of Regions Bank’s mission to make life better. And she will forever be known as a gifted advocate for people across Nashville and beyond. She was devoted to using her positions of leadership in meaningful ways. Her commitment to leadership began at an early age, during a pivotal time in Nashville’s history.
She recalled it with these words: “My brothers and I were the first generation to attend schools that were desegregated in Metropolitan Nashville. As we started school, I just decided that I could be a leader, and I could run for office. I prepared the speech; I had signs and all kinds of things, and I was voted vice president of the student body. And it just became something that I enjoyed doing all through high school, and when I graduated, I was president of the student body.”
The banking industry – and the people we serve – are better off today because of Latrisha’s leadership. We were fortunate she chose to leverage her talents with us; initially, she had her sights set on television. As she recalled in that 2020 profile:
“I always wanted to be a reporter and ultimately a news anchor … I entered several oratorical contests that Oprah Winfrey participated in as well. Her show was syndicated when I was attending Middle Tennessee State, and one of my college internships was at the Nashville TV station where she started her career. I thought, if she could do it, so could I. I took it seriously, anchoring the local news produced by MTSU students in Murfreesboro.”
She later discovered how she could make a difference through banking:
“I was part of the INROADS program that was preparing minorities to work in corporate America … After college I had good opportunities that led me into banking – at two different institutions – before I moved into CRA (Community Reinvestment Act-focused work) and Community Development. I had learned as a branch associate that banks were there to help people. And I wanted to make sure that the college students, restaurant employees and physicians were treated the same, and received the help they needed.”
Through over 30 years in banking, her professional accomplishments, too, simply cannot be summarized by words. There are the affordable housing developments that, today, serve as safe, accessible homes for families in Middle Tennessee. There are the students she mentored as they were launching their careers. There are those who learned how to build a solid budget and accomplish their financial goals, thanks to sessions Latrisha organized on college campuses.
How does one pay tribute to so many accomplishments? Leroy Abrahams, head of Community Affairs at Regions Bank, offered these words:
“She was fearless. She was persistent in pursuing her goals. She never backed away from a challenge. She knew how to take a vision and turn it into reality. She was focused. She was insightful. She was fiercely loyal to the communities she served. She was devoted to her family, to her faith, and to serving as a force for good. We are still coming to terms with her passing. We are grieving the loss of our colleague and friend. But we know Latrisha would have us focus on advancing the positive work she championed. And that’s what we’ll do – guided by her legacy of leadership and service.”