NexTier Bank Funding from EITC Program Benefits Western PA Business Education Programs

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A focus on education, especially increasing the business knowledge of regional students, is at the top of the NexTier Bank’s priority list. It is only fitting, then, that six educational organizations in western PA recently received $108,000 in funding acquired from NexTier Bank’s involvement with the state’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program.

“Supporting these programs supplies children and young adults with information they otherwise may not be exposed to”

This marks NexTier’s third consecutive year of participation in the EITC program. The positive outcome has been NexTier’s ability to distribute funds totaling $508,000 to date. A statewide program, EITC enables businesses to make donations to organizations they choose from Commonwealth-approved lists.

“Supporting these programs supplies children and young adults with information they otherwise may not be exposed to,” said Margaret Irvine Weir, NexTier Bank President. “We’re pleased to be able to be there for these organizations as they deliver economic, business and entrepreneurial education, and to assist with a student mentoring program that helps young adults identify their career goals. This is an investment in a healthier future economy.”

Organizations receiving NexTier’s 2010 funds distribution include:

• Economics Pennsylvania – business and economic education and the Stock Market Game at the NexTier Center for Economic Education (grades 4-12)
• Smart Futures) e-mentoring program (high school students
• PA Free Enterprise Week/Foundation (high school students)
• E-Youth
• Junior Achievement of Western PA (K-12 students)
• Western PA Conservancy (Fallingwater)

The EITC Program is a statewide initiative enacted by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development in 2001. EITC enables eligible businesses to apply credits against their tax liability for the tax year in which they make a contribution to support education in Pennsylvania.

NexTier has assets of $590 million and serves the western Pennsylvania region with corporate offices in Butler and Wexford. With 270 employees, NexTier, Inc. includes NexTier Bank, NexTier Insurance Services, the Family Business Center at NexTier, NexTier Wealth Management, NexTier Armored Services and Radnor Trust Company. NexTier Bank has 15 community offices throughout northern Allegheny, Butler and Armstrong counties and is in its fourth generation of leadership by the Irvine family.