CenterPoint Energy donates to United Negro College Fund

Janette Hammond, CNP Community Relations, left-right, Alicia Dixon, CNP Community Relations, Valentine Emesih, CNP Operational Technology and UNCF Houston Leadership Council member, Juana Collins, UNCF Area Development Director, Tracy Janda, CNP Community Relations and Kimberly Blasingame, CNP Recruiting and Diversity and Inclusion, are shown with donation check.

Staff Reports

Through its charitable foundation, CenterPoint Energy announced the company has committed $200,000 to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) to provide 10 renewable scholarships to students within its eight-state service territory.

The UNCF CenterPoint Energy STEM and Business Administration Scholarship Program will award 10 qualifying students a four-year scholarship. Students must be accepted to a qualifying college or university to be eligible.

“We are excited to join UNCF to support 10 deserving students in the communities where our employees live and work,” said Valentine Emesih, Vice President of Operational Technology and Cybersecurity for CenterPoint Energy, and UNCF Houston Leadership Council member. “Through the CNP Foundation grant, we will help empower students through education and enable them to pursue their dreams.”

Juana Collins, UNCF’s Area Development Director said, “UNCF is thankful for our more than 35-year collaboration with CenterPoint Energy. Workforce diversity is proven essential to 21st century business success, and we are grateful to CenterPoint Energy’s leadership for recognizing its importance.”

Collins added, “Our historically Black colleges and universities and their students have oftentimes been overlooked for opportunities within the STEM, business and marketing fields. UNCF, CenterPoint Energy, and other industry leaders working together can help ensure low-income minority students are prepared for career success and make impactful contributions to their families and communities.”

As the only investor-owned electric and gas utility based in Texas, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is an energy delivery company with electric transmission and distribution, power generation and natural gas distribution operations that serve more than 7 million metered customers in Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas. The CenterPoint Energy Foundation is a charitable giving organization focused on strengthening the quality of life in the communities served by the company. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.