St. Paul Mayor Proclaims “John Bennett Day”
21st Senior Vice President Honored For Service To City of St. Paul
21st Century Bank is proud to congratulate John Bennett – our Senior Vice President of Business Development and Nonprofit Banking – for the recent proclamation by Saint Paul’s mayor, Melvin Carter, designating “John Bennett Day.”
The recognition comes after decades of service to the City of Saint Paul, local nonprofits, and the underserved and at-risk communities here.
“What an amazing feeling. I had my wife, DeAnne Bennett, join me – and a number of people that are close to me, to share in this moment,” said Bennett, reflecting on the celebration. “It’s quite an honor to take the stage with the mayor and get recognized for the successful collaboration between the City of Saint Paul and the Saint Paul Port Authority. To know you’re a partner and a team player is incredibly rewarding.”
The Saint Paul Port Authority Makes an Impact
Bennett joined the Saint Paul Port Authority in 2009 and served as a commissioner for years, including several years as chairman of the board as the city navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. His commitment to community service has given Bennett the opportunity to play an impactful role in supporting Twin Cities initiatives, including the development of CHS Field (home of the St. Paul Saints), Allianz Field (home of Minnesota United), Huntington Bank Stadium (serving University of Minnesota Athletics) and Target Field (home of the Minnesota Twins). He also played an instrumental role as the old Macy’s building was transformed into a hub for essential local nonprofits, as well as the Minnesota Wild.
“A lot of people are born to serve and accept the responsibility when asked. The reward is being asked to serve – though it’s exceptionally considerate to be thanked afterward.”
In addition, Bennett supported the launch of a lending program by the Saint Paul Port Authority named the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Financing Program, which aims to improve business energy management systems through solar, geothermal, and spark energy systems. The program provides loans to organizations to implement clean energy systems, and the loan is repaid over the course of five to seven years in the energy savings derived from the plan. The program recently transformed from one that’s local to statewide.
John Bennett Serves Saint Paul, Minnesota
Bennett currently sits on 12 boards and serves on 20 separate development groups. His involvement includes the Saint Paul Port Authority, Saint Paul Winter Carnival, Lewis Sports Foundation, Circus Juventus, and WomenVenture, among others. He’s especially proud of his work for the 30 Days Foundation, an organization that has helped 125,000 people address financial hardship over the past 10 years.
“There’s no shortage of great work that our local nonprofits and small businesses do here,” said Bennett. “They are the lifeblood of our community. It’s so exciting to be a part of their success and share a network to help grow their reach in the community, all so they can flourish. If I can play a small role in the success of these organizations – now that’s the legacy I want to leave behind.”
To start a conversation with John about community engagement – or nonprofit banking or lending – you can email, call 612.372.4329, or message him on LinkedIn.