08/08/2012
Citizens Bank and WMUR-TV recognize Bruce Pingree as the “heart” of Portsmouth
“Heart of Your City” program on NH Chronicle highlights people making a difference in their communities
Manchester, N.H. Citizens Bank and WMUR-TV have named Bruce Pingree the “Heart of Your City” for his outstanding commitment to the city of Portsmouth. Pingree’s story, which highlights the positive impact he has made in the community, will be featured on the program NH Chronicle on August 10.
Heart of Your City is a year-long partnership between Citizens Bank and WMUR-TV that recognizes people who are making good things happen in New Hampshire’s 13 cities. Each honoree is featured on NH Chronicle and on the Destination Downtown section of WMUR-TV’s website.
Pingree is the general manager of The Press Room in downtown Portsmouth where he has worked for the past 32 years. He helps The Press Room showcase local musicians with live jazz, blues, folk, R&B and Latin jazz performances seven nights a week. Pingree also hosts a blues show on WUNH-FM every Sunday and Tuesday. A well-known advocate for music and the arts, Pingree has been honored with lifetime achievement awards from both the Portsmouth Herald and Blues Bank Collective.
“My dad was an actor and director for the Concord Community Players so I developed a respect and passion for the arts early on,” said Pingree. “I think it is so important to keep music and the arts alive in our local communities and inspire our youth to do so as well. It helps our neighborhoods become more vibrant and culturally diverse.”
“At Citizens Bank, our commitment to the communities we serve is a hallmark of the way we do business,” said Joe Carelli, President, Citizens Bank, New Hampshire. “We believe that people like Bruce contribute to the vitality of our neighborhoods. We applaud him for strengthening the city of Portsmouth and the Seacoast region by making the arts accessible to all members of the community.
“It’s hard to be a part of this community and not know Bruce Pingree. Even if you don’t know who he is, you have most likely still benefited from his involvement,” said Sarah LaChance, a longtime friend of Bruce who also co-hosted a show on WSCA with him for several years. ”Bruce is an avid supporter of the arts and is always willing to lend a hand, a space, a connection and his thoughts to help. I’m thankful to have Bruce in our community and can’t imagine the Seacoast without him.
Nominations for Heart of Your City will be accepted throughout the year. If you would like to nominate an individual or group for this honor, please visit the WMUR website:www.wmur.com/destination-downtown.
About Citizens Bank
Citizens Bank is a division of RBS Citizens, N.A., operating its seven-state branch network in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. It has 83 branches and 191 ATMs in Rhode Island.
RBS Citizens, N.A., is a subsidiary of RBS Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $130 billion commercial bank holding company. It is headquartered in Providence, R.I., and through its subsidiaries has more than 1,460 branches, approximately 3,800 ATMs and approximately 19,200 colleagues. Its two bank subsidiaries are RBS Citizens, N.A., and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. They operate a 12-state branch network under the Citizens Bank brand in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Charter One brand in Illinois, Michigan and Ohio. RBSCFG has non-branch retail and commercial offices in more than 30 states. RBSCFG is owned by RBS (the Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc). RBSCFG’s website is citizensbank.com.
About WMUR-TV
WMUR-TV (Ch. 9) is an ABC-TV affiliate headquartered in Manchester, N.H., and is owned and managed by Hearst Television, Inc., one of the nation's largest television station groups. Founded in 1954, WMUR-TV is New Hampshire's largest commercial TV station, reaching more than 1 million people. The station's news, feature and sports coverage have won numerous awards for professional and journalistic excellence. WMUR-TV is considered the broadcast news source of record for New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation presidential primary election. WMUR-TV provides online news and information at www.wmur.com/.
