Rick, Senior Manager, Sales and Tax Use, is retiring from teaching. While his full time job is at Graybar’s corporate headquarters in St. Louis, for the past 15 years he has led the company’s volunteer efforts with Junior Achievement of Greater St. Louis (JA). Which means once or twice a year, you can find him and a dedicated team of Graybar employees at local elementary schools, helping students understand the basics of earning, saving and spending money.

From teaching one class in 2006 to coordinating an army of volunteers to teach an entire elementary school, Rick has played a vital role in cultivating the company’s relationship with JA and with the schools Graybar serves in the St. Louis community.

Now, Rick is passing the baton to another Graybar team member to continue the longstanding collaboration with JA. “I’m proud to be part of a company that cares about people, and that through this alliance, we’ve played a role in educating our community’s youth, investing in our community’s future, and helping others achieve their potential.”

Giving back to local communities is paramount at Graybar. Through the Empowering Our Communities program, Graybar proudly matches individual employee donations to a select group of nonprofit organizations. The program also provides employees with an opportunity to use a paid workday to volunteer in their communities.