SALISBURY — The 2021 Groundhog Job Shadow Day will be held virtually.

The program, coordinated by Rowan Salisbury Schools’ Career Technical Education, pairs students with local businesses and gives the students a chance to shadow employees out in the field. Due to COVID-19, Groundhog Job Shadow Day will be held virtually on Feb. 3, 2021. The deadline for businesses to register is Friday, Dec. 18.

Students will be matched with employers based on their career interests. Once students are matched with a business, they will connect via video conference for 30 minutes to an hour. After the video conference, students will follow up with a video or written reflection.

For more information, visit this website or reach out to Dominique L. Bates by email at batesdl@rss.k12.nc.us or by phone at 704-918-3245.

Duke Energy named among top sustainable companies

Duke Energy was recently named one of North America’s top sustainable companies for the 15th consecutive year.

Due to its expansion of renewable energy, reduction in carbon emissions and its focus on social responsibility, Duke found itself on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index once again.

“Trust begins with transparency and our stakeholders want to see our progress on the environmental, social and governance topics that matter most,” Katherine Neebe, Duke Energy’s chief sustainability officer and president, Duke Energy Foundation, said in a new release. “As we focus on delivering affordable, reliable and increasingly clean energy for our customers and communities, it’s an honor to be named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for 15 straight years.”

Since 1999, the DJSI has evaluated the sustainability of leading companies worldwide.

In selecting the top performers in each business sector, the DJSI reviews companies on several general and industry-specific topics related to economic, environmental and social dimensions.

Topics include corporate governance, innovation management, environmental policy, climate strategy, human capital development and corporate citizenship.

Since 2007, Duke Energy has published an annual sustainability report that summarizes its efforts to advance energy efficiency, develop renewable energy and reduce emissions.

The 2019 report is available online at sustainabilityreport.duke-energy.com.

Duke has listed these as some of its company highlights for sustainability:

• The company is on track to achieve its 2030 goal of reducing carbon emissions from electricity generation by at least 50% from 2005 levels and be net-zero carbon by 2050.
• Duke Energy will double its enterprise wide renewable portfolio from 8 gigawatts to 16 gigawatts by 2025, and at least triple renewable capacity for its regulated utilities by 2030.
• The company will reduce its methane emissions in its natural gas business to net-zero by 2030.
• During 2019, Duke Energy helped communities attract more than 15,000 new jobs and $7.1 billion in capital investment to its service territories.
• Increasing the percentage of underrepresented employee groups, specifically females and minorities, is a Duke Energy priority. The company has an aspirational goal to increase the percentage of females and minorities in its workforce to 25% and 20%, respectively

Gwaltney named chairman of American Bankers Association’s group

Peter Gwaltney, president and CEO of the North Carolina Bankers Association, has been elected to serve as chairman of the American Bankers Association’s State Bankers Association Alliance.

“It is a tremendous honor to serve our nation’s state bankers associations and the banking industry in this role,” said Gwaltney.

Gwaltney will also serve a second term as a director on the ABA’s Board of Directors. He joins ABA President and CEO Rob Nichols, who also serves as an officer.

Since 1897, the North Carolina Bankers Association has brought together various categories of banking institutions. More information on the organization can be found at www.ncbankers.org.

Chewy donating food, supplies to animal welfare groups

When a customer orders from Chewy on Tuesday, the online pet store will match their purchase amount up to $2 million by donating the total in food and supplies to animal welfare organizations.

The announcement of “Giving Tuesday” comes after Chewy recently launched the Wish List feature on its website. The feature allows customers to donate to shelters and rescues near them easily. 

The Wish List feature also allows any nonprofit shelter or rescue in the U.S. to curate a list of items they need, which is then made available to shoppers who can purchase the items directly from Chewy and have the company deliver them directly to the shelter or rescue’s door.

Chewy reports that it has already donated more than $27 million in products this year.

“At Chewy, our goal is to make the world a better place for pets and the communities that serve them, and this is especially important now given the challenges so many are facing across the country,” Mita Malhotra, Chewy Vice President of Healthcare and Shelters, said in a news release. “We wish to give back to this community of animal shelters and rescues in need, not only through our own donations but by also enabling the participation of millions of pet parents who want to contribute to the shelter and rescue community.”

Chewy’s Wish List feature can be found online at chewy.com.