Neighborhood Spotlight

Dr. Ramona Houston, profiled below, is a resident of the Cliftondale community.

RAMONA HOUSTON, PH.D., NATIONALLY FEATURED FACE
AND ADVOCATE OF WACHOVIA BANK

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – Ramona Houston, Ph.D., is being featured in a national commercial and print advertisement for Wachovia bank. In its most recent advertising campaign, Wachovia decided to use customers for its commercials. The banking institution selected Dr. Houston, who was a professor at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, as one of its features. Dr. Houston’s commercial tells the true story of her being a college professor and how Wachovia assisted her in purchasing her first home and developing a retirement plan. The commercial also includes Dr. Houston’s maternal grandmother, Izora Jones of Fort Worth, Texas, who appears alongside Dr. Houston, representing the multigenerational appeal of homeownership and retirement. The television advertisement has evolved into print in several national magazines including O, Black Enterprise, Pink, House Beautiful, and Essence.

Dr. Houston was chosen by Wachovia after she attended a seminar in Atlanta sponsored by Wachovia Bank in partnership with Women in the NAACP. The one-day conference sought to teach African American women about financial planning. Topics of workshops included budgeting, purchasing a home, retirement and entrepreneurship, led by female employees of Wachovia. As a result of the conference and through the assistance of several Wachovia representatives, Dr. Houston was able to better organize her financial life. She immediately enrolled in a retirement plan at work and identified a personal banker at Wachovia. Already looking for a house, she worked with Wachovia mortgage and bought her first home. Because the conference had such an impact on her life, Dr. Houston wrote thank you letters to several of the Wachovia representatives, expressing her gratitude for the information and assistance. Shortly afterwards the idea of using customers for its new advertising campaign arose at Wachovia and Dr. Houston was selected as a face and advocate to be featured.

“It actually changed my life,” states Dr. Houston about the Wachovia seminar. “I learned so much and gained even more. I even state the tagline often, “I’m with Wachovia!”

The Wachovia television ad is in heavy rotation on national cable television and the print ad is included in many national publications. A native of Brownwood, Texas, Dr. Houston is a graduate of Clark Atlanta University and the University of Texas at Austin. She currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia as a happy Wachovia customer and new homeowner. For more information on the national Wachovia customer campaign or on Dr. Ramona Houston, you may contact Dr. Houston at ramonahouston@comcast.net.

To see a copy of the Wachovia print ad featuring Dr. Houston, click here... 

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