Eastern Bank Chair and CEO Bob Rivers To Receive Boston Bar Foundation’s Public Service Award

July 11, 2019 – BOSTON, MA– The Boston Bar Foundation (BBF) is proud to announce that Eastern Bank Chair and CEO Bob Rivers has been awarded its 2020 Public Service Award for his long-standing commitment and leadership in community service and philanthropy. He is also Chair of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable and The Dimock Center. Bob will receive his award during the John & Abigail Adams Benefit on January 25, 2020 at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

In addition to leading Eastern Bank, Bob is a leader of social justice and sustainability causes, and an advocate for a more inclusive community. He has long been a champion of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts both within Eastern Bank and across the region, and believes that doing what’s right and smart means building a strong business that does good things to help people prosper. Since 1999, Eastern has donated an average of 10% of its net income to local charities, and its outspoken advocacy and community support have exceeded more than $125 million in charitable giving, including tens of thousands of dollars to organizations advancing social justice issues in the legal community.

“Bob’s work goes well beyond philanthropy. His commitment and passion for meaningful social responsibility align closely with the Boston Bar Foundation’s mission of funding and promoting innovation in legal services, enhancing access to justice for the underserved, and supporting the public service work of the Bar,” said Diana Lloyd, Boston Bar Foundation President. “We are incredibly grateful for his tireless efforts to create positive change and inspire others into action.”

Under his leadership, Eastern Bank, America’s oldest and largest mutual bank and the largest independent community bank headquartered in Massachusetts, carries out the principles of community service, philanthropy and advocacy. Eastern’s growth and financial success enable it to provide greater contribution to area nonprofits as well as increasing resources to better serve its customers and strengthen the local economy. During Bob’s tenure as CEO, Eastern has been a leading voice in the business community in support of equal opportunity for all, including on the successful Yes On 3 transgender rights ballot initiative in Massachusetts, the advancement of women, and the growth of minority-owned businesses. His work and dedication have also had lasting impacts across the legal, business, and nonprofit communities. In addition to the Boston Bar Foundation’s Public Service Award, Bob has been honored by the legal community with the Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice Good Apple Award and the Lawyers Clearinghouse Leadership Award.

“On behalf of everyone at Eastern, thank you to the Boston Bar Foundation for this very special honor,” said Bob Rivers, Chair and CEO of Eastern Bank. “This award is recognition of the importance of the work we embrace, that the relevancy and indeed the survival of our companies, our law firms and our businesses depend upon better demonstrating true equal access and opportunity for all people, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and other status.”

Bob will receive his award during the John & Abigail Adams Benefit on January 25, 2020 at the Museum of Fine Arts. The Adams Benefit is the Boston legal community’s leading charitable and social event, typically drawing over 1,500 attendees from both the legal and business sectors, as well as many judges, public officials and senior-level non-profit leaders.

The Adams Benefit Public Service Award is given to a business or civic leader who has shown exemplary leadership in community service and philanthropy and whose work aligns with the BBF’s mission to promote justice by funding and promoting innovation in legal services, enhancing access to justice for the underserved, and supporting the public interest activities of the bar.

Previous Public Service Award recipients include Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, Heinz Family Philanthropies Chair Terese Heinz, Suffolk Construction Chairman and CEO John Fish, former Chief Justice Margaret Marshall, Hill Holliday Connors and Cosmopulos Chairman Jack Connors, Jr., and Fidelity Investments Chairman and CEO Edward C. Johnson. Other recipients include Diane Patrick, Senior Counsel at Ropes and Gray, Carol Fulp, President and CEO of The Partnership, Inc., and Nonnie and Rick Burnes, who established the Burnes Innovation in Service Fund at the Boston Bar Foundation.

The Boston Bar Foundation (BBF) is the charitable affiliate of the Boston Bar Association (BBA) and reflects the Boston legal community’s proud tradition and history of public service and civic involvement. The mission of the Boston Bar Foundation is to promote justice by funding and promoting innovation in legal services, enhancing access to justice for the underserved, and supporting the public interest activities of the bar.

As the independent, charitable arm of the Boston Bar Association, the BBF’s mission is inspired by the values of professionalism, service, compassion, and responsibility – values that all attorneys owe to themselves, to their peers, and to their community.

To learn more about the BBF’s work, click here.