ATLANTA, February 16, 2023 (Newswire.com) - On Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, we lost a bright light, an unstoppable, unforgettable force of nature. His work across many industries, through various organizations, with several civic coalitions, alongside HBCUs and Atlanta public schools, in partnerships with corporate foundations, and effectively working with elected officials at the city, state, and federal levels of government always included advocating for underserved communities, and especially for youth. As a member and former Chairman of 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Inc. and Chairman of 100 Black Men of America, Inc., Mr. Dortch was an active member for over 37 years.

"As the members of 100 Black Men of America, Inc. and friends from around the globe mourn the loss of Thomas W. Dortch, Jr., we will forever honor his legacy through mentorship and service to our communities," stated Albert E. Dotson, Jr., Vice Chairman, 100 Black Men of America, Inc.

During his tenure, which included multiple terms as Chairman of the Board (from 1994 -2004 and 2017 - 2023), many milestones were achieved by the organization. Thomas W. Dortch, Jr. proclaimed in 1994 that the organization's work be focused in four areas: Mentoring, Education, Health & Wellness, and Economic Empowerment. After meetings with the U.S. Secretaries of Education the Hon. Richard Riley and Rod Paige and their staff, and strategic analysis by the 100's National Chairs of Education, Mr. Dortch directed the 100 Chapters to elevate their engagement with our public education systems. These efforts led to chapters across the 100 network either chartering schools or working in partnership with local schools to maximize learning outcomes.

His passion to help young people live out their dreams fueled his vision to expand the organization's reach. Through the corporate and community partnerships developed by Thomas W. Dortch, Jr. the organization has grown over the years. This growth has included the expansion of 100 Black Men Chapters globally that deliver unique programs, addressing specific needs in their local communities. Chairman Dortch had an unwavering belief and commitment to the 100's proven blueprint -- a model for mentoring and developing young people into future leaders -- a strategy grounded in surrounding youth with a positive network and exposing them to experiences and possibilities. Throughout 100 Black Men of America, Inc.'s history, the organization has been recognized for its powerful and impactful outcomes that empower youth and communities in which they live.

Understanding the life-changing impact that mentors can have on a young person, Mr. Dortch worked to grow the organization by four times its size, expanding the mentoring movement beyond U.S. boarders. Accessing his network of corporate partners, Dortch was able to grow the resources of the 100 and move from a single staff person in a workshare space to the 100 having its own debt-free building, fully staffed and serving the growing network of chapters. Mr. Dortch's leadership in multiplying mentors has been recognized by Presidents George H.W. Bush, William J. Clinton, and Barack H. Obama.

From leading grassroots voter registration efforts to campaigns for desegregating public schools, and always working for greater economic justice, Thomas W. Dortch, Jr. just does not stop working to make a difference in the lives of others. In his later years he has written extensively on racial inequality and social change, shining a light on the inequities that vulnerable populations face daily. Chairman Dortch has been in good trouble and his continuous unwavering efforts should inspire us all to continue to fight for underserved communities living with health disparities, education inequality, over policing, and more.

The arc of Tommy's life has demonstrated that you can be successful in business and continuously serve your community. You can educate and empower others and give voice to the voiceless by speaking truth to power, all while mentoring the next generation of leaders. Every area of his life that he dedicated to public service is important but mentoring youth was his passion. It comes across crystal clear in his book The Miracles of mentoring: How to Encourage and Lead Future Generations.

Chairman Thomas W. Dortch, Jr. was a changemaker and is a legend within the African American community. He will be missed but never forgotten. His leadership will remain an inspiration for generations to come.

Details of the funeral arrangements will be forthcoming.

Crockett & Jones from The Shoe Mart
Crockett & Jones shows now available at The Shoe Mart

NORWALK, Conn., February 16, 2023 (Newswire.com) - The Shoe Mart is excited to announce that it now carries English-made Crockett & Jones shoes and boots.

The Connecticut-based shoe retailer has partnered with Crockett & Jones to offer an amazing footwear selection combined with the unparalleled service people have come to expect from The Shoe Mart.

Founded in 1879, Northampton, England-based Crockett & Jones has a storied history. The company handcrafts all its shoes and boots, going through more than 200 operations in eight weeks to deliver each piece of footwear. Crockett & Jones is known for its meticulous attention to detail and high-end materials. Its shoes and boots are widely regarded for their style, quality and durability. Featuring timeless fashion, Crockett & Jones boots and shoes can last for years. 

The English company has also made a name for itself as the footwear of choice in recent James Bond movies. Several styles of Crockett & Jones men's shoes can be seen in "Skyfall," "Spectre" and "No Time to Die."

The reputation of Crockett & Jones shoes mirrors The Shoe Mart's values. With an emphasis on quality and service, the company has served its clientele for over 60 years. The Shoe Mart's comprehensive Crockett & Jones collection includes a wide range of styles suitable for formal, business and casual wear. The retailer is committed to offering fair Crockett & Jones shoe prices.

"Crockett & Jones' quality is evident in every detail," Co-owner Joe Zapatka said. 

"When I evaluate a premium brand for our business use, there are a few serious criteria that I review while considering it," he said. "Those criteria include the brand's heritage and the length of time the company has been making shoes at that high-quality level. That amount of time doing so is important because it shows that they have reached a consistency of quality.

"Crockett & Jones, with their history, reached that plateau decades ago," Zapatka said, adding that he can vouch for the shoes firsthand.

"I personally have tried on every model of Crockett & Jones shoes that we have selected for selling or are considering," he said. "In my estimation, they have met all my demands for quality and proper fitting."

Crockett & Jones is a natural fit with The Shoe Mart's other high-quality shoe brands, including: 

• Alden
• Magnanni
• Johnston & Murphy

Customers can visit The Shoe Mart website to learn more about Crockett & Jones shoes and other quality brands the company offers.

TruChoice Financial Group, LLC

MINNEAPOLIS, February 16, 2023 (Newswire.com) - TruChoice Financial Group, LLC (TruChoice), one of the largest distributors of insurance products in the financial services industry, is augmenting its lineup of technology tools that can help financial professionals and their clients to be better prepared when developing retirement income strategies.

The two new calculators focus on evaluating ongoing income flows and addressing withdrawal rate risk. The Internal Rate of Return calculator looks at income generated over time and calculates an equivalent rate of return that would be needed to generate the same cash flow, potentially through the use of fixed index annuities. The Withdrawal Rate Calculator provides a snapshot of a retirement portfolio highlighting the guaranteed and non-guaranteed sources of income, combining both values to generate the withdrawal rate necessary to achieve your clients' retirement goals. 

"Knowing the internal rate of return allows financial professionals to better evaluate different products and income options to build strategies better suited to help meet their clients' retirement goals," said TruChoice Vice President of Advanced Strategies, Brian Kunkel. "TruChoice's Internal Rate of Return calculator can help financial professionals evaluate a client's existing annuity or assist in the selection of one of the many annuities offered in today's marketplace. And the Withdrawal Rate Calculator is a great tool for evaluating the withdrawal rate for clients. We're committed to providing useful tools for financial professionals, and these two diagnostic calculators are powerful additions to our current offerings."

The new calculators join TruChoice's four existing calculators that help illustrate the impact of sequence of returns on a retirement portfolio using specific time frames and markets, evaluate how much retirement savings may be needed to meet income goals (relative income value), show the cost of liquidity in a portfolio due to inflation, and illustrate longevity by showing the life expectancy of individuals and couples given specific age parameters.

About TruChoice:

TruChoice is a dynamic financial services organization that is one of the largest distributors of financial services products in the insurance industry. We provide access to 50-plus top-rated carriers and limited distribution products, feature a full-service marketing and advertising agency, and host industry-leading practice management events. Offering fixed, fee-based, outsourced insurance, life, and long-term care products, our size and scale allow us to meet a variety of needs for a variety of business models. Whether we are helping you find your TruPath, providing a wealth of TruSolutions, or offering our unwavering TruSupport, OUR Tru is YOU. TruChoice Financial can be followed on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

This information is intended for insurance-licensed financial professionals.

Legacy Suite
Legacy Suite

NEW YORK, February 16, 2023 (Newswire.com) - Legacy Suite, a leading provider of digital asset preservation services, is urging users to take ownership of their digital assets, announcing that its platform is equipped to facilitate self-custody and ensure estate planning is inclusive of both physical and digital assets, allowing the probate process to proceed in accordance with the owner's original intent.

During a Binance-run Twitter Spaces on Dec. 14, 2022, Binance CEO Changpeng 'CZ Zhao urged caution to users utilizing self-custody wallets, warning that in most cases, private keys are improperly secured. Although the billionaire CEO has advocated for self-custody for years, even stating that self-custody is a 'fundamental human right,' he remarked during the Twitter Spaces that, "For most people, for 99% of people today, asking them to hold crypto on their own, they will end up losing it."

"I believe that digital assets are here to stay, but that we're still so early in the game that managing digital assets is still a cumbersome and complex process for the novice and average holders," said Gordon Bell, CEO of Legacy Suite. "Our suite of estate planning solutions is purpose-built to help people navigate the complexities of digital assets and their integration into the traditional probate process."

Self-custody refers to individuals holding and managing their own digital assets and cryptocurrencies without relying on a third-party custodian or intermediary. The process involves securing and controlling one's private keys or seed phrases, which are necessary to access and transfer digital assets. 

Self-custody is regarded as the best way to maintain control and privacy over one's assets and reduce the risk of theft or loss due to third-party custodians being hacked, going bankrupt, or engaging in fraudulent activities. However, self-custody also comes with the responsibility of managing one's own security and being aware of the risks involved.

Legacy Suite's platform offers a full line of estate planning services:

• Legacy Suite™ - Design an end-of-life plan, document and secure life's most meaningful moments, and share it with future generations.
• Legal Suite - Legal Suite allows users to leave precise details following their passing and minimizes estate planning costs. In addition, users can make updates anytime and anywhere, safeguarding loved ones from the frustration, red tape, and stress of the aftermath.
• Financial Suite - Financial Suite makes adding, organizing, and assigning financial assets and liability accounts to beneficiaries quick, easy, and painless. An intuitive dashboard of net worth reporting, blockchain analytics, inventory of subscriptions, and financial reporting provides a comprehensive view of one's financial life.
• Digital Suite: Digital Suite accelerates the inheritance timeline for beneficiaries, placing the transfer process of your digital, crypto, and NFT assets on autopilot.

To learn about Legacy Suite and how to secure digital assets, please visit https://www.legacysuite.com.

About Legacy Suite

Legacy Suite is a complete end-to-end solution that provides first-class support for digital estate planning. Legacy Suite is a secure solution for crypto self-custody, which allows you to hold your own keys, set up directives, assign executors, and have peace of mind knowing that your digital assets will safely transfer to your next of kin. To learn more, visit www.legacysuite.com.

Personal Injury Attorney, Jonathan Rosenfeld
Jonathan Rosenfeld is a Chicago-based personal injury attorney and founder of Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC.

CHICAGO, February 16, 2023 (Newswire.com) -  The Windy City is one of the busiest cities in the country, which means more cars on the road at any given time. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), more than 80,000 car crashes are reported annually. This high number of accidents has led to a call for action by the Chicago car accident lawyers at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC.

The lawyers at the prominent Chicago car accident law firm are calling on the city to implement increased safety measures, better traffic management, and stricter enforcement of traffic laws to help reduce the number of crashes in Chicago, which are causing severe injury and death to thousands of drivers, passengers, and pedestrians every year.

"We are seeing a disturbing trend in the number of car crashes in Chicago," said Jonathan Rosenfeld, personal injury attorney and Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC founder. "It is unacceptable that so many people are being hurt or killed on our roads each year. We must take action to prevent these accidents from happening in the first place."

Crash Statistics

According to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), in 2020, there were over 307,000 motor vehicle crashes in Illinois, resulting in approximately 1,000 fatalities and over 29,000 serious injuries. In the city of Chicago alone, there were over 80,000 reported crashes.

Data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) showed that in the same year, over 4,000 large trucks were involved in crashes in Illinois, resulting in over 70 fatalities and over 2,000 injuries. In Chicago, over 1,100 crashes involving large trucks were reported.

These alarming statistics demonstrate the pressing need for action to reduce the number of car accidents in Chicago and throughout Illinois. The high number of crashes is causing severe harm to drivers, passengers, and pedestrians and is putting a strain on the healthcare and legal systems.

The data from IDOT and FMCSA show just how serious the problem of car accidents is in Illinois. Everyone must take action to address this issue and reduce the number of crashes on our roads.

Severe Injuries and Death

The law firm has handled car accident cases resulting in severe and life-altering injuries, including broken bones, head and neck injuries, spinal cord injuries, and even death. The cost of these accidents to the victims, their families, and society is staggering.

"The human toll of these accidents is heartbreaking," Rosenfeld continued. "We must do everything in our power to reduce the number of crashes and help keep people safe on our roads."

Chicago car accident lawyers are calling for various measures to reduce the number of crashes, including increased funding for road safety, improved traffic management systems, and stricter enforcement of traffic laws. 

"We must work together as a community to make our roads safer for everyone," Rosenfeld said. "This problem affects us all, and it is time for action to be taken."

Jean Butler
President & CEO enCourage Kids Foundation

NEW YORK, February 13, 2023 (Newswire.com) - The enCourage Kids Foundation announced today the hiring of their new President and CEO, Jean Butler. Butler is a senior executive with experience in the philanthropic sector as well as P&L and operational experience in the corporate sector (media and entertainment). Prior to joining the enCourage Kids Foundation, Butler was the Chief Executive of the Toy Foundation, a 501(c)(3) children's charity that is the philanthropic arm of the Toy Association, a 1,000+ member organization for North American producers, importers and retailers of toys, games, and children's entertainment products.

"Having Jean join us in the role as President and CEO will be a great addition in helping us to magnify our mission and develop new partnerships," said Tony Fineman, Board Chair. "We all look forward to working with Jean and welcoming her to the enCourage Kids family."

"We are excited to have Jean lead our team. Her business and philanthropic experience will fill the void since the passing of our former President & CEO - Michele Hall Duncan," said Joe Wessely, Board Chair Emeritus. "Jean's expertise in building strategic partnerships and expanding revenue streams will enable us to amplify our mission of making hospitals a better place for children to recover and will aid in our efforts to humanize healthcare for children and their families."

"I'm thrilled to join the enCourage Kids Foundation and work with such an esteemed team of like-minded professionals who are dedicated to positively impacting hospitalized children and their families. Their work throughout the years, and the millions of children and families they have served, is nothing short of outstanding," stated Butler. "I look forward to continuing the excellent work of the foundation, enhancing current hospital programs, and developing new partnerships which will enable us to serve even more children and their families."

Butler received her undergraduate degree from the College of the Holy Cross and an MBA from Fordham University Gabelli School of Business.

About enCourage Kids

Since 1985, enCourage Kids Foundation has helped humanize healthcare for children and their families by resourcing impact-driven pediatric programs and supporting the child life community. Serving nearly one million children annually, enCourage Kids is focused on making hospitals a better place to get better. Our programs offer relief from the burden of treatment and hospital stays while helping pediatric facilities meet the unique needs of their patients. enCourage Kids envisions a world where every child—regardless of the difficulty of his or her medical journey—experiences joy, hope, resilience, and healing. To learn more or to make a donation, please visit www.encourage-kids.org.