Exceptional Minds Hero Award Goes to City National Bank

The nonprofit academy and studio for artists with autism recognizes bank for mentorship and

financial support. Sherman Oaks, California – June 4, 2019 – The students and staff at Exceptional Minds awarded City National Bank with its Exceptional Hero Award on Friday, May 31. City National Bank Senior Vice President Tina Van der Zee, shown left, accepted the award on behalf of the bank, which was singled out for its close partnership with the autism-related nonprofit that includes financial as well as mentorship support. “The success of Exceptional Minds depends on the support of our families, friends and corporate partnerships like this one,” said Exceptional Minds Executive Director Jeffrey Shapiro, right. The nonprofit is a training academy and professional studio with a mission to prepare individuals on the autism spectrum for careers in the fields of visual effects, animation, and video game rigging animation. The honor took place at the Exceptional Minds school during an event showcasing its artists. Exceptional Minds annually serves an average of 250 full-time, part-time, and privately tutored students. The organization runs a professional studio where graduate artists work on paid visual effects and animation

Contact: Dee McVicker Grassroots Communications

Gilbert, Arizona 602.319.6912

dee@exceptional-minds.org

projects for the entertainment industry. City National Bank joins past Exceptional Hero Award winners Adobe, Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors Foundation, and Mitsubishi Electric America. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 84% of adults with autism are unemployed and many more are underemployed. About Exceptional Minds (www.exceptional-minds.org) Exceptional Minds is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit training academy and professional digital arts studio that trains artists with autism in the technical and work readiness skills required for employment in the entertainment industry. Exceptional Minds’ goal is empowering people with autism to achieve their full professional potential, leading in the transformation of global expectations regarding their capabilities. About City National (www.cnb.com) With $53.6 billion in assets, City National Bank provides banking, investment and trust services through 70 offices, including 19 full-service regional centers, in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, Nevada, New York City, Nashville, Atlanta, Minneapolis and Washington, D.C. In addition, the company and its investment affiliates manage or administer $75.1 billion in client investment assets. City National is a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), one of North America’s leading diversified financial services companies. RBC serves more than 16 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the United States and 34 other countries. # # #