New Operation Hope Coach, Theresa Tumber, Joins The Hive

To Support Small Businesses & Drive Financial Literacy

Fulton Bank proudly funds the Operation HOPE position in Virginia Beach small business resource center

LANCASTER, Pa. (May 16, 2022) – Town Center is buzzing with the news that Theresa Tumber is joining “The Hive,” as the new Operation HOPE Small Business Coach—a position fully funded by Fulton Bank, a subsidiary of Fulton Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: FULT).

As Virginia Beach focuses on fostering a startup ecosystem, Theresa will be there to provide expert guidance and financial literacy education to entrepreneurs. Theresa brings more than 15 years of financial literacy and coaching experience. Immediately prior to accepting the role at Operation HOPE, Theresa served as a State Farm Insurance Owner/Agent, helping to counsel clients on insurance and banking options, among other responsibilities. Theresa will be located in The Hive at 140 Independence Boulevard in Town Center.

Operation HOPE coaches, like Theresa, offer Credit & Money Management, a core focus of HOPE inside programming, The program is designed to transform disabling financial mindsets - teaching people the language of money, how to navigate credit, and make better decisions with the money they have. Through workshops and one-on-one counseling, our coaches empower clients to take control of their finances, by creating a budget, reducing and paying off debt and creating an emergency savings. The Small Business Program, anchored by entrepreneurship training, allows participants to master business basics and gain access to funding to support a strong launch and the ongoing growth of the business. By offering small business group education sessions, small group coaching, and individual/personalized coaching, Operation HOPE helps entrepreneurs master business basics, create and maintain a strong business plan, as well as gain access to funding and resources to grow their business. Operation HOPE’s mission is to advance economic opportunity by providing the tools needed to help individuals and small business owners reach their goals.

“We are thrilled to have Theresa stationed at The Hive in Virginia Beach thanks to our longstanding partner, Fulton Bank,” said John Hope Bryant, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Operation HOPE. “She not only brings a wealth of experience and qualifications; she also brings heart and passion to her work — the same passion demonstrated by both the Virginia Beach community and Fulton Bank. Operation HOPE looks forward to the impact that our services through her efforts will have on the community.”

“Partnerships and collaboration are at the core of our approach to supporting innovation and entrepreneurship in the City of Virginia Beach. Thanks to the generosity and commitment our partner, Fulton Bank, we are pleased to welcome Theresa to the team at The Hive, the City’s Small Business Resource Center,” said Jeff Smith, Business Development Coordinator with the Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development. “We believe that her expertise in financial literacy is a great addition to the resources and programming currently offered at The Hive.”

Funding for the Operation HOPE position comes from Fulton Bank as part of its Fulton Forward® initiative, which is dedicated to advancing economic empowerment in underrepresented communities.

“Through our partnership with Operation HOPE, we’re able to provide communities across our footprint with the financial literacy and entrepreneurial expertise needed to drive economic empowerment and development,” said Wm. “Smokey” Glover, Executive Vice President - Director of Fair & Responsible Banking, Fulton Bank. “Theresa is our eighth Operation HOPE coach and we have every confidence that she’ll help drive economic development across the Virginia Beach region.”

Fulton Forward® is focused on building vibrant communities with programs, products and services focused on four key areas: affordable housing and home ownership; job training and workforce development; financial education and economic empowerment; and diversity, equity and inclusion.

Photo 1: Theresa Tumber

About Fulton Bank, N.A.
Headquartered in Lancaster, Pa., Fulton Bank is a premier community bank in the Mid-Atlantic region. As part of Fulton Financial Corporation, a $26 billion financial services holding company, we offer a broad array of products and services at more than 200 financial centers across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia. At Fulton Bank, we seek to change lives for the better by building strong customer relationships, providing significant community support and empowering more than 3,200 employees to do the same. Through the Fulton Forward® initiative, we’re helping build vibrant communities. Learn more at www.FultonBank.com.