Brad Anderson, Vice President of Sales for Cigna, Shares Cigna’s Commitment to Employees, Customers, and Community and How Tax Credits Fit Into the Company’s Philanthropic Philosophy with Nancy Padberg, President & CEO of CEA

Cigna is a company that offers a variety of health services ranging from supplemental health to dental and vision. The organization believes that physical and mental health work together and that individuals need to prioritize both — figuring out how to balance the two. Brad Anderson, VP of Sales at Cigna, sat down with CEA President and CEO Nancy Padberg on the podcast, Creating Future Leaders, to discuss how these beliefs align with Catholic Education Arizona’s mission of considering the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing and growth of tomorrow’s leaders.

Building the Path to Success

Both Cigna and CEA understand that not all families have the necessary resources to create a traditional path of success for children. Anderson speaks to this, saying, ‘How do you create the right avenues for kids and families to be set up? … How do you create opportunities for these kids to be successful across different parts of the valley?’

For Anderson, creating opportunities for young people came in the form of directing tax funds to different organizations across Arizona — Catholic Education Arizona being one of them. Anderson appreciated the wide reach that CEA has in the area, along with the fact that CEA partners with Boys Hope Girls Hope to provide further support of all kinds to children and teens in Arizona communities.

Anderson took advantage of the tax credits available and donated his own funds to causes he was passionate about, but recognized that he could make a difference on a larger scale by having Cigna donate funds, as well. The monetary support is more than welcome from both individuals and organizations. Padberg states, ‘Half of our revenue or tax contributions come from companies, and the other half come from individuals.’

Children Are the Future

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, over 56 million students attended elementary, middle, and high schools across the country in 2019. Those attending Catholic schools have a very high chance of pursuing higher education. Padberg touches on how tax dollars are used, saying ‘We really want to help the underserved students and transform culture — transform society. And what does that do? It helps future workforces create better communities.’

To bring positive change, CEA works to instill positive values at a young age in order to bring forth a better tomorrow. Tax donations from individuals, and companies like Cigna, make this goal achievable. It looks like there is a bright future not only for Arizona children but for CEA and Cigna as a partnership. Anderson communicates, ‘We were very fortunate to get introduced to Catholic Education Arizona last year. We look forward to a long-term partnership from that standpoint.’

To learn more about available tax credits, reach out to CEA today!