Kenneth D. Lewis to Receive Carnegie Hall's First Medal of Excellence

Kenneth D. Lewis to Receive Carnegie Hall's First Medal of Excellence

Mr. Lewis, Bank of America's Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, Recognized for Outstanding Leadership in Arts Philanthropy

NEW YORK, Nov. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnegie Hall announced today that Kenneth D. Lewis -- chairman, chief executive officer and president of Bank of America -- has been chosen to receive Carnegie Hall's first Medal of Excellence. The award will be presented to Mr. Lewis in recognition of his outstanding leadership in arts philanthropy at a gala benefit on November 17. Carnegie Hall Trustee Audra McDonald performs as part of the evening's program.

The Carnegie Hall Medal of Excellence is awarded to a member of the business community who has shown outstanding philanthropic leadership within the arts. "It is with great pleasure that Carnegie Hall presents its first Medal of Excellence to Ken Lewis," said Sanford I. Weill, chairman of Carnegie Hall's board of trustees and honorary gala chair for the event. "Ken's innovative spirit and strong leadership have enabled Bank of America to sustain steady growth and uphold its status as one of the premier financial institutions in the nation. In addition, Bank of America's broad support of the arts and culture has made it an integral part of New York City's cultural landscape."

"The arts are essential to the economic vitality of any city. Nowhere is this maxim truer than in New York, and no organization illustrates this truth better than Carnegie Hall," said Mr. Lewis. "We support the arts because the arts bring people together in community, and we believe businesses have an obligation to contribute to the health and strength of the communities we serve. In this spirit, we are honored to be recognized for our efforts by Carnegie Hall."

Carnegie Hall's First Annual Medal of Excellence Gala is chaired by Sallie L. Krawcheck, chief financial officer of Citigroup, and Jerry I. Speyer, president and chief executive officer of Tishman Speyer. The gala on November 17 will be held at the Waldorf-Astoria's Starlight Roof and includes a cocktail reception and dinner, followed by a brief program. All proceeds benefit Carnegie Hall's artistic and education programming. Gala tickets are available by calling 212-997-0100, extension 238.

Kenneth D. Lewis is chairman, chief executive officer, and president of Bank of America. As CEO of Bank of America, Lewis leads one of the world's largest financial institutions, the fifth most profitable company in the world and the ninth most highly valued company in the world by market capitalization. During Mr. Lewis's tenure, Bank of America has improved customer satisfaction by 29% and posted average annual total shareholder returns that have consistently outpaced peers, the KBW Banks Index, the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Mr. Lewis joined North Carolina National Bank (NCNB, predecessor to NationsBank and Bank of America) in 1969 as a credit analyst in Charlotte. He served in a number of leadership roles with increasing responsibility across the company's businesses through the 1970s, '80s and '90s, and was named chairman, chief executive officer and president of Bank of America in 2001.

In 2002, Mr. Lewis was recognized as Banker of the Year by American Banker and as Top Chief Executive Officer by U.S. Banker. Lewis was born April 9, 1947, in Meridian, Mississippi. He earned a bachelor's degree in finance from Georgia State University and is a graduate of the Executive Program at Stanford University. Mr. Lewis is a member of the Financial Services Roundtable; a member of the board and the executive committee and past chairman of United Way of Central Carolinas, Inc.; a member of the Committee to Encourage Corporate Philanthropy; a director of the Homeownership Education and Counseling Institute; and past chairman of the National Urban League.

Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk-management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving more than 38 million consumer and small business relationships with more than 5,800 retail banking offices, more than 16,700 ATMs and award-winning online banking with more than 14 million active users. Bank of America is the No. 1 overall Small Business Administration (SBA) lender in the United States and the No. 1 SBA lender to minority-owned small businesses. The company serves clients in 150 countries and has relationships with 97 percent of the U.S. Fortune 500 companies and 79 percent of the Global Fortune 500. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE:BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Carnegie Hall, hailed as "the concert hall of the century" by Musical America, features the world's greatest soloists, ensembles, and orchestras in its renowned Isaac Stern Auditorium, intimate Weill Recital Hall, and technologically advanced Zankel Hall. The legendary concert venue presents over 190 events each year and produces such acclaimed series as Perspectives, Making Music, and Distinctive Debuts. The recent establishment of The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall paves the way for expanded opportunities as Carnegie Hall moves forward as an international cultural center representing the very best in musical performance and arts education.

Source: Carnegie Hall

CONTACT: Ann Diebold of Carnegie Hall, +1-212-903-9750,
adiebold@carnegiehall.org, or Tara Burke for Bank of America, +1-212-847-6488,
Tara.a.burke@bankofamerica.com

Web site: http://www.carnegiehall.org/

-------
Profile: intent