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John Finn Named Civic Leader of the Year by the Richmond Association of REALTORS

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Finn’s recognition reflects his lifelong service to the Greater Richmond community.

RICHMOND, Va., Jan. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — The Richmond Association of REALTORS® announced John S. Finn Jr. as the recipient of the 2024 Civic Leader of the Year Award. The prestigious honor recognizes individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to their community.

“These honors are not mine alone but a reflection of the incredible work done alongside so many others.”

The Civic Leader of the Year Award acknowledges those who go above and beyond to improve the well-being of those in need.

“John has focused his community service on seeking to meet the needs of those often marginalized by society—people who are homeless, who suffer from addiction, and who have not been the beneficiaries of generational wealth,” said Laura Lafayette, CEO of Richmond Association of REALTORS® and Central Virginia Regional Multiple Listing Service (CVR MLS), “He is richly deserving of this award.”

Finn has served on the board of Virginia Supportive Housing and currently serves on the board of CARITAS. As a former chair of the board of the McShin Foundation, he helped grow the region’s largest recovery organization. His work with these organizations has provided support to individuals and families seeking a path toward a better future.

As a mentor and board member of the Beta Gamma Lambda Education Foundation, Finn has been an advocate for African American youth, helping to raise funds for scholarships that provide opportunities for higher education and leadership development.

Finn reflects on the recognition he received, “2024 was truly humbling. In September, I had the honor of being inducted into the Virginia REALTORS® Hall of Fame, and now I’ve been recognized by the Richmond Association of REALTORS® as the ‘Civic Leader of the Year.’ These honors are not mine alone but a reflection of the incredible work done alongside so many others—whether it’s supporting the homeless, providing scholarships for underserved youth, or helping those recovering from substance abuse. I’m deeply grateful to be part of a community that makes a difference.”

About United Real Estate | Richmond
United Real Estate Richmond is the largest black-owned real estate brokerage in Virginia supporting over 250 affiliated real estate professionals. Founded by John and Jeffrey Finn, it has become one of the fastest-growing companies in America, as noted by Fortune Magazine.

About United Real Estate
United Real Estate (United) – a division of United Real Estate Group – was founded with the purpose of offering solutions to real estate brokers and agents in the rapidly changing real estate brokerage industry. United provides the latest training, marketing and technology tools to agents and brokers under a flat-fee, transaction-based agent commission model. By leveraging the company’s proprietary cloud-based Bullseye™ Agent & Broker Productivity Platform, United delivers a more profitable outcome for agents and brokers. United Real Estate operates in 32 states with 159 offices and more than 21,000 agents. The company produced over 70,000 transactions and $27.8 billion in sales volume in 2023.

Media Contact

April Gonzalez, United Real Estate, 504-237-3500, AGonzalez@UnitedRealEstate.com, www.UnitedRealEstate.com 

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SOURCE United Real Estate

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Envision Marks First International Application of SAFc at Global Citizen NOW, Providing Environmental Attributes Corresponding to 10 Tonnes of CO₂ Emissions Reductions

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SYDNEY, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Envision, a global leader in green technology, expanded its Sustainable Aviation Fuel certificate (SAFc) solution internationally as the Sustainability Partner of Global Citizen NOW: Perth. This marks the company’s first international application of SAFc, demonstrating a practical pathway to integrate aviation decarbonization into the sustainability practices of major global events.

For this event, Envision delivered environmental attributes corresponding to 10 tonnes of CO₂ emissions reductions. These reductions are linked to the actual production and use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with the associated attributes recorded and retired through a leading global Registry to ensure transparency and traceability.

Alongside this initiative, Envision’s Australian team participated in the event’s broader programme, including discussions on clean energy investment and industrial decarbonisation, bilateral meetings, and the Capital Mobilization Roundtable and Masterclass. Through these engagements, the team exchanged perspectives with leaders from business, investment and the climate community on Western Australia’s potential role in the next-generation green industries, while exploring opportunities to strengthen collaboration, mobilize investment and accelerate the clean energy transition.

Co-hosted by Global Citizen and the Government of Western Australia, the summit took place ahead of COP31, convening representatives from governments, businesses, philanthropic foundations, and First Nations communities to advance clean energy access, climate resilience, and inclusive economic development.

The Perth SAFc initiative builds on Envision’s SAFc application at the 26th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) in Xiamen in September, where the company demonstrated how SAFc could address the air-travel emissions of a major conference. Global Citizen NOW: Perth represents the next step—applying this model internationally and demonstrating its potential as a scalable solution for companies and major events seeking to tackle aviation-related emissions across global value chains.

The initiative also reflects Envision’s broader approach to corporate decarbonisation. Across wind and solar power, energy storage, green molecules, net-zero industrial parks, and green computing, Envision is developing integrated solutions to help companies tackle emissions across their operations and value chains.

“Envision will continue to explore the application of green fuels across aviation and international events, foster collaboration throughout the green fuel value chain, and support aviation’s low-carbon transition through transparent, traceable environmental attribute management,” said Bella Zhang, Head of Global SAF at Envision.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/envision-marks-first-international-application-of-safc-at-global-citizen-now-providing-environmental-attributes-corresponding-to-10-tonnes-of-co-emissions-reductions-302923213.html

SOURCE Envision

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More Than Business: ChinaMarket’s “Little Bees” Go the Extra Mile for International Buyers

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LINYI, China, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — When a Malaysian buyer experienced a sudden toothache during the Linyi Mall International Buyers Conference in China, he found help in an unexpected place.

A member of ChinaMarket‘s “Little Bees” service team, Chen Fuqing, promptly accompanied him to a local hospital and assisted him throughout the visit.

It was a small act of kindness, but it reflected something important about doing business in Linyi: international buyers have people they can turn to when they need help.

During the international buyers conference, ChinaMarket established its “Little Bees” service team to assist overseas visitors throughout their stay in Linyi.

From welcoming international buyers and arranging market visits to connecting them with suppliers, helping bridge language barriers, and responding to unexpected situations, the team works to make the sourcing experience easier and more comfortable.

Linyi is home to one of China’s major wholesale market clusters, attracting buyers from around the world with its diverse products, manufacturing resources, and extensive supply chains.

As the official digital platform of Linyi Wholesale Market, ChinaMarket connects global buyers with Chinese suppliers and provides integrated sourcing and trade services.

For international buyers, successful sourcing involves more than finding the right products. Clear communication, reliable coordination, and access to support are equally important.

The “Little Bees” team brings this commitment to life through personal, on-the-ground assistance.

A recent song released by ChinaMarket captures the spirit of the city:

“Come to Linyi, a city that welcomes you with open arms.”

In Linyi, global buyers can discover business opportunities, build partnerships, and experience the warmth of genuine hospitality.

Come to Linyi. Source with ChinaMarket.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/more-than-business-chinamarkets-little-bees-go-the-extra-mile-for-international-buyers-302923217.html

SOURCE ChinaMarket

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UnionPay and Cuscal Paymark Discuss Payment Acceptance and Digital Innovation

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AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Mr. Dong Junfeng, Chairman of China UnionPay and UnionPay International, met with Cuscal Paymark, in Auckland on 19 October 2026 to discuss expanding UnionPay acceptance in New Zealand and opportunities for cooperation in digital payments. Mr. Mike Blomfield, Chief Executive Officer and Julia Nicol, Chief of Staff expressed support UnionPay’s plans and the advancement of key projects.

Cuscal Paymark is New Zealand’s largest payment switching and network services provider. The two parties have maintained a partnership since 2012.  To date, several major banks on its network support UnionPay payments at physical merchants. The company has also incorporated a number of UnionPay product standards into mandatory terminal upgrade requirements, providing a foundation for broader acceptance. Looking ahead, UnionPay will leverage Cuscal Paymark’s local network and transaction processing capabilities to upgrade online and in-store payment platforms and further improve UnionPay acceptance services.

Discussions also covered upgrades to support chip transactions on dual-branded cards, online payment gateway integration, and the joint promotion of SoftPOS solutions to acquirers. The companies agreed to strengthen technical coordination to maintain reliable payment processing during and after system upgrades.

Other topics included agentic payments, digital identity, biometric applications, and payment network connectivity.

Ms. Nicol reaffirmed Cuscal Paymark’s support for UnionPay’s ongoing development in New Zealand and the advancement of key projects. Both parties agreed to explore further cooperation in wallet connectivity and digital payments.

UnionPay entered the New Zealand market in 2008. Its acceptance coverage now exceeds 90%, and UnionPay cards are now widely issued by local financial institutions. UnionPay will continue working with partners to improve payment services, strengthen financial integration between China and other APEC economies, and advance cross-border payment cooperation between China and New Zealand and across the broader Asia-Pacific region.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/unionpay-and-cuscal-paymark-discuss-payment-acceptance-and-digital-innovation-302923215.html

SOURCE UnionPay International

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