For the eighth year in a row, ING U.S. is a proud co-sponsor of the National Teacher of the Year, a project by the Council of Chief State School Officers. ING joins in celebrating Rebecca Mieliwocki, a seventh-grade English teacher in Burbank, California, as the 62^nd National Teacher of the Year. Mieliwocki, along with the 2012 State Teachers of the Year, will be recognized by President Barack Obama in a ceremony at the White House on Tuesday, April 24, 2012.

“ING congratulates Mrs. Mieliwocki on this distinction and the other state winners for their commitment to children across the country,” said Rhonda Mims, president of the ING Foundation and senior vice president of ING U.S.’s office of Corporate Responsibility. “We believe in the importance of honoring excellence in education and recognizing educators who are tapping into our children’s potential and engaging them to unleash their continued success.” 

Rebecca Mieliwocki is a teacher at Luther Burbank Middle School, which has 1,100 students in grades 6-8. She has been teaching for 14 years and has spent nine years in her current position. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication from California Polytechnic State University and her professional clear credential in Secondary English Education from California State University, Northridge (CSUN). She was also the California League of Middle Schools Educator of the Year Award winner for Southern California (2005) and  PTA Honorary Service Award winner (2009).

ING’s commitment to children and education extends beyond the National Teacher of the Year program. The company also sponsors the National Superintendent of the Year and partners with America’s Promise Alliance to increase the high school graduation rate and with Junior Achievement to prepare our youth to take control of their finances. Through signature programs — such as ING Unsung Heroes®, ING-Girls Inc. Investment Challenge and ING Run For Something Better® — ING is recognizing teachers for their innovation, ensuring young girls are exposed to basic money-management skills and offering schools a solution to help combat childhood obesity.

About ING

ING U.S. constitutes the U.S.-based retirement, insurance and investment management operations of Dutch-based ING Groep N.V. (NYSE: ING). In the U.S., the ING family of companies offers a comprehensive array of financial services to retail and institutional clients, which includes life insurance, retirement plans, mutual funds, managed accounts, alternative investments, institutional investment management, annuities, employee benefits and financial planning. ING holds top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves approximately 15 million customers across the nation. For more information, visit http://ing.us.

About the ING Foundation

The ING Foundation’s mission is to improve the quality of life in communities where ING operates and its employees and customers live. Through charitable giving and employee volunteerism, the foundation focuses on programs in the areas of financial literacy, children’s education, diversity and environmental sustainability. For more information, visit ing-usafoundation.com or connect with us on Facebook (facebook.com/act2impact) and Twitter (@INGact2impact).

ING

ING

ING U.S. constitutes the U.S.-based retirement, investment management and life insurance operations of Netherlands-based ING Groep N.V. (NYSE: ING). In the U.S., the ING family of companies offers a comprehensive array of financial services to retail and institutional clients, including retirement plans, IRA rollovers and transfers, stable value, institutional investment management, mutual funds, alternative investments, life insurance, employee benefits, fixed and indexed annuities and financial planning. ING U.S. holds top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves approximately 13 million customers across the nation. For more information, visit http://ing.us.

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