Good morning, and welcome to the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Hancock Whitney Corporation. I would now like to turn the meeting over to John Hairston, CEO.
Good morning and thank you for participating in the Hancock Whitney Corporation 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. While the state of Mississippi has lifted a portion of in person gathering restrictions, we felt it was best to hold this year's annual meeting once again in a virtual format to minimize travel and assure conformity with all remaining restrictions. As for Hancock Whitney, we reopened our branching facilities in May of last year and have been serving clients throughout the pandemic. Our associates are generally back in the office and we look forward to a return to normal, which we hope will be very soon. We are very proud of the work of our associates.
We continue to participate in the SBA's Paycheck Protection Program. And through the end of the first quarter, we had originated approximately 20,000 loans totaling over $3,000,000,000 through this very beneficial program. We released earnings yesterday and the recording and script of that release are available on our Investor Relations website. Before moving into the business meeting, I'd once again like to thank our team members who have displayed tremendous commitment to each other, to our clients and communities throughout this pandemic event. I am very proud to serve at their site.
With that, I now call the Hancock Whitney 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to order. As President and CEO of Hancock Whitney Corporation, I will serve as Chairman of the meeting in accordance with our bylaws. Joy Lambert Phillips, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of the company will serve as secretary of the meeting. At this time, the polls are open and if you have not voted yet or would like to change your vote, please do so now by using the vote here button of the virtual meeting website on your screen. In fairness to all shareholders and in the interest of having an orderly and section on your screen.
I would now like to introduce the other members of your Board of Directors who are attending the meeting remotely. Frank Bertucci, Hardy Fowler, Randall Hanna, James Horn, Susanna Kent, Jerry Levins, Dean Liolio, Sonya Little, Thomas Olin, Christine Pickering, Robert Roseberry, Joni Tiofilo and Richard Wilkins. I want to thank these board members for their continued leadership and service to the company. We would like to acknowledge that Broadridge Financial Solutions is acting as Inspector of Election and will tabulate the votes for the meeting. I will now turn the meeting over to Joy Lambert Phillips, Hancock Whitney's General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for the official business of the meeting.
Thank you, John. I have a certified list of the common shareholders of record of the company at the close of business on February 26, 2021, the record date for the meeting. I also have a signed affidavit of mailing stating that notice of this meeting and the form attached to the affidavit was mailed timely to all common shareholders of the company entitled to notice of this meeting. This affidavit of mailing will be incorporated into the minutes of the meeting. Further, I can report that holders of a majority of the shares entitled to vote are present at this virtual meeting or represented by proxy.
And therefore, we have a quorum for today's meeting and it has been convened for transacting such business as may properly come before it. This year, there are 3 proposals to be considered and acted upon. As detailed in this year's proxy statement, the Board of Directors recommended that you vote for the election of 5 directors, for the say on paper proposal and for the ratification of the selection of
PricewaterhouseCoopers as the
company's auditors for 2021. I now declare the
polls for voting closed.
We have been informed by the I now declare the polls for voting closed. We have been informed by the Inspector of Election that the preliminary votes have been counted and that all proposals as recommended by the Board have passed. The vote tabulation will be certified by the Inspector of Election and filed with the minutes of this meeting. I'll now turn the meeting back over to John Hairston.
Thank you, Joy. This concludes the business matters to be brought before the 2021 Annual Shareholders Meeting. Matters to be brought before the 2021 Annual Shareholders Meeting. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to extend our gratitude to you, our shareholders, for your continued trust and support. At this time, the formal business meeting is now adjourned.
We will now have a brief question and answer period. Joy Phillips will provide me with the questions received on behalf of shareholders.
Thank you, John. We only have one question that we've received.
Okay. The question is a general question around the degree of time, money and energy directed at DEI. I think the investment in our DEI program is very timely. It is substantial. It's a topic both in our boardroom and our executive management agenda.
Our client base and our potential client base is diverse as is our workforce and our ownership, ensuring we remain visible and visibly an employer, a bank and an investment of choice is very important to the company, its management team and the Board. We have no other questions submitted. Joy?
No, John, we did not. That was all.
Okay.
Thank you. So we will wrap up the Q and A session at this time. Thank you again for your attendance and your interest and have a terrific 2021.