Wainwright Bank among the winners of 15th Annual Corporate Conscience Awards(Archive)

New York, May 10, 2001-The Center for Responsibility in Business (formerly known as The Council on Economic Priorities), the leading research organization on corporate social responsibility for over thirty years, today announced the winners of the 15th Annual CORPORATE CONSCIENCE AWARDS. They will be honored at a ceremony at The New York Marriott Marquis on June 14, 2001. Tyler Mathisen, co-anchor of CNBC’s Market Watch, will be Master of Ceremonies. A panel of eighteen independent judges selected six American and international companies for their commitment to community relations, humane workplace conditions, environmental protection and diversity.
The six winning companies for the year 2001 are; Canon U.S.A. (Environmental Stewardship Award), Toyota (Environmental Stewardship Award), Fannie Mae (Diversity Award), SBC Communications (Diversity Award), Wainwright Bank & Trust Company (Community Partnership Award), and Coop Italia (SAI Humane Workplace Award).
The Center for Responsibility in Business’s panel of judges represents a diverse and professional cross-section of experts in fields relating to corporate, social and environmental responsibility. They include: Paul Martin, Executive Director, Center for the Study of Human Rights, Columbia University; Ronald Grzywinski, Chairman, Shorebank Corporation; Paul Ostergard, President and CEO, Committee to Encourage Corporate Philanthropy; and Julie Tanner, Senior Financial Services Analyst, National Wildlife Federation.
Ms. Julie Tanner of the National Wildlife Federation said, “Corporations should be recognized when they take proactive steps to protect the earth’s environment in order to achieve an equitable and sustainable future.”
“Once again we are privileged to put the spotlight on extraordinary companies in the business community. Every year we wonder whether we can match the groups just honored, and each year we find companies of the highest moral and ethical caliber,” states Peter Radford, Executive Director of the Center for Responsibility in Business.
The 2001 Corporate Conscience Awards are being co-chaired by Michael Goldstein, Chairman of Toys “R” Us, Charles Heimbold, Chairman & CEO of Bristol-Myers Squibb, Jeff Horner, President of SGF International Certification Services, and James D. Adamson, Chairman of Denny’s Restaurant Group.
The Center for Responsibility in Business, (formerly known as the Council on Economic Priorities), an independent non-profit organization, has for thirty-two years been dedicated to promoting incentives for social and environmental performance. The Council on Economic Priorities is changing its name to one that better reflects both its roots and its mission as an organization. The Corporate Conscience Awards were established in 1987 to illustrate the developing leadership role of companies in shaping social and environmental policies.
Synopses of The Corporate Conscience Award Winners…
Environmental Stewardship AwardCanon U.S.A.: Recognized worldwide as a premier producer of photographic and imaging equipment, the company operates the world’s largest toner cartridge return program, designs and builds some of the most energy-efficient office machines, supports endangered species and habitat conservation with leading non-profits and encourages its employees to practice workplace conservation.
Toyota: Prius is the Latin word meaning, “to go before”-a fitting name for the world’s first mass-produced vehicle powered by both gas and electricity. Toyota first introduced this innovative hybrid to Japan in 1998, and today there are more than 50,000 vehicles on the road in the U.S. and abroad, providing a safe, efficient and practical alternative to conventional cars. With hopes of engaging motorists in the new technology, pricing for the Prius is set at a fairly affordable $20,000.
Diversity AwardFannie Mae: It’s no wonder that year after year Fannie Mae tops Fortune’s list of companies that provide excellent employment opportunities for women and minorities. More than 21 percent of Fannie Mae’s officers are minorities, including Chairman and CEO Franklin Raines, the first African American to head up a FORTUNE 500 company. Mentoring and networking programs, diversity training, internal, and external empowerment efforts make Fannie Mae a highly compelling model of an inclusive, integrated company.
SBC Communications: One of the most respected telecommunications companies in the world, SBC Communications has achieved a remarkable record of diversity in the workplace, marketplace and communities in which they operate. Fifty percent of all SBC employees are women, with 37 percent people of color- numbers that far exceed most other Fortune 500 companies. Their corporate commitment to diversity extends to their suppliers: last year, the company spent more than $3.4 billion with minority-, women-, and disabled veteran-owned businesses.
Community Partnership AwardWainwright Bank & Trust Company: In the past 10 years, Wainwright has made more than $140 million in loan commitments to nonprofits ranging from affordable and special-needs housing programs and food banks to homeless shelters, and environmental groups. Through an aggressive fair housing initiative, Wainwright is working to create safe, clean affordable homes for low-income residents, as well as the elderly and mentally disabled.
SAI Humane Workplace AwardCoop Italia: Coop Italia is deeply committed to the SA8000 standard (which sets guidelines for companies concerned with the basic rights of workers), and has implemented an impressive array of programs designed to raise the bar for its colleague companies; these efforts include a compliance requirement that is now part of the terms for all Coop Italia’s buying contracts. As a member of Intergroup Far East Ltd., a European organization that provides product control functions in non-food products, Coop Italia is working to create improved working conditions and a child labor-free policy.