Chamber's BCLC Presents 2007 Corporate Citizenship Awards

Technology, Utility and Insurance Companies Honored

WASHINGTON, D.C.-The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) today announced the winners of the 2007 Corporate Citizenship Award. Five businesses were honored for their outstanding leadership and commitment to their communities.

"Businesses are being asked to take on more social issues than ever before, and many of them are stepping up to address these challenges and work for the public good," said BCLC Executive Director Stephen Jordan. "These awards are our way of saying thank you to these businesses and their nonprofit partners for their stellar achievements."

The Corporate Citizenship Awards were given at BCLC's 8th annual dinner and celebration at Washington, D.C.'s National Building Museum. They were presented awards in the following categories:

• Corporate Stewardship-Large Business Award - Microsoft won for civic activities, including IT skills training for underserved populations, support for local software industries around the world, and environmental stewardship.
• Corporate Stewardship-Small/Midsize Business Award - ChoicePoint Inc. got the nod for providing identification and credential verification services, and donating background screening services to nonprofits that work with children.
• International Community Service Award - The winner was Cisco for its Networking Academy, a program that promotes digital opportunities, encourages female inclusion in the IT industry, and contributes to the advancement of developing nations.
• U.S. Community Service Award - Entergy earned the award for its Low-Income Initiatives program that helps individuals and families achieve self-sufficiency by supporting job training, scholarships, and affordable housing programs.
• Partnership Award - Aflac and the Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta won for their partnership to fight childhood cancer.

Three different sets of voting methods were used to determine the winners. The Stewardship Awards were determined by a panel of distinguished Americans chaired by Harvard University professor Michael Porter. The Service Awards were determined by a vote of past Award winners, and the Partnership Award was determined by an online vote in which more than 24,000 people participated.

BCLC is a 501(c)(3) affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and is the Chamber's voice and resource for the social and philanthropic interests of the business community. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

# # #

07-187