Press Release
For immediate release
Three from Central Texas Receive Prestigious Samaritan Center
Ethics in Business Awards and City of Austin Honored
AUSTIN, Texas, October 26, 2005 – The three winners of the fourth annual Samaritan Center Ethics in Business Awards were named at an Awards dinner attended by 400 business and community leaders. The Awards were launched in 2002 to recognize exemplary ethical standards and practices by businesses, nonprofit organizations and individuals in Central Texas.
Ethics in Business program Master of Ceremonies Claude Ducloux presented the awards to The Maids Home Services in the business category. People’s Community Clinic received the nonprofit award and Bill McLellan was chosen in the individual category.
Mayor Will Wynn accepted a special recognition award on behalf of the City of Austin for its response and support of the relief efforts of Hurricane Katrina. The awards dinner was dedicated to supporting the Samaritan Counseling Center’s work in providing long-term emotional and psychological health of hurricane survivors and others in our community.
St. Edward's University, the Samaritan Center's partner in the Ethics in Business program, directed the yearlong nomination and selection process. The Awards Selection Committee received vital research assistance from students and alumni. Dr. Linda Ford and Assistant Dean of the School of Management and Business, Pauline Albert, directed the St. Edward’s students. The selection process was managed by the University’s Center for Leadership and Ethics.
Marsha Kelliher, Dean of the School of Management and Business at St. Edward’s
University said, “The awards process is a unique opportunity for our
students and the community to collaborate in raising awareness of ethical
issues and practices. St. Edward’s is pleased to be part of a program
that recognizes organizations and individuals who strive each day to do the
right things. ”
Dell Inc., Central Texas' largest private employer, is the Grand Sponsor
of the 2005 Samaritan Center Ethics in Business program for the fourth year.
Giovanni Tosonotti, Director of Ethics and Compliance for Dell, gave closing
remarks. Other corporate sponsors included Amanda Schultz Photography, Capital
Printing Company, Concordia University, The Inviting Pear, KLG/Jade New Media & Marketing
LLC, Maxwell Locke & Ritter and McCoy’s Building Supply Centers
EIB Winners
Reason for Selection
Business Category
Eleven years ago when retired Air Force Colonel John Gibbs and his
wife Elaine decided to start a new business, their focus was to do
work that could affect the lives of others. The Maids Homes Services
makes an important
difference in the lives of both its customers and its employees. The
Maids conducts business in a way that is life enhancing including employee,
supplier
relations and customer complaint policies that honor treating each
person impacted with fairness and equity. Operating as a franchise
of Maids Home Services International, the Maids’ two-dozen employees
offer exceptional customer service using products that honor the
environment. In turn its employee benefits surpass industry
standards and include counseling, performance reviews, bonus programs
and the opportunity for all to participate in health care coverage.
Management understands that happy customers are only possible when
one has
happy employees
and a focus on fair and transparent practices, continuous feedback
and problem solving makes possible a happy and productive environment
at Maids Home Services.
Non-Profit Category
Founded in 1970 by a group of volunteer doctors the People’s Community
Clinic annually treats over 35,000 uninsured working poor with just under
$5.0 million per year. The organization is an incredible role model for treating
patients, employees, community partners and donors with dignity and transparency,
while respecting everyone’s privacy. People’s leadership team
showed the St. Edward’s University research team its strengths, its
weaknesses, where it had stumbled and where it excelled, all with an
eye towards identifying new opportunities for improving its organization.
One
hundred percent of both patients and staff surveyed stated that they
were treated with dignity. Its collaboration with other community organizations
is exceptional in creating shared trust and avoiding competition that can
undermine service to those most in need. The research team ended its analysis
with these words. “The people associated with People’s Community
Clinic are inspirational. They have shared their experiences and perspectives
with this team and we feel privileged and honored to have learned about them.
People’s Community Clinic would be our first choice for health care;
we would be proud to volunteer for the clinic; we would support People’s
Community Clinic financially; and we would be honored to serve as board members. ”
Individual Category
Bill McLellan is the Vice Chairman of Treaty Oak Bank, a newly formed
financial services institution. Currently, he is the Board Chair for Envision
Central Texas and a Board Member for St. David’s Hospital, Mobile
Loaves and Fishes, Austin Recovery Center, Capital IDEA, Skillpoint and
Downtown Austin Alliance. Bill has demonstrated outstanding ethical leadership
in his business and personal life. At 3M, Bill hired the first female sales
representative in the 1970s and he later introduced the first on-site wellness
center and company-funded childcare program. He has successfully mentored
individuals with varied developmental needs, from diverse backgrounds and
in different career stages. Bill has a passion for helping those who are
less fortunate, especially homeless people, whom he treats with the utmost
respect. Bill received the “Non-profit Executive of the Year” and “United
Way Volunteer of the Year” awards for his continuous business and
community contributions. Bill McLellan is an excellent example of an ethical
leader, proficient mentor, and dedicated community contributor.
The Samaritan Center is a not-for-profit interfaith
counseling center whose ministry is committed to providing professional counseling,
psychotherapy and educational service which affirms the spiritual dimension
of life without
regard to one’s ethnic origin, economic status, age or religious
affiliation. The Samaritan Center of Austin is affiliated with the
Samaritan Institute of Denver and over 350 Samaritan Centers worldwide.
Founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross, St. Edward’s University has been named as one of America’s Best Colleges for 2005 by U.S. News & World Report and was selected by The Princeton Review for inclusion in the guide “Colleges with a Conscience.” St. Edward’s is a private, Catholic, liberal arts university of approximately 4,650 students located in Austin, Texas.
For more information, contact
Jacque Chrisman
(512) 345-8969
cell (512) 423-8610
Jacque@chrismangroup.com
