President Clinton Congratulates Winners of the Ron Brown Award for Corporate Leadership

Strategic Insights -

President Clinton honored the winners of the prestigious Ron Brown Award for Corporate Leadership at the White House on May 18. The award, managed by The Conference Board, recognizes companies for their outstanding achievements in employee and community relations. Five companies, General Mills, GTE Corporation, Hewlett-Packard Company, IBM Corporation, and U S WEST, were named winners of the award, which is named in honor of the late U.S. Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown.

The award is sponsored and managed by The Conference Board, a non-partisan, not-for-profit research and business membership organization. The winners were selected by a distinguished panel of judges and were chosen for their innovative programs and commitment to corporate social responsibility.

The General Mills program, Siyeza, Inc., established a food processing plant in the inner city to create quality jobs for unemployed or underemployed residents. GTE Corporation's GTE Reads program aimed to improve literacy rates in the United States, while Hewlett-Packard Company's Diversity in Education Initiative supported underrepresented engineering students. IBM Corporation's $40 million Reinventing Education grant program helped create and implement innovative technology solutions to raise student achievement. U S WEST's Commitment to Diversity program aimed to attract and retain a diverse workforce.

Key Takeaways:

  • Five companies, General Mills, GTE Corporation, Hewlett-Packard Company, IBM Corporation, and U S WEST, won the prestigious Ron Brown Award for Corporate Leadership.
  • The award, managed by The Conference Board, recognizes companies for their outstanding achievements in employee and community relations.
  • The winners were selected by a distinguished panel of judges and were chosen for their innovative programs and commitment to corporate social responsibility.
  • General Mills' Siyeza, Inc. program created quality jobs for unemployed or underemployed residents through a food processing plant in the inner city.
  • GTE Corporation's GTE Reads program aimed to improve literacy rates in the United States through a national campaign of corporate philanthropy.
  • Hewlett-Packard Company's Diversity in Education Initiative supported underrepresented engineering students through scholarships and mentorship.
  • IBM Corporation's $40 million Reinventing Education grant program helped create and implement innovative technology solutions to raise student achievement.
  • U S WEST's Commitment to Diversity program aimed to attract and retain a diverse workforce through various initiatives.
  • The award is sponsored and managed by The Conference Board, a non-partisan, not-for-profit research and business membership organization.

Statistics:

  • Since the program was created three years ago, over 600 corporate programs have been considered.
  • A record number of companies entered this year's competition.
  • The winners created over 200 jobs and generated over $10 million in sales through their programs.
  • IBM Corporation's Reinventing Education program reached as many as 10 million public school children in over one-third of the United States.
  • The program has demonstrated significant gains in both reading and mathematics achievement.
  • The Harvard Business School has called Reinventing Education a paradigm for business/education partnerships.

Sources:

  • President Clinton Congratulates Winners at the White House, PRNewswire, May 18.
  • The Conference Board, "About The Conference Board."
  • General Mills, Siyeza, Inc. Program.
  • GTE Corporation, GTE Reads Program.
  • Hewlett-Packard Company, Diversity in Education Initiative.
  • IBM Corporation, $40 million Reinventing Education grant program.
  • U S WEST, Commitment to Diversity Program.