Featured this week: Akamai Technologies, American Homes 4 Rent (AMH), Atrium Health, Bank of America, Bristol Myers Squibb, CenterPoint Energy, Cisco, Cox Enterprises Inc., Flex, Heaven Hill Brands, Honeywell, KPMG, Ochsner Health, Pechanga Resort Casino, PRA Group, Sundt Construction, TELUS, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Workiva, Xcel Energy

The member community convened by Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship is one of a kind. The 500+ companies we serve each year are leaders in environmental, social, and governance action, and the thousands of individuals who make up this network are some of the best in the field! Pictured right: the Xcel Energy Pride Alliance volunteering at Urban Peak, an organization that provides holistic and wrap around services to youth experiencing homelessness.

Members: Would you like your corporate social responsibility news featured in future posts? Fill out this Member News Form.

Spotlight on You

Ijeoma Emeka, Senior Vice President of Technology, Bank of America, was recently featured in the Wall Street Journal for her work as chairperson of the bank's Parents & Caregivers employee resource group. The group increased its membership 30% in the past three years, from 13,000 to more than 24,000 members.

"I am a parent of three and have my parents and my grandmother in a remote caregiving care situation... I have absolutely utilized this group for support."

Emily Forrester, Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Workiva, recently shared about the company's release of new business resource group badges.

"We started issuing badges to the Workiva employees who have joined any of our seven Business Employee Resource Groups (BERGs) so they can more easily share and celebrate their involvement in and contributions to this aspect of our diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging strategy. As the co-Executive Sponsor of our Women BERG and an ally to every single one of our BERGs, I've seen first-hand the positive impact that these groups are having on our company and I'm so excited that these badges are creating yet another way for BERG leaders and members to be recognized for their efforts."

Austin Beebe, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist at Honeywell, recently helped to launch a new employee network group called HYPE (Heighten Your Professional Experience). The group hosted an hour-long listening session with HYPE’s global executive sponsor, Sheila Jordan and the company's Charlotte chapter executive sponsor, Louise Quilter-Wood. The pilot session’s mission was to get candid feedback on the experience of early career professionals at Honeywell, including how leaders can help attract, retain, develop, and advance these individuals.

"Today was a proud professional moment for me," shared Beebe. "If you look around the table and don’t see someone who looks like you or represents your ideologies, maybe it’s time to pull up a seat for yourself and make your voice heard."

LOOK! 30+ NEW Jobs in Corporate Social Responsibility, DE&I, Community Relations, ESG...

Business Resource Groups and Green Teams on the Job

The Akamai Technologies Green Team is an employee engagement program for employees passionate about the environment. The team helps Akamai achieve its corporate sustainability goals, while inspiring more employees to take environmental action, and providing a place to collaborate and create a positive impact on the planet.

The company and its Green Team encourage employees to go green by taking small actions at home and in the office that can make a difference for the planet. Examples include:

A PAUSE ON PLASTIC - Plastic Free July is a key initiative of the Plastic Free Foundation that works toward the vision of seeing a world free of plastic waste. Millions of people across the globe take part every year, with many committing to reducing plastic pollution far beyond the month of July.

FILL IT FORWARD - Akamai has joined together with Fill it Forward and One Tree Planted to make a positive impact on the planet - all from the daily sustainable habits of employees. Fill it Forward is a B-Corp on a mission to inspire the world to reuse. Using Fill it Forward’s interactive technology, Akamai employees can track the amount of single-use waste diverted from our oceans and landfills, while also helping to give back.

Cisco hosts a Green Team Network (CGTN) as part of its Inclusive Communities (Employee Resource Groups). CGTN envisions a more environmentally sustainable business and world by empowering each other to drive social and environmental change at work and in their homes.The Network is working towards this goal by raising awareness of today’s most pressing sustainability challenges. They connect employees with the tools and resources to drive actions through service projects and campaigns. The 24 global teams host events year-round such as tree plantings, cleanup events, and educational sessions on waste reduction, home gardening, and beekeeping.

The Hispanic & Latin Professional Network, an employee resource group at CenterPoint Energy, recently hosted an Hispanic Heritage celebration themed, Latinos: Driving Prosperity, Power, and Progress in America. The group showcased Hispanic owned businesses on the panel session and in the “Mercado” (the market). Author and poet, Jasminne Mendez, gave a performance honoring her Dominican heritage. The group also enjoyed lunchtime entertainment provided by the Raul Izaguirre High School Jazz Ensemble. 

"I’m very grateful to all the ERG members and executive sponsors... who made this celebration possible with their great ideas, dedication and commitment to share our culture, traditions, and achievements," shared Ana Hargrove Baskkarone, Director of Energy Efficiency and Employee Resource Group Leader at CenterPoint.

Having received applications from talented individuals across the global company, PRA Group recently announced the selection of its 2023 Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee (DISC). Established in 2021, DISC has been instrumental in the creation and sustainable performance of the financial services company’s formal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) program. DISC was actively involved in the creation of PRA Group’s employee resource groups (ERGs), such as Women in Business Advocates and Mental and Emotional Well-Being. The group also helped to define and launch PRA Talks, the education and community building global arm of the company's DEI program. 

KPMG recently gathered nearly 500 business resource group (BRG) members, leaders, and allies at its lakehouse/"cultural home," for a DEI Leadership Essentials event. Elena Richards, Chief DEI Officer, outlined the event along with several key takeaways, including the value of candid conversations, leading authentically, and knowing your DEI "Why."

"During a panel discussion with KPMG leaders, we discussed the importance of leading with cultural humility and having a strong sense of awareness of not only yourself, but of those around you. There is such value in being vulnerable as a leader because it builds a sense of trust, which helps to create stronger teams," Richards wrote.

During this year’s Latinx & Hispanic Heritage Month, one of Bristol Myers Squibb's employee resource groups will host a keynote event with author Daisy Auger-Dominguez on “Building Inclusive Workplaces.” The company's OLA Chapters around the globe will host several local initiatives, including a career workshop and various speaker events with Latino and ally leaders — offering opportunities for BMS employees to connect with one another, learn, and engage.

"Our Organization for Latino Achievement (OLA) People and Business Resource Group (PBRG) is highlighting the importance of togetherness in how we show up for one another as we connect, grow and lead," the company shared. "As we celebrate the global contributions, history and culture of the Latinx & Hispanic community, we’re amplifying the great work our OLA PBRG does to connect employees, grow its membership and lead by example. OLA continues to cultivate a sense of belonging showcased by its 35% increase in membership globally — with a presence at more than 60 Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) sites including regional chapters across Latin America and Europe."

Xcel Energy recently celebrated its 13th annual Day of Service. The volunteer event began to honor the anniversary of September 11 and has continued to grow every year since. This year, the company brought together 2,500 volunteers across eight states.

"I volunteered alongside my Pride Alliance colleagues at Urban Peak - an organization that provides holistic and wrap around services to youth experiencing homelessness," shared Ashly Ligouri, corporate giving and strategic partnerships leader at Xcel. "It was a great day meeting so many youth that just need a little assistance right now, and the reminder that their community cares about them."

More News in Corporate Citizenship

Heaven Hill Brands has announced its “Spirited Neighbor” initiative, a $800,000 investment in the California neighborhood in West Louisville, KY, where the company operates its Bernheim Distillery. "Spirited Neighbor” will consist of long-term investments in non-profit partnerships and public organizations that support the community in education, mental health, and economic development, and, more broadly, across several critical areas.

“Heaven Hill is committed to being the best neighbor we can in the communities where we work and live. Louisville’s California neighborhood has been our distilling home for nearly 25 years,” said Allan Latts, co-president of Heaven Hill Brands. “We’re working with some key organizations that make up the fabric of the West End community to support a sustainable, thriving California neighborhood now and for future generations.”

This year marked the 18th annual TELUS Days of Giving. More than 80,000 global team members volunteered in hundreds of communities across the globe, collectively giving back 1.5 million hours of volunteer time. 

This year the company completed its first Days of Giving event in Amsterdam. More than 150 employees participated in a canal cleanup with Plastic Whale, a non-profit working towards a plastic-free land and sea, worldwide. With more than half a million plastic items reaching the oceans every year from the urban waterways network, and 60,000 kg of plastic being retrieved from Amsterdam’s canals every year, the cleanup with Plastic Whale helps to keep Amsterdam’s waterways clear of waste. The plastic waste retrieved is recycled and used as raw material to build boats and office furniture.

Sustainability & ESG Reports Released

Flex recently released its 2023 Sustainability Report, highlighting strides the company has made toward its long-term commitments. Every page of the report summarizes Flex's 2022 performance, progress, and activities and reflects the company's "ongoing purpose-driven sustainability journey.
A few highlights from the report include:

• 27% decrease in absolute scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions from our 2019 baseline year
• 100% of major sites partnered with a local non-governmental organization
• 17% reduction in safety incident rate year over year
• 100% of employees had access to emotional / mental health programs
• 35% of preferred suppliers had greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets

Members on the Move

More Corporate Citizens Enrolling in BCCCC Certificate Programs

Many CSR/ESG professionals have recently enrolled in our upcoming certificate programs, The Fall Summit and Leadership Academy. Congratulations to these executives from Scholastic Inc., Ochsner Health, Atrium Health, Cox Enterprises, Pechanga Resort Casino, and more...

A warm welcome to BCCCC's newest members, Sundt Construction, Teva Pharmaceuticals, and AMH (American Homes 4 Rent)

We look forward to having these teams join our corporate citizenship community.