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Posted 03.19.2009

17th annual Colorado Ethics in Business Alliance Awards

The power of a greater good is a tonic for tough times

When people are focused on keeping their businesses alive and hanging onto their houses, celebrating ethical business practices and community involvement are more important than ever. When headlines chronicle the carnage from Bernie Madoff’s $50 billion Ponzi scheme and politicians lose their coveted Cabinet posts because they “forgot” to pay their taxes, it’s inspiring to hear about people who serve as great role models by heeding their conscience and spreading their compassion.

Ethics in Business Award winner Mike Hommel of Designs by Sundown, a landscape architecture and sprinkler system business, says practicing good ethics has been a primary factor for his company’s success. David Rogers, the chief operating officer of Keller Bros. Auto, another Ethics in Business Winner, says he’s more interested in prospective employees’ sense of empathy that he is about their ability to fix a car. He can teach them that stuff.

Pam Whitaker, executive director of Ronald McDonald House of Denver – the winner of this year’s Samaritan Institute Award, says she most enjoys the gratitude she and her colleagues receive daily by providing a temporary home base for the families of pediatric hospital patients.
Through Character Fort Collins, long-time businessman Robert Powell, honored with the Daniel Ritchie Award, promotes ethical practices to everyone from school children to prison inmates, preaching how they’re a key to success. Harry Lewis, also a recipient of the Daniel Ritchie Award, would appreciate Powell’s work. He says having good mentors growing up – his parents, his teachers, his first professional employers – helped him forge a strong sense of ethics and civic duty.

The Colorado Ethics in Business Award program was founded by the University of Denver, ColoradoBiz and the Samaritan Institute.
Winners are profiled on the following pages. They’ll be honored at the CEBA Awards luncheon on March 26 at the Mariott City Center in downtown Denver. Visit www.ceba.org for details.

Pam Whitaker, executive director, Ronald McDonald House of Denver

Samaritan Institute Award
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE OF DENVER

In her role as executive director of Ronald McDonald House of Denver, Pam Whitaker said, “I’m able to hear ‘thanks’ on a daily basis.”
The charity was established in 1979 when it opened a 10-bedroom Victorian at East 16th Avenue and Ogden Street in Denver, becoming the third Ronald McDonald House in the world. Today, the charity – whose primary mission is to provide an affordable “home away from home” for the families of pediatric hospital patients – has served more than 25,000 families.

Many children and their families travel to Denver to take advantage of cutting-edge therapies and procedures offered at regional hospitals for everything from cancer treatment to heart and liver transplants. Some stay for a few nights, others stay for years. In 2007, the Denver Ronald McDonald House families came from 25 states and five countries.

Whitaker joined the charity 18 years ago and has led it as it has grown and relocated from its first house to 76 beds in two modern locations, a 45,000-square-foot facility across from the former Children’s Hospital complex in Denver and a 76,000-square-foot facility at the Fitzsimons campus in Aurora. The houses, which offer multiple kitchens, laundry rooms, and living and play areas — including one play area large enough to ride a bike in — are full every night of the year. Volunteers prepare two meals a day for families, and many other services are provided, including transportation to and from appointments. The charity requests a $15 per night donation to offset operating expenses, as it costs about $76 per night to operate each room. But nobody must pay to stay there. The Ronald McDonald House of Denver also offers Sky High Hope Camp every summer for 90 children with cancer.

Carol Wright, a volunteer for the charity, nominated Ronald McDonald House and Pam Whitaker for the Colorado Ethics in Business Alliance Award. “In this day and age, nonprofits turn over their staffs frequently,” said Wright, who manages community involvement for Xcel Energy and has volunteered at Ronald McDonald House of Denver for about six years. “I’m amazed by how many people employed there have stayed there a good number of years. I believe the mission is part of what drives that, and how the organization is run is a part of that, too — and that falls on Pam.”

While there are now 285 Ronald McDonald House charities worldwide, each is its own 503© organization. McDonald’s Corp.provides some financial support, but the Denver charity largely relies on the generosity of the community at large. Over the past decade, it has undergone two capital campaigns to build its houses, and each year, it hosts fundraising events including a golf tournament, a holiday benefit and a spring ball gala. Third-party fundraisers, individual donations and grant money add to its bottom line, which remarkably is debt-free.
Through the years, Whitaker said, “I’ve felt privileged to work with so many great staff members and families.” Being awarded the Samaritan Institute Award was the “perfect 30th anniversary present” for the charity, she said.
— Mary Butler