Grant Helps CEBA Promote Business Ethics

Annual awards honor businesses and individuals that demonstrate high standards for business ethics

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Diana Nelson, center, owner of Kazoo & Company Toys, is presented with a Bill Daniels Business Ethics Award by Linda Childears, president and CEO of the Daniels Fund, and Tony King, partner with the law firm of Minor & Brown and chair of the CEBA Board.
 

DENVER---The Colorado Ethics in Business Alliance (CEBA) today announced it received a $50,000 grant from the Daniels Fund to help support its business ethics awards and related educational programs. Since its formation in 1991, CEBA’s prestigious award program has recognized nearly 100 Coloradans and businesses as outstanding role models for ethical business practices and leadership.

“We are looking forward to a long and productive partnership with the Daniels Fund and we’re excited about the new opportunities this collaboration will bring for both of our organizations and Colorado’s universities and business community,” says Hart Axley, chairman of CEBA’s Leadership Council and past president of CEBA. The announcement was made today at CEBA’s Annual Ethics Awards Luncheon.

“Bill Daniels considered the reputation he had earned for honesty and integrity to be his most important business asset,” explained Linda Childears, president and CEO of the Daniels Fund. “He supported CEBA in its early years and the Daniels Fund is honored to continue that tradition.”

With approximately $1.1 billion in assets, the Daniels Fund is one of the Rocky Mountain Region’s largest foundations and provides grants to nonprofit organizations and college scholarships to deserving students in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Most recently, the Daniels Fund established the Ethics Initiative, a program dedicated to strengthening principle-based ethics education at eight area universities.

Five Honorees Receive 2011 CEBA Ethics Awards

CEBA also today presented four companies and one individual with its coveted ethics awards at its annual luncheon at the Marriott City Center. This is the 19th year CEBA has honored Colorado’s top ethical role models in business and non-profit organizations.

The CEBA Bill Daniels Business Ethics Award, which honors for-profit enterprises, will be presented to Kazoo & Company Toys of Denver, Otter Box Products, LLC of Fort Collins and Dairy Specialists, LLC of Evans. The Family Tree of Wheat Ridge will receive the Samaritan Institute Award recognizing non-profit organizations. The Daniel L. Ritchie Award, honoring individuals for outstanding ethical achievement, will be presented to John Hopkins of Rocky Mountain Health Plans of Grand Junction.

The honorees were selected from a group of 27 finalists, which included 13 companies, seven non-profits and seven individuals, representing a wide range of industries and community organizations from hospitals and youth agencies to law firms and financial institutions. Teams of students from the University of Denver, Daniels School of Business and the University of Colorado Denver conducted research and interviewed the finalists and then presented their findings to an independent selection committee that determined the award winners.

“The honorees exhibit all the qualities we look for in ethical role models from sustainability and community involvement to personal integrity and high ethical standards,” says Anthony King, president of CEBA’s Board of Directors.

About CEBA

CEBA is a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to inspiring integrity and honoring high ethical standards in the Colorado business community. CEBA presents annual ethics awards to corporations, non-profits and individuals and hosts educational forums for the business community to discuss ethics in leadership. For more information, contact www.ceba.org.

About the Daniels Fund

Bill Daniels, a pioneer in cable television, established the Daniels Fund to provide grants to outstanding nonprofits and scholarships to deserving students in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. His estate transferred to the Daniels Fund when he died in the year 2000, making it one of the largest foundations in the Rocky Mountain Region. For more information, contact www.danielsfund.org