Contact:
Fred Whiting
202-729-8177
fwhiting@PointsofLight.org

MEDIA ADVISORY

Outstanding Volunteers and Organizations to be Recognized
at National Conference on Volunteering and Service

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 12, 2007) — The Chairman of the Board of the IBM Corporation, the first African-American woman to serve as President of Spelman College, and the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Philadelphia Eagles are among the outstanding Americans who will be recognized by former President George H.W. Bush at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in Philadelphia on Wednesday, July 18.

At the closing general session of the conference, which takes place July 16-18, Mr. Bush will present some of the most prestigious awards in the volunteer sector to a number of outstanding individuals and organizations.

The Awards for Excellence in Workplace Volunteer Programs will be presented to:

AAA of Northern California, Nevada and Utah, which offers automotive, travel, insurance and financial services Citi, the leading global financial services company The McGraw-Hill Companies, a global information services provider Microsoft Corporation, the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions The Salt River Project (SRP), the third-largest public power utility in the nation

Sam Palmisano, Chairman of the Board and CEO of the IBM Corporation, will receive the George Bush Corporate Leadership Award, which is presented each year to an outstanding executive who has demonstrated both a personal commitment to service and outstanding support for his or her company’s employee volunteer program.

On each day of the week of July 16-20, the Daily Point of Light Award will be presented to an outstanding Philadelphian:

July 16: Lisa Hilsee, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Greater Philadelphia Cares, whose mission is to support the creation of vibrant communities by motivating people to volunteer their time, talents and resources. July 17: Ruth El, a fun, enthusiastic and dedicated volunteer since joining Greater Philadelphia Cares in 1999, who has volunteered over 500 hours of her time. July 18: Joe Banner, President and Chief Operating Officer of the Philadelphia Eagles; Phil Behr, Managing Partner at Navigator Equity Partners; and City Year Greater Philadelphia (CYGP), the local branch of the premier national service organization that recruits young adults between ages 17 and 24 to commit one year to full-time community service. July 19: Kit Racette, a Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) volunteer since 1997. July 20: Carol Dickerson, a four-season volunteer at Tyler Arboretum who maintained two miles of trails that go through 650 acres of uncultivated natural areas.

Dr. Johnetta Betsch Cole, will receive the Leonore and George W. Romney Citizen Volunteer Award, which is given by the Points of Light Foundation to those distinguished Americans who have demonstrated the same spirit of volunteering and citizenship that characterize the lives of the late Lenore and George Romney. Dr. Cole Chair of the Board, Johnetta B. Cole Global Diversity and Inclusion Institute, Bennett College for Women, Greensboro, N.C. She was the first African-American woman to serve as president of Spelman College and the first African-American to serve as chair of the board of United Way of America.

Other awards that will be presented include:

• The Connect America Award to the American Red Cross and Hope Worldwide.
• The George W. Romney Volunteer Center of the Year Award to VOLUNTEER Hampton Roads, Norfolk, Va.
• The Corporate Volunteer Council Awards to The Volunteer Center Serving San Francisco and San Mateo Counties, San Francisco, Calif., and the CVC Fast-Start Award to the West Virginia Business Volunteer Council, Charleston, W.V.

The Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network engages and mobilizes millions of volunteers who are helping to solve serious social problems in thousands of communities. Through a variety of programs and services, the Foundation encourages people from all walks of life — businesses, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, low-income communities, families, youth and older adults — to volunteer.

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