2024 ETHICS IN BUSINESS AWARD HONOREES ANNOUNCED
2024 Ethics in Business Award Honorees Announced
RecognizeGood is proud to announce the honorees for the 2024 Ethics in Business Awards. Winners were announced at the annual Ethics in Business Awards luncheon on Friday, hosted by RecognizeGood board chair and ABC Home & Commercial Services owner Bobby Jenkins alongside broadcast trailblazer Patti Card Smith. This prestigious award recognizes the best in Central Texas leadership on the pillars of respect, fairness, honesty, justice, and sustainability.
Honorees for the 2024 Ethics in Business Awards are as follows, with winners indicated by an *:
Large Business
Individual
- Stephanie Harris, IMPACT Texas
- *Dyan Lofton, Austin Legal Access
- Monique Parker-Murchison, Little Bit of Good
Lifetime Achievement
- *Bob Gregory, Texas Disposal Systems
Bob Gregory founded Texas Disposal Systems in 1974 and grew the solid waste services business to one of the nation’s largest independently owned solid waste collection, recycling, compositing and disposal companies, employing over 1,100 individuals with operations spanning 2,300 acres in southeast Travis County. The business centers around a business model of service to others and holds environmental stewardship at the forefront. Gregory’s family has hosted over 2,700 events for nonprofits and institutional organizations on company land at no charge, helping those organizations raise more than $27 million for their noble causes. Gregory’s overarching business model has been to maximize the value of the combined efforts of their businesses and to be a good neighbor, a good employer, and a good steward.
Each award nominee was vetted by hand-selected student examiners at Concordia University Texas. Student examiners scored each nominee based on phone interviews and their own research, then conducted an in-depth review of each finalist.
What are People Saying?
“We believe that running an ethical business is really not just an option, but it is foundational in growing a successful estate.”
“Some of us can give money to a special worthy cause to accomplish specific goals. Some of us can use our voice to encourage others, like we've seen today. Some of us can be there personally for our friends and neighbors in their time of need. Some of us can open our home, or use some portion of our business to help encourage others. But none of us should let ourselves be robbed of the joy of being personally involved in helping others - whatever means we have.”
“Make no mistake, our work here is never done. It's not a once-a-year training just to check a box. It's a continuous journey for myself and my leadership team – we must lead by example.”
“At CIS, we know that success is not just about what we do, but it's most definitely about how we do it. It's about integrity, transparency, treating everyone with fairness and respect. Most of all it’s about love, and we use that word a lot – because love is what builds our relationships and informs our norms.”
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RecognizeGood is a local nonprofit that provides a means for individuals and organizations to illuminate selfless volunteers, charitable acts and community service throughout greater Austin. There are several active programs that work toward this mission from different angles, but the common theme is simple – the illumination of GOOD in our community. The mission of RecognizeGood is to elevate the spirit of community by catalyzing a movement of good deeds and unselfish charity through recognizing, rewarding and promoting good in our businesses and the communities in which they reside.
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Concordia University Texas is an award-winning institution of higher education, offering undergraduate, graduate and an Accelerated Degree Program for adult students. The main campus is located in Northwest Austin with four university centers in central Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio. Online classes are also offered for some programs. A privately-held, accredited, liberal arts university, Concordia is under the auspices of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. It is a member of the highly respected Concordia University System in which more than 31,000 students are enrolled nationwide.
The Samaritan Center organized and presented the Ethics in Business Awards until the program was adopted by RecognizeGood on its 10th anniversary. Samaritan Center is a nonprofit counseling center that provides professional counseling, integrative medicine and community education to prevent and treat abuse, teach healthy life skills, and strengthen families. The Center serves children and adults of all ages who are struggling with a variety of problems such as stress, depression, abuse and addiction. The Samaritan Center’s Hope for Heroes program has received statewide recognition for helping service members and military families heal the emotional wounds of war and reintegrate back into our community.
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