2026 Ethics in Business Awards
2026 Ethics in Busines Awards
The 2026 Ethics in Business Awards are a wrap! This year’s luncheon continued the tradition of recognizing local businesses, nonprofit and individuals who demonstrate integrity, honesty and respect in their workplaces. 6 for-profit companies, 3 nonprofits and 3 individual business leaders were honored this year – winners are indicated below:
Large Business
Individual
- Michelle Savage (Sulit Press)
- Merrill Davis (Texas 2036)
- *Vidya Moorthy (Austin Business Woman)
This year’s awards luncheon was hosted by Bobby Jenkins and John Garrett. Jenkins is the longtime RecognizeGood board chair and owner of ABC Home & Commercial, while Garrett – hosting for the first time – is the owner of Community Impact News. Both ABC and Community Impact have been recognized with Ethics in Business Awards in years past. As part of the program, RecognizeGood donated a $10,000 scholarship to Concordia University Texas, where hand-picked students interview all award nominees and whittle those nominees down to a handful of finalists as part of a semester-long capstone course. Rotary Club of Austin, founded in 1913, has partnered with RecognizeGood to form the selection panel and help form a stronger bridge between ethical business leaders and the students who will form our future workforce. Rotary’s “Four-Way Test” encourages us to pause before making decisions, ensuring that we decide with fairness and others top of mind.
RecognizeGood kicked off the luncheon by recognizing a 20-year volunteer from the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Felecia Owens. Owens received a $1,000 donation in her name to the Komen Foundation, along with a dedicated brick along Lady Bird Lake. Past Ethics in Business awardees in attendance were also recognized for continuing their culture of ethical business long past their initial recognition. Those recognized included:
2021: Bloom Communications – owner Jamie Matusek
2020: Thinkery – chief development officer Rachel Mallernee
2017: Community Impact News – John Garrett
2014: Sara Pantin – Individual, Southwest Mutual Financial Partners
2014: Atchley & Associates – partner Jaclyn Roberts
2011: Maxwell Locke & Ritter – managing partner Lesley Hargraves
2010: ABC Home & Commercial Services – owner Bobby Jenkins
2008: TyRex Group – CEO Andrew Cooper
2004: US Tokyo Electron – CFO Rick Turner
2003: Earl Maxwell – Individual (St. David’s Foundation)
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RecognizeGood® is an Austin-based 501(c)3 nonprofit that provides the means for anyone to illuminate, connect with and learn from great examples of goodness. RecognizeGood is a partner and advisor to forward-thinking businesses, an advocate for the employees of those businesses, and an imaginative champion for all nonprofits in our community. With the help of all Central Texans who believe that goodness is an investment in our future, RecognizeGood is building the community we want to see for those who come after us. Since its inspiration in 2007, RecognizeGood has grown to include a variety of unique programs ranging from celebration to education, but the root remains the same – illuminating the GOOD in our community.
