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The Corporate Citizen, May 2008Section: NewsNext Stop: Seattle "The bluest sky you've ever seen is in Seattle!" Those were the words of the theme song from a 1960s hit ABC TV series. In 2008, the Puget Sound area is more known for innovation, investment, and an intense drive toward philanthropic leadership. The region is home to 3.5 million people and 1.7 million jobs. CNN Money recently named Bellevue, Washington, (home of Symetra Financial) the #1 place to live and launch a business for its talented workforce and burgeoning downtown. Aerospace has long been a key industry in the Seattle area, thanks to the Boeing and its 68,000 area jobs. Microsoft is a global IT leader and employs 35,000 people locally. Starbucks has created a new coffee-drinking experience and has over 15,000 coffeehouses throughout the world. The Puget Sound is also the home of business leadership in biotech and healthcare research, employing thousands of highly educated people. The area has recently become known for leading the evolution in corporate citizenship. Companies provide much more than just a check for a cause. Now, companies are digging in the dirt, rebuilding houses, or performing intellectual services at a pace never before seen. In addition to the companies already mentioned, WAMU, Costco, Alaska Airlines, and Windermere Real Estate are just a few of the strong corporate citizens acting locally and globally. Puget Sound-based nonprofits are leaders in a growing trend of entrepreneurial focus. The Gates Foundation, PATH, and World Vision work in concert with private business, governmental entities, and the public to address significant problems. The Seattle area has been dubbed "Microfinance 2.0" for being the home of Global Partnerships, Grameen Technology, and Unitus — all leaders in microcredit. But the region has not escaped problems of many cities. Nearly 100 different languages are spoken in Seattle schools. Despite being one of the country's wealthiest communities, the public schools face a significant dropout rate, especially among minority students. Some suburban schools have felt this sting as well. Though housing prices have fallen some (less than the national average), the median price for a home in King County is $435,000. With regional gas prices averaging near $3.90/gallon, and a challenged transportation infrastructure, the labor force has substantial difficulties juggling all of the demands upon a family. Finally, the in-migration of people into the Puget Sound has caused unanticipated demands on the environment. There is a unique relationship between the people and the natural environment in the Pacific Northwest. The beautiful Puget Sound is ringed by the Cascade Mountains to the east and the Olympic Mountains to the west. Warm water currents help moderate the climate so that extreme temperatures in the central Puget Sound are rare. But there is a projected net increase of over 600,000 people to the area in the next decade. The demands on the environment are of great concern to the area. Symetra Financial is the proud host of the BCLC Corporate Community Investment Forum in Seattle on June 6. One of the host's duties is to find a place to hold the forum, and we chose the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence. Why choose the Seattle Public Schools administration building? Because everyone recognizes that educating our future workforce has broad-ranging impacts and there is no better place to discuss how corporate citizens can help their communities. June 6, 2008 is the date. Seattle is the place. See next month's issue for a report of the meeting. |
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