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Last month, I had the pleasure of accepting a Gold Pan Award for Distinguished Community Service from the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce on behalf of CIRI. We were presented this award for CIRI's committed efforts for making Anchorage a better place to live.
Unlike most corporations, Alaska's Native regional corporations are charged with enhancing the lives of our shareholders both economically and socially. In addition to paying dividends, we have built a family of non-profit organizations that provide a variety of services designed to improve the lives of our shareholders which in turn leads to a better community.
Like other successful corporations and businesses, we are expected to play a supporting role in the community as a responsible corporate citizen and good neighbor. And as an Alaska corporation, we take pride in being a part of the community that we live and work in. A healthy and thriving Alaska community benefits all of us.
Of course it is impossible to assist every organization and cause that has a request for contributions or sponsorship. Our approach is to target organizations and programs that not only build a stronger community but also touch the lives of Alaska Natives. We look at programs that focus on youth and education, organizations that assist the hungry and homeless and promote health, and we recognize the importance of promoting arts and culture.
Aside from reaching into our pockets, the participation of our employees and shareholders is vital to our community partnership. For example, each month CIRI employees serve food at Bean's Cafe which serves some 175,000 meals a year to more than 4,000 homeless Alaskans a great majority being Alaska Native. Our own United Way employee giving campaign raised more than $34,000 from 74 employees. As co-chair of last year's United Way campaign, I was also proud to announce that the collective employee contributions from Alaska's Native regional corporations dramatically increased to $600,000. |
CIRI also recognizes the importance of preserving our culture and was instrumental in the creation of the Alaska Native Heritage Center. With some initiative, we've also seen the success of the first urban Native public radio station, KNBA 90.3 FM, and Koahnic Broadcast Corporation producer of local and national Native programming. Today, both the Heritage Center and Koahnic are broadly supported by the public for the valuable cultural role they provide the community.
And there are many more organizations providing valuable services for Alaskans and our own shareholders that operate on corporate contributions and community support. Among the many organizations and programs that we are proud to lend a hand to are the Food Bank of Alaska, Alaska Pacific University, Alaska SeaLife Center, Anchorage Opera, Brother Francis Shelter, Catholic Social Services and the 2001 Special Olympics World Winter Games.
While CIRI's corporate contributions amount to a small percentage of our operating budget, they add up to a huge investment in our Alaska
community and making life
better for Alaska Native people.
Carl H. Marrs,
President
& CEO
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 CIRI Sells Interest in BellSouth Carolinas CIRI has sold
its interest in BellSouth Carolinas PCS LP, a provider of digital wireless
services in North and South Carolina. On a national scale, BellSouth
and Southern Bell Corp. are merging their wireless operations to create
a nationwide wireless network to compete with other national providers
such as AT&T, Sprint and VoiceStream. In an attempt to streamline
its ownership structure and resolve partnership issues, BellSouth agreed
to acquire the interests of the limited partners and to merge the partnership
into its wireless operations. The combined BellSouth/SBC wireless operations
will be marketed under the brand name "Cingular."
CIRI had been
a partner with BellSouth in the Carolinas since the mid-90s. CIRI President
and CEO Carl Marrs is pleased with how the investment turned out. "We
have enjoyed a good partnership with BellSouth over the years, and this
transaction serves to benefit both of us; BellSouth is enabled to compete
nationally, and CIRI may now invest further in the industry," said Marrs.
CIRI has made
significant investments in the telecommunications industry, focusing
primarily on broadband PCS services including cellular telephone service
in the United States.
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Carl Marrs and Dawn Dinwoodie, CIRI's community relations specialist, gather some of the 900 pounds of food that CIRI employees donated to the United Way Day of Caring Food Drive. CIRI Receives Gold Pan Award from Anchorage Chamber CIRI was honored
by the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce with a Gold Pan Award for distinguished
service to the community on Saturday, Sept. 23, at the Chamber's annual
awards banquet.
The awards
are presented annually to those who best exemplify the chamber's mission
of making Anchorage a better place to live, work and do business. CIRI
was nominated for its generous support of organizations in Southcentral
Alaska that promote education; promote health and fight hunger and homelessness;
and encourage and preserve arts and culture.
continued on page 6
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Contact
us
Location: 2525 C Street, Suite 500
Location: 2525 C Street, Suite 500
Anchorage
Mailing address:
P.O. Box 93330
Anchorage AK 99509-3330
Phone number: (907) 274-8638
Fax number: (907) 279-8836
Shareholder relations:
1-800-764-2474
Web site:
www.ciri.com
CIRI BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Robert N. Woodhead
Chairman
John N. Colberg
Chairman Emeritus
Charles G.
Anderson
Vice Chairman
Sharon L.
Isaak
Secretary
A. Debbie
Fullenwider
Assistant Secretary
William D.
English
Treasurer
Michael R.
Boling
Assistant Treasurer
B. Agnes Brown
Gosta E. Dagg
Ronald G.
Perry
William C.
Prosser
Robert W.
Rude
Harold F.
Rudolph
Terry L. Simpson,
M.D.
Clare Swan
