Atlanta-based corporate leaders discuss the link between volunteerism and business

Atlanta Business Chronicle - by Anya Martin Contributing Writer

While growing up, Tim Bentsen saw all of the hard work his father did for the local Lion's Club and as a Boy Scout leader and that his mother put in for his school PTA. So, he felt that it was only natural to get an early start 32 years ago volunteering for the March of Dimes in San Antonio.

Now, as office managing partner for KPMG Atlanta, Bentsen not only leads his office but his office's INVOLVE committee, which promotes community volunteerism and organizes the annual "family volunteer day" when KPMG employees and their families volunteer at multiple Atlanta nonprofits.

"[Community service] is something I grew up with and believed that you did, and then to work for a firm that encouraged and supported it was what really stoked my passion and ignited it," Bentsen said.

A passion for volunteer efforts not only helps the community but also can equate to new possibilities for business, according to these Atlanta-based corporate leaders.

Derek V. Smith, chairman and CEO of ChoicePoint Inc., said he believes that having a corporate culture that promotes caring about issues and people beyond their self-interest is one reason why ChoicePoint has grown from a $400 million company to a $1.1 billion one.

"To encourage community service among employees, it is critical that CEOs have enthusiasm for community work­ -- that they don't delegate it down," he said. "They should lead by example and encourage associates at all levels to get engaged in helping nonprofits that match their interests and passion."

Phil Kent, chairman and CEO of Turner Broadcasting System Inc., said he views community involvement not so much as a passion, but as a responsibility. "The Atlanta community has supported Turner, and Atlanta is home to the majority of our company's employees," he said. "So, it's my privilege and part of my job to represent Turner Broadcasting on business boards."

The son of a World War II veteran, Jim Geiger, chairman and CEO of Cbeyond Inc., sees his volunteerism as a "collision of both my patriotism for this country and a spiritual orientation that values giving back to the community," he said.

Therefore, Geiger not only has taken a community leadership role as a Hands On Network board member but also has made social responsibility a key company value for the fast-growing telecom firm that he leads.

"We have created a culture of involvement, but we don't determine where people should get involved," he said. "That's passion-led; it benefits the community and it's got to be good for business, even though the business end isn't our motivation."

The impact of a CEO who enthusiastically supports community service on employee retention may be even greater now than just a few years ago, according to the recently released Cone Cause Evolution Survey 2007 conducted by Opinion Research Corp.

Seventy-two percent of Americans expressed a desire for their employers to do more to support a cause or social issue, up from 38 percent in Cone's last survey in 2004.

A leader-driven commitment to community goes beyond employee loyalty to being able to compete for the best talent in the city of Atlanta and nationally, said Kurt Ronn, president and founder of national recruitment firm HRworks.

"When you work together as a team and give together as a company, you have the ability to make a much bigger impact in the community," he said.

Volunteering alongside employees is a key way that CEOs can show that they personally are invested in the cause and not just dictating that they support it, said Craig Ramsey, managing director for Accenture Ltd. as well as corporate chair for this year's Hands on Atlanta Day, where he serves side by side with his employees.

"It doesn't matter what your level is, when you find your passion, you get out and just do it; ­it is truly leadership by example," he said.

Volunteer projects also provide a great opportunity to get to know employees who you otherwise might not meet on the job and find out what's important to them, said John Somerhalder, president and CEO of AGL Resources Inc.

Somerhalder also enjoys donating his sweat equity to a hands-on project, such as a Habitat for Humanity house.

"I very quickly found how much pride everyone took in building a home and what it means to a family, so it didn't take long for me to show up and start helping," he said, describing his first experience working on a Habitat home while working for a Texas company.

Because of his experience with Habitat, Somerhalder was quick to approve a 13-acre land donation to the nonprofit when it was suggested by Melanie Platt, AGL Resources' senior vice president of human resources and president of the AGL Resources Foundation, he said.

Ben Johnson, managing partner at Alston & Bird LLP, said that giving back to the community with pro-bono work was a key value passed down by the generation of lawyers who served as his role models. He added that he hopes to inspire young lawyers to similarly serve through activities such as chairing the board of trustees of Emory University and the board of Woodward Academy.

Serving on a board gives leaders the ability to share their leadership skills and areas of expertise with nonprofit groups, as well as "feed their soul," he said.

Another advantage to board service is the chance to maximize the impact of your company's philanthropic or volunteer support of a nonprofit, said Bentsen, whose board positions include president of the board of the Boy Scouts of Atlanta and president-elect of the board of United Way of Metro Atlanta Inc.

"I do a lot today because of the position I am in, but the firm has never asked me to cut back or slow down," he said. "They have been very encouraging for me to take leadership roles."

Board participation also gives corporate leaders a chance to get to know, learn from and be inspired by other leaders, Cbeyond's Geiger said. "These are highly successful, very busy people who also find time to do this stuff," he said. "Those are the kind of people I like to surround myself with."

With so many great causes out there, Ramsey said advice to fellow corporate leaders is not to spread yourself too thin but rather to select one or a few causes for which you have a great passion.

"That is the only way you will truly be able to make a difference," he said.

View original publication in the Atlanta Business Chronicle