Sharing Works
Last year was a record one for charitable giving by Sempra Energy, a fitting achievement to mark the end of an era as Steve Baum, Sempra Energy's chairman and chief executive officer, retires from the company on Feb. 1, 2006.
Over the years of Baum's tenure, starting in 1996 as president and CEO of Enova Corporation, one of Sempra Energy's predecessor companies, the company has largely been known for its business successes. Through a merger, acquisitions and entrepreneurial efforts, the company has grown far beyond its roots as a San Diego, Calif.-based utility.
Global presence
Today, Sempra Energy companies develop, construct and run energy infrastructure, operate utilities, and provide energy-related products and services to more than 29 million consumers in the United States, Europe, Canada, Mexico, South America and Asia.
Charitable giving grows
The growth of the business has been marked by financial success: Sempra Energy's earnings have grown 20 percent per year since the late 1990s. This growth has also been marked by parallel growth in corporate giving. Over that same period, Sempra Energy's corporate charitable contributions have increased from about $1.5 million to more than $10 million a year.
"When you 'grow' a company, you also 'grow' charitable giving, community outreach and your ability to help," explains Molly Cartmill, Sempra Energy's director of Community Relations & Corporate Events.
Giving back
That's in keeping with a corporate philosophy that views giving back as good business. During Baum's tenure, Sempra Energy increased its giving to programs that strengthen education, protect the environment, develop arts and culture, foster business and community development, and promote health.
One reflection of the value of those contributions has been awards from the community. As chairman and CEO of Sempra Energy, Baum has been honored by the Union of Pan Asian Communities with its "2005 Leadership Award," by the Boy Scouts of America with a "2002 Distinguished Citizen Award," by the American Jewish Committee with its "2002 David & Dorothea Garfield Human Relations Award" and by the La Jolla Music Society as its "2005 SummerFest Honoree"—an award Baum shared with his wife, Brenda Baker.
Commitment to giving
Sempra Energy's commitment to the communities it serves goes beyond one person. Other executives, managers and the company's employees have invested their own energy, volunteer time—more than 50,000 hours last year—and financial resources to improve the quality of life in the communities where the company does business. And that's a commitment the company will stand by.
"I'm very proud that, during my tenure at Sempra Energy, our company and its employees have succeeded at such a high level," says Baum. "I appreciate the awards we've received, but one of the achievements I take great pride in is the growth we've achieved in charitable giving.
"One of our core values at Sempra Energy is to give back to the communities where we all live and work," he adds, "and the amount we're able to now give is a testament to the extraordinary growth and success we've achieved since forming Sempra Energy."
Don Felsinger, Sempra Energy's president and chief operating officer, who will become CEO and chairman after Baum retires, adds, "We are proud of our achievements in charitable giving over the last decade and, going forward, we plan to remain steadfast in our long-standing commitment to the communities where we live and work."
