Chuck Ridings of State Farm Wins Rotary’s 2020 ‘Ethics in Business’ Award
The award comes with a $500 prize to donate to the charity of his choice.
Chuck Ridings of State Farm Wins Rotary’s 2020 ‘Ethics in Business’ Award
The award comes with a $500 prize to donate to the charity of his choice.
In 2009 the Rotary Club of Evergreen awarded its first annual ‘Ethics in Business Award’. Each year since, Rotary Club members nominate businesses and business professionals they believe comply with Rotary International’s Four-way Test, as follows:
Of the things we think, say or do:
- Is it the truth?
- Is it fair to all concerned?
- Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
- Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
Nominees can be both Rotary club members and non-club members. Each nominee is interviewed by Rotary’s vocational committee and the committee then selects a winner.
This year's nominees were:
- Chuck Ridings - State Farm
- Mindy Hanson – Alpha Pixel
- Dr. Marsha Manning – SCL Health
- Susan Hammond – Endless Travel
- Betsy Hays – Evergreen Area Chamber of Commerce
The unanimous winner was Chuck Ridings. This year, Chuck has been instrumental in supporting the mountain community through the Rotary Wildfire Ready Initiative. He has self-funded many of the initiatives and has also raised outside donations for outreach, education and communication in order to promote readiness and safety. We have Chuck to thank for the forthcoming Rotary Wildfire Ready Fire Truck, LED Screens, Evergreen Fire Department Community Mitigation Trailer, and a paid Community Wildfire Protection Plan assistant. As experts believe Evergreen to be one of the most likely locations for catastrophic wildfire, this effort is critical and invaluable. Thank you, Chuck, for all that you've done to promote a safe future for our community.
We also want to thank the Nature Conservancy for a generous donation in support of the Wildfire Prepared Home Assessment program which will also be promoted by Rotary Wildfire Ready.
We also want to thank the Nature Conservancy for a generous donation in support of the Wildfire Prepared Home Assessment program which will also be promoted by Rotary Wildfire Ready.
Chuck’s greatest passion is to help good people train to find higher paying vocations in the local workforce.
He also has been instrumental in supporting the Rotary Wildfire Readiness Project (RWRP):
- Donated The Educational Fire Truck and trailer to be used to promote Wildfire Mitigation throughout the Front Range Communities.
- Raised $6,000 in private donations for RWRP in 2019
- In 2019 raised $14,000 for Evergreen Park and Recreation District’s INSPIRE program for special needs residents in the District.
- Paid $30,000 towards the 2019 salary of a Wildfire Specialist to assist Captain Paul Amundson of the Evergreen Fire Protection District.
Chuck’s wildfire education leadership began in May of 2018. He assembled an educational symposium with the help of John Putt and Mark Guebert-Steward. They brought the mountain foothills Fire District Leadership, USFS, CSFS to meet with the Leadership of all the mountain foothills HOA organizations. The purpose was to enhance the need for greater community participation in wildfire mitigation and evacuation preparedness.
Past winners of Rotary’s ‘Ethics in Business Award’ are:
2009 - Wycoff Mortgage Associates
2010 - Big O Tires of Evergreen
2011 - Rising Graphics and Printing
2012 - Bits and Pieces
2014 - Tallgrass Spa and Salon
2015 - Mountain Home
2016 - Tuscany Tavern
2017 – John and Pandora Erlandson
2018 – Evergreen Dental Group
2019 – Oldes Garage
When asked for a quote, Chuck responded:
“There has never been a statue made for a critic”