1999 Stars of Telework Awards

ITAC announces 1999 Stars of Telework award winners

SEATTLE — The International Telework Association & Council (ITAC) announced the recipients of its 1999 Stars of Telework Awards during its Sixth Annual International Telework Conference being held in Seattle, October 3-6.

ITAC annually presents awards to leading businesses, legislators, government agencies and telework trailblazers. Awards are given to (1) promote and foster advances in the field of telework; (2) provide international recognition for leadership and innovation in telework and (3) motivate and inspire corporations, organizations and individuals to excel in their telework practices.

This year, ITAC presented the following eight awards:

• Fortune 1000 Excellence in Telework Award: AT&T
  Presented to AT&T for clearly and effectively demonstrating the strategic use of telework to benefit its employees, the corporation, the communities in which they are located and society as a whole. This year, AT&T undertook a significant region-wide telework initiative in five Western states including Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Minnesota. Telework projects in each market ranged from a local Telework Day to statewide telework training sessions to a "Workplace of the Future" exhibit. AT&T is also sponsoring Telework America Action Summits and a groundbreaking national research study to be announced on Telework America Day on October 27, 1999. The company maintains a strong internal commitment to telework with approximately 55 percent of its managers teleworking at least once a month.

• Small to Mid-size Company Excellence in Telework: TManage, Inc.
  Presented to TManage, Inc. for clearly and effectively demonstrating the strategic use of telework to benefit its employees, the company, local community and society as a whole. TManage develops dynamic innovations in telework implementation for Fortune 1000 companies that incorporate the multiple disciplines necessary to mainstream telework. All telework program essentials are coordinated in an automated, state-of-the-art manner for the benefit of management and employees. TManage embraces telework arrangements for its employees. The company is also a member of the "Clean Air Force," an organization working to reduce airborne emissions and improve air quality in Austin, Texas.

• Government Agency or Non-Profit Organization Excellence in Telework Award: Utah Transit Authority and City Public Service, San Antonio, Texas
  Presented to the Utah Transit Authority and City Public Service of San Antonio, Texas for clearly and effectively demonstrating the strategic use of telework to benefit its employees, the organizations, the communities in which they are located and society as a whole.
  • Utah Transit Authority: Utah Transit Authority is utilizing telework as a travel alternative for its employees. Currently, 18 Customer Service and Rideshare Specialists from its Meadowbrook facility are teleworking from home. Next year, the facility will have at least 36 teleworkers, or 18 percent of its employees teleworking.
  • City Public Service, San Antonio, TX: As the public utility provider of gas and electricity to the City of San Antonio, Texas, City Public Service implemented a telework program for it call center agents. The objective of the program was to enhance service delivery, improve productivity and boost job satisfaction. The company installed a new PBX and LAN access strategy to integrate its customer service data application and digital PBS station functionality onto their remote agents' desktop PCs. Employing the latest technology has made teleworking a viable option, doubling its current call center teleworkers to 50, and helping to attract and retain qualified employees.

• Outstanding Innovation in Telework Award: General Services Administration -Federal Technology Services
  Presented to General Services Administration - Federal Technology Services (FTS) for advancing telework by creating and implementing an outstanding and innovative program. FTS initiated a telecommuting program in 1994. When the organization moved to Northern Virginia this year, it built an innovative facility that would support telework. Employees are able to utilize their laptops while at remote locations or when teleworking from home or local telework centers. FTS is also setting up "hoteling" workstations in its other locations in Falls Church, VA and Washington, D.C. FTS plans to increase its teleworkers from a current level of seven percent to 25 percent.

• Telework Leadership Award: Major General Terrence L. Dake, U.S. Air Force Materiel Command
  Since 1995, Major General Terrence L. Dake strongly supported the use of telecommuting by U.S. Air Force Materiel Command reservists to accomplish a wide range of important mission tasks. The AFMC Reserve program successfully piloted the use of telecommuting with more than 1,000 Reserve officers. The pilot test of telecommuting was integral to the development and approval of Air Force Instruction 36-8002, Telecommuting Guidelines for Air Force Reservists and Their Supervisors. The regulation allows assigned reservists to work in an official capacity away from the official duty location in either active duty or inactive duty status.

• Special Legislative Award: Maryland Delegate Joan Pitkin
  Delegate Joan Pitkin of Bowie, Maryland, a 21-year legislative veteran representing the 23rd district in Annapolis, is a member of the House of Delegates Appropriations Committee. Delegate Pitkin has worked to address critical state transportation needs and helped shape state policy regarding travel on the "Information Highway." She sponsored legislation to create a Telecommuting Advisory committee and a State Telecommuting Pilot Program for state employees. This year, Delegate Pitkin worked to raise the number of state employees in the telecommuting program through (1) a telecommuting workshop; (2) an incentive program to enable teleworkers to acquire home computers and; (3) the establishment of additional telework and workforce development centers. Through her 1999 legislation, Maryland will provide telework training and marketing of the telecommuting program throughout State executive agencies.

• Outstanding Telework Volunteer Award: Dee Christensen, State of Washington Energy Office
  Presented to Dee Christensen in recognition of her volunteer contributions to the International Telework Association & Council. Ms. Christensen was a founding member of the Pacific Northwest Telecommuting Advisory Council in 1990. She been a founding and active member of the Telework Collaborative - a group of four states including Washington, Oregon, Arizona and California.

• Telework Hall of Fame Award: Gil Gordon
  Presented to Gil Gordon whose research, personal efforts, leadership and commitment to excellence exemplify and elevate the field of telework. In the past 17 years, Gil Gordon's name has become commonly associated with the word telecommuting. In addition to his national and international travels to Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand to speak and lead seminars, Gordon founded and became editor of Telecommuting Review, a newsletter recognized worldwide as an authoritative source of telecommuting information and analysis from 1984 to 1999. He created a web site that provides comprehensive subject matter on telework. Gordon is a globally known pioneer in fostering telecommuting and telework concepts.

ITAC
As the world's leading telework association, ITAC annually highlights the "best of the best" telework efforts in the country. The organization's mission is to provide education and information about telework as it applies to business competitiveness, reduction of vehicle miles traveled, facilities management, information technology, human resources, policies helping to promote work/life balance and the general quality of American life.