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The Board of Governors has approved the following committees, charters, chairs, and members. 
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Committee Charters

Ratings & Rankings Methodology Committee

For a decade, CR Magazine's 100 Best Corporate Citizens List has been the leading ranking of corporate citizenship performance by Russell 1000 companies based 100% on publicly-available information.  The Methodology Committee is tasked with continuing to evolve this ranking and others related to CR to be the most-reflective of current measures, standards and practices, which in turn drives evolution of Corporate Responsibility behaviors within leading companies.  The Corporate Citizenship Committee shall be presided over by a Governor appointed the CROA Chairperson and consist of at least two additional CROA members.

Recent work products include:

• 12th Annual 100 Best Corporate Citizens List Methodology

Co-Chairs: Brian Ballou & Dan Heitger, Miami University of Ohio.

Members:  Reg Foster, IBM; Marcela Manubens, PVH; Dirk Olin, CR Magazine; Bob Pojasek, Harvard University.

Professional Development Committee

This Committee will be tasked with clearly establishing the corporate responsibility profession and the components necessary to set it up as a broadly recognized profession.  The committee will review the range of components that define other professions, determine which best lend themselves to establishing the role of the corporate responsibility professional and create a roadmap for implementation of those components.   

The committee will identify which, if any, other organizations have similar initiatives and strive for cooperation and, where possible, consolidation of efforts.  The components of a profession may include such things as a) defining a code of conduct, b) developing and publishing a “job description” for the Corporate Responsibility Officer, c) defining a certification program, d) a related curriculum, and/or e) development of a communications process for informing members and prospective applicants.  The Committee shall be presided over by a Governor appointed by the CROA Chairperson and consist of at least two additional CROA members.   

Recent work products include:

• Structuring and Staffing Corporate Responsibility, A Guidebook
• Draft Ethics Code

Chair:  Kevin Moss, BT Americas

Members:  Bart Alexander, Molson-Coors; Gregg Anderson, Crowe Horwath; Veronica Cavallaro, Boeing; Paula Luff, Hess Corporation; Bob Pojasek, Harvard University, Teri Treille, Cisco.

Public Policy Committee 

The Public Policy Committee will establish communications and outreach protocols and channels for CROA Members on topics of particular professional interest to the Corporate Responsibility industry.  The Public Policy Committee shall be responsible for keeping the Board and the membership apprised of legislation and other public policy affecting the practice of corporate responsibility and when applicable advises the Board of Governors on formulating the CROA’s position regarding these matters. 

The Committee shall, within the policies adopted by the Board of Governors, advise the Executive Staff in dealing with the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of international, national, regional, and local governing bodies, including but not limited to the US Presidential Administration and its agencies and departments; the US Congress and its committees and members; the US federal courts and their presiding judges; and the equivalent bodies and authorities of other international, national, regional, and local governing bodies.  The Public Policy Committee shall be presided over by a Governor appointed by the CROA Chairperson and consist of at least two additional CROA members. 

Chair:  Richard Crespin, CROA

Members:  Katie Loovis, BCLC US Chamber; Sheila McLean, MS&L.

Steering Committee Members:  Cisco - Alan Balutis; Compusearch - Reid Jackson; Defense Acquisition University - Lenn Vincent; Federal Aviation Administration - Steve Cooper & Robert Tobin; Fluor - Douglas Larsen; George Washington University - Kathy Newcomer; Government Accountability Office - Bernice Steinhardt; HP - Judy Douglas & Kiersten Regelin; Hudson River Valley Institute - Vince Tamagna; IBM - Charles Prow & Dan Chenok; KBI Industries - Vince Tamagna; The MITRE Corporation (FFRDC) - Karen See; National Academy for Public Administration - Lena Trudeau; Phalanx Group - James Lay; STR Responsible Sourcing - Emily Brennan & Sol Milius; T3 TigerTech - Donald Zacherl; Unison Advisory Group - Lynne Kaye 

This Committee sets the research agenda of CROA with a specific focus on encouraging the sharing of best practices and measuring outcomes.  The Committee shall establish a process for aggregating and promulgating data-based best practices for CR professionals and their companies.  In so doing, it should seek to generate debate in the community to engage supporters, hear from skeptics, and ultimately develop consensus.  This includes determining the existing and emerging research and data needs of members as well as advising on research initiatives both directly undertaken by the Association and those it sponsors. These include the CR Best Practices Study and the Best Corporate Citizens Benchmark.  The Committee shall be presided over by a member appointed by the CROA Chairperson and consist of at least two additional CROA members.

Co-Chairs:  Connie Lindsey, NorthernTrust; John Schulz, AT&T.

Members:  Mark Starik, San Francisco State University; others TBD.

The 5 Interest Groups below represent individual professional domains within the several Corporate Responsibility professions—GRC, CSR, sustainability, citizenship, philanthropy, talent and workforce—and include members from the 3 constituencies that comprise the Corporate Responsibility industry—practitioners, providers and influencers.  The objective of each interest group is to enhance the professional standing of their domain.  Leveraging the power of each group's membership, CROA's media partners including CR Magazine, the COMMIT!Forum, and theCRO.com, as well as using training, online and outreach relationships, each one will determine its professional enhancement priorities and work toward achieving specific goals.

• GRC (Governance, Risk, Compliance)
• CSR, Citizenship
• Sustainability & Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S)
• Philanthropy
• Talent & Workforce

To participate in a CROA Committee or Interest Group, join CROA and contact [email protected].  

To learn more about CROA benefits and dues, please click here.