For Immediate Release
Contact: Chris Caldwell, UCOR
Christopher.Caldwell@orcc.doe.gov
UCOR named 2023 Outstanding Corporate Philanthropist
Oak Ridge, Tenn., November 6, 2023 – The Great Smoky Mountain Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals has presented United Cleanup Oak Ridge (UCOR) with the 2023 Outstanding Corporate Philanthropist Award. UCOR is the Department of Energy’s lead environmental cleanup contractor in Oak Ridge tasked with removing unused, Manhattan-project-era facilities across the Oak Ridge Reservation. The award was presented at the organization’s National Philanthropy Day Luncheon.
UCOR team accepts Corporate Philanthropist award. (l to r) Darris Upton, Eric Abelquist, Sonya Johnson, Mike Koentop (Dept. of Energy), Ken Rueter, Shannon Potter, Pat Timbes, Chris Caldwell, Sandra Fairchild.
The award recognizes UCOR for its “outstanding community spirit and commitment to the goals of building a better community for all citizens,” which the company does through a dedicated partnership approach.
“We want to ensure that cleanup work in Oak Ridge doesn’t negatively impact nearby communities. Our philosophy is to be an active corporate partner in the diverse communities where we conduct business,” said UCOR President and CEO Ken Rueter.
UCOR’s philanthropy focus areas are children’s advocacy; education and workforce development; health and wellness, with an emphasis on behavioral and mental health; conservation and historic preservation; and economic development through civic, stakeholder, and labor partnerships. Under these areas, UCOR has developed long-term partnerships, including East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, Second Harvest, Emory Valley Center, Legacy Parks, Methodist Medical Center, and the Roane County NAACP Freedom Fund. In the education and workforce development arena, UCOR annually sponsors a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) mini-grants program. Last year, that program provided $40,000 to teachers in 28 schools.
In fiscal year 2023, UCOR donated over $300,000. Over the course of the company’s 12-year history, UCOR has contributed in excess of $3.7 million in donations and sponsorships alone. In addition, many of UCOR’s leaders, managers, and frontline workers personally support charitable organizations.
“To UCOR, philanthropy is about more than writing a corporate check… our employees volunteer their personal time and treasure in dozens of worthy causes in our region,” Rueter said.
UCOR’s 2,200 workers are dedicated to safely reducing environmental risk on the Oak Ridge Reservation while helping DOE’s Office of Science and the National Nuclear Security Administration continue their important missions. Learn more about the company at UCOR.com.
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PHOTO CAPTION: UCOR team accepts Corporate Philanthropist award. (l to r) Darris Upton, Eric Abelquist, Sonya Johnson, Mike Koentop (Dept. of Energy), Ken Rueter, Shannon Potter, Pat Timbes, Chris Caldwell, Sandra Fairchild.
