HOUSTON MAYOR TO RECOGNIZE AEROS AND OVER 40 OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WHO  PARTICIPATED IN ADL COMMUNITY OF RESPECT™

HOUSTON, Texas – Over 40 organizations will be recognized for participating in the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL’s) Community of Respect™ Initiative, including the Houston Aeros as the lone sports team in the Houston area. The recognition will take place in the Houston City Council Chambers at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 2. The Houston City Council Chambers are located on the Second Floor of City Hall at 901 Bagby Street.

The organizations, faith institutions, businesses, agencies and government entities represented include businesses such as Continental Airlines, the Houston Aeros and Bridgeway Capital Management, law firms such as Weil Gotshal & Manges, Mills Higbie Harberg & Huvard and Haynes & Boone LLP, religious institutions such as Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church, Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church, Congregation Beth Israel and Baha’is of Houston, agencies and civil rights organizations such as the Center for Healing Racism, Hispanic Woman in Leadership, the Children’s Defense Fund, and the Linda Lorelle Scholarship Fund, even METRO and the City of Sugar Land.

To become a Community of Respect™, participants must submit an intent form, create a diversity coalition and/or appoint a person to oversee the implementation of the Community of Respect™ Initiative, sign the Resolution of Respect pledge or create one of their own, implement at least three anti-bias/diversity activities, and document completion of those activities and send the documentation to ADL for approval. Dozens of organizations have been designated a Community of Respect™ since the Initiative’s inception three years ago.

“I was proud to help found the Community of Respect™ Initiative as an honorary co-chair with former Mayor Dave Wallace of Sugar Land,” Houston Mayor Bill White said, “ and I’m pleased to see how successful it has been. In a city as diverse as Houston, respect is extremely important and while most people here value respect, making a firm public commitment to it is commendable, and can only help this city be even better and more successful.” Recognition of Community of Respect™ participating organizations will include a City of Houston proclamation, and certificates given to all the participants.

ADL Regional Director Martin B. Cominsky also expressed pride in the Initiative and its success. “This initiative has grown exponentially and we are very excited and pleased about that,” Cominsky said. “Still, there are so many more organizations that could take part. We hope others will be inspired by the organizations participating today, and by the Mayor’s recognition of those organizations, to also commit to the Community of Respect™ Initiative.”

For more information on ADL’s Community of Respect™ Initiative, or to set up coverage of the recognition or an interview, call Dena Marks at 713-627-3490, ext. 134, or via cell at 832-567-8843.