Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 31 March 2000 — Page 25

1 f FRIDAY, MARCH 31,2000 ■ PAQED1

INSIDE*D«SECTION*CLASSIFIED*REAL ESTATE Indiana companies behind in giving unmarried couple benefits

By SUSAN SKILES LUKE Associated Press Writer At least 87 Fortune 500 companies offer benefits to the long-term domestic partners of unmarried employees, including IBM, AT&T, Chevron Corp., Walt Disney, and now Cummins Engine Co. of Columbus. But what has become nearly routine in some industries is still a rarity in Indiana, where only two major employers besides Cummins — the City of Bloomington and Lincoln National Corp. — appear on a national database of compa-

nies offering benefits to the domestic partners of unmarried workers, including gays. “Since Indiana is more conservative. and there are more business executives that support traditional family values, I'd hope it doesn’t go any further" than the three, said Eric Miller, a conservative Indiana lobbyist. Cummins, which employs more than 26.000 workers, including 4,200 in the southern Indiana city of Columbus, announced recently it will extend benefits to the partners of employees who are of the opposite or same sex and older

than 17. The couple must live to- test the policy in front of the gether and intend to remain in a company’s Columbus headquarcommitted relationship. ters. Cummins Chairman and CEO To others, extending insurance Tim Solso has said the policy is a to the unmarried partners of emway to attract and retain a quality payees makes good business sense, workforce and not a statement At a time when Indiana’s unemabout lifestyle. Solso and other ployment is at a tight 3 percent, Cummins executives declined to companies have to sweeten the pot be interviewed for this story. t0 g et people to sign on, said Ben Manring, a Cummins engi- Bloomington Mayor John neer leading an effort against the Fernandez, new policy, defines it another way. “From an employer’s perspec“It represents a frontal attack on tive, it’sin our own interest to have the sanctity of marriage and the, paiicies that reflect today’s family,’’ said Manring, who led a workforce,” said Femandei, who prayer meeting last Sunday to pro- introduced the policy lo.Unity ’s

620 employees by executive order after his 1995 election. He was reelected in 1999. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 25 percent of the nation’s 102 million households in 1998 were headed by married heterosexual couples, down from 40 percent in 1970. Also in 1998, there were 5.9 million households in the United States headed by unmarried couples, of which 28 percent, or more than 1.6 million, were headed by couples of the same sex, according to the bureau. Neither Fernandez nor Peter

Fettig, corporate benefits director for Lincoln National, can point to evidence that the policies have helped in recruiting or retaining valued employees. “I don’t know if it has or hasn’t,” said Fettig, whose financial services and insurance company employs about 3,000 workers in Fort Wayne and about 4,000 elsewhere. “It’s more of an equity issue,” he said, since health insurance policies are more expensive when bought on the open market by indi-

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CLD recognizes minority achievers

Eight;

this

individuals received special recognition tthe 20"’ Anniversary Minority Business and ’ Achievers Recognition Awards Dinner, by the Center for Leadership Develop-

efffCLMai cooperation with the Indianapolis Chamber of Coitufrce, the event honored individuals who have made ifltificant contributions at their workplaces or who have plpormed outstanding service to improve

their community

More than 1,400 people were on hand at the affair to witness the awardtpresentations in the Sagamore Ballroom at the Indiank^pnvention Center & RCA Dome. Awards were preitated to the following recipients for achievement in: wk

(From left to rigl Stephen A. Stitle, director, Henry executive directot and attorney and in-eoming director pose at CLD’s awi

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Hi,

Achievement in Arts/Music

Theatre Leon Jett

Achievement in Business Kevin Kimbrough Achievement in Education Diane Daniels Achievement in Entrepreneurship Lee Marble Achievement in Financial Services

on and winner

Vanna Non

Achievement in Professions Tara Parchman Achievement in Public Service Philip Burton Achievement in Science ft Technical Disciplines Robert Brown Up and Coming Award Danita Edwards Jimmy Meadows Director’s Award jasonjtojser Mme. CJ. Walker Award (Outstanding Womanof the Year)

hington

Photos by Michael Noir

Jordan says he’s through as pitchman

poses with cartoon charactar Buga Bunny. Jordan haa announced that ha la through andoralng products. On# of biggest nanwa In advertising, Jordan says he no longer wants to be a corporate pitchman and haa told his sponaora to gradually adopt new campaigns. (AP Photo)

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Jordan exiting product ad arena

By Susan Kelly

Advancing the user-friendly experience of the Internet

(NAPSA) — A Web site is an I Website

investment of time and money-es-pecially if you’re trying to extend the global reach of your company and you want to maximize the re-

turn on that investment.

That means having a site that s Web is not just “print online;” us- and provide up-to-date informainformative and easy to use. so ers behave differently on the Web tion, quickly, people can enjoy their time spent anc | Web sites must reflect this. 9. Don’t forget about feedback there, and will recommend the site 4. Keep it simple and clear: and remediation: Feedback to others. Simply stated, a well- Emphasize ease of use and clarity should be helpful and minimize designed, user-centric Web site re- G f message over flash and sizzle, user anxiety, fleets the priorities of its business. 5 Aim for consistency: Keep 10. Evaluate and validate afLogical Design Solutions, a users in their comfort zones by ter deployment: Assess your Web leading Internet consulting firm, maintaining consistency in func- site seffectivenessinmeeting(pos-

offers these suggestions for break- t j on< sty i e an) j tone

ing through with an innovative, 5. Provide adequate navigaengaging, and effective Web site: tion: Give users the tools they need

1. Know your users: Under- to move easily about your Web site stand who is going to use the Web without ever losing their way.

site, why they will use it and how 7 Minimize cognitive load:

Don’t ask users to memorize; the interface should provide prompts or tools needed to accomplish the

task at hand.

8. Design with reliability, accuracy and responsiveness in mind: Web sites should be robust

athletic shoes to cereal and Gatorade spokesman Andy

batteries. Horrow said.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - “Endorsements are good A spokesman for battery Basketball legend Michael for a while—they give you a producer Rayovac Corp. Jordan will withdraw gradu- personality, a lot of credibil- (NYSE:ROV - news), based ally from the product en- ity. And now I have that name. * n Madison, Wis., said the dorsement arena as he makes But I want to understand the company has a long-term conthe transition from superstar business itself, see the value tract with Jordan effective for athlete to businessman, sev- in something other than just several more years as well as era! companies said on endorsing,” Jordan was an archive of unused footage Wednesday. quoted as saying. that can be tapped. Jordan told a newspaper A spokeswoman for MCI ve 8°l a n * ce columnist he planned to stop WorldCom things m the can that we can doing the lucrative product (NasdaqNM:WCOM-news) adapt, said John Daggett, endorsements, from which he said Jordan is in the fifth year Rayovac’s director of marreportedly earned $40 mil- of a 10-year contract with the keting services, lion annually during his play- Washington, P.C.-based Athletic footwear maker ing days. phone service company. MCI Nike Inc. (NYSE:NKE - ‘T m getting totally out of earlier this month rolled out news) in Beaverton, Ore., said the endorsement aspect of two new advertising cam- Jordan s role at the company things,” Jordan told the Chi- paigns featuring Jordan talk- goes beyond {xoductendorsecago Sun-Times newspaper, ing to Looney Tunes cartoon i^cnt and would likely con“As soon as the contracts are characters. tinue for years to come. He up.” Jordan’s 10-year endorse- has been affiliated with Nike Jordan, 36, who led the ment contract for Quaker Oats since 1984 and has developed Chicago Bulls to six NBA Corp.’s (NYSE:OAT - news) brands including Air Jordan championships, this year be- Gatorade sports drink ends in footwear, came part owner of the Wash- 2001, a company spokesman He s part of the manageington Wizards and head of said. ment team, said spokesbasketball operations for the “You’re going to continue woman Kathryn Reith. He s team. to see Michael Jordan in our involved in product creation. His image has sold every- advertising this year, in new He’s very intimately involved thing from underwear and ads that haven’t broken yet,” w *^ whole brand.

BUSINESS BRIEFS

they will use it.

2. Involve your users: Involve users early and often in the design and development process (e.g., conduct focus groups, usability

testing, etc.).

3. Respect the medium: The

sibly changing) user needs and business priorities. To learn more about Web site “usability," you can visit the Logical Design Solutions site at

www.lds.com.

Roe named to new

position

Ronnie Daniel, director of field service for the 19-county Crossroads of America Council, Boy Scouts of America, has announced the appointment of Monica Jean Roe as district executive for the Pioneer district, located in the southeast Marion County area In-

dianapolis.

Roe will provide professional leadership for2,350youth and adult volunteers in 54 Cub Scout packs. Boy Scout troops. Explorer posts and Venturing crews. The Pioneer

For mprwad 'traffk* pattarm, mbalis

rimld bo disiiiid wUh uson in mind. ^

Kelli Lester-Brown

Lester-Brown joins WTLC

nity service is illustrated through her work at DePauw University, where she attended college, and in her years spent as a camp counselor at the YMCA. Through her work she provided leadership and guidance to children and students of all ages and levels of need. AAA looks to Black advertising agency for

help

Don Coleman Advertising, Inc. (DCA) of Southfield, Mich., the second-largest and fastest-growing African-American advertising agency in the United States, has

district encompasses Marion

County south of 1 -70 State Ave. of been chosen by American Airlines the west, Troy Ave. of the south, to help it strengthen and expand its

Kelli Lester-Brown has been including the southeaster portion presence in the African American

named the new public and commu- of Hancock County on the east.

nity affairs direcetor at WTLC.’ ; Roe’s active interest in commu-

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