ON CAMPUS AT VANGUARD UNIVERSITY:Vanguard University hosts Ethics in America Awards Program

For the second consecutive year, Vanguard University will host the 11th Annual Ethics in America Awards Program in partnership with the Passkeys Foundation.

The awards program honors a nationally prominent individual who exemplifies ethical excellence, as well as several regional organizations that display a commitment to ethical decision-making by integrating key values into their corporate philosophy and actions.

As a Christian university, VU is committed to preparing students through an education marked by academic excellence and spiritual vitality for productive service. Vanguard is proud to support an awards program whose goals, mission and commitment to ethical decision-making mirror its own.

“We immediately sensed a match not only because of the commitment to values, spirituality and ethical decision-making that we strive to have our students embrace but also the tremendous opportunity to make an even greater impact in our community as a whole in the area of ethics,” said David Elliott, associate vice president for university relations at Vanguard University.

This year’s business honorees include the Shriners Hospitals for Children -- Los Angeles, Pull’r Holdings, Dacor and Apria Healthcare. The 2006 American Heritage Honoree of Ethical Distinction is Art Linkletter, a three-time Emmy-winning performer and philanthropist.

Shriners Hospitals is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing the highest-quality care to children with neuromusculoskeletal conditions, burn injuries and other special medical needs without cost to the patient or family, and without regard to race, color, creed, sex or sect.

Pull’r Holdings manufactures first-rate innovative tools and construction products with an emphasis on customer and employee satisfaction. By establishing an ethical framework to guide the company’s actions, Pull’r is challenging conventional tool-manufacturing practices while maintaining a fair price.

Founded in 1965, Dacor is the market leader in high-end kitchen appliance design. The company’s simple value statement is: “To honor God in all that we do … by respecting others, by doing good work, by helping others, by forgiving others, by giving thanks, by celebrating our lives.” This statement guides the organization’s everyday life by celebrating the diversity of its workforce, challenging people to become better leaders and calling the company to a higher purpose.

Apria Healthcare is a home healthcare provider for more than 1 million healthcare patients annually. With more than 500 branch offices and 11,000 healthcare professionals, Apria Healthcare is one of the nation’s foremost homecare providers. Additionally, the organization has been an industry leader in the fight against Medicare fraud, and was the first to seek and obtain voluntary accreditation from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).

Art Linkletter is the 2006 American Heritage Honoree of Ethical Distinction. Linkletter has served nationally on the President’s Advisory Council for Drug Abuse Prevention and was presented with the National Humanity Medal by President George W. Bush. He is also the author of 24 books, including the classic, “Kids Say the Darndest Things.” His current book, “Old Age is Not for Sissies,” is a best seller.

A television and radio personality for more than 60 years, Linkletter’s “House Party” and “People Are Funny,” are two of the longest running shows in broadcast history. He won two Emmy Awards and received four Emmy nominations; received a GRAMMY Award; 10 honorary doctorate degrees; and has numerous other honors and recognitions.

Linkletter is also an entrepreneur, an ethically guided businessman and serves as chairman of Linkletter Enterprises, a worldwide entity focused on real estate, merchandising, oil, cattle, sheep, construction and management.

The awards program will be held from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Sept. 19 at The Grove of Anaheim and will feature a performance by Vanguard University’s Concert Choir, Women’s Chorus, Concert Orchestra and University Jazz Band.

Members of these musical groups are selected from the student body at Vanguard University, and the ensembles are under the supervision of Dr. James L. Melton, Dean for the School of Communication and the Arts. In addition, the program will feature comments from Mr. Linkletter.

“Our president, Dr. [Murray] Dempster, has shared that the vision for Vanguard is to be an asset in our community, providing educational opportunities and programs that make a difference,” Elliott said. “When you have a president that holds a Ph.D in Social Ethics and is implementing new programs in business (MBA) and nursing (BSN) that have threads of proper ethical behavior integrated into the curriculum, it is easy to see the importance of personal and professional ethics to Vanguard University. We are honored to have this opportunity to support those who conduct themselves in that manner.”

Sponsorships are still available; interested parties should contact Dave Elliott at delliott@vanguard.edu or call 714-556-3610, ext. 2000. Individual tickets can be purchased for $75 per person online at www.passkeys.org.

For more information about the Ethics in America Awards Program, please visit www.vanguard.edu/ universityrelations.

is a communications specialist at Vanguard University.