Date:

January 30, 2004

For More Information Contact:

Diane Gonzolas, Citizen Information Center, 441-7831

Mayor Coleen J. Seng presented State Farm with the Mayor’s Community Conscience Award for 2004 at a breakfast ceremony this morning at the Cornhusker Hotel. The award was established in 2000 to honor a local business for its generosity, civic spirit and community leadership. Brad Korell, who is retiring this year as President of Wells Fargo’s Lincoln Bank, was also presented with a special Individual Achievement Award.

Michael Holmes, Vice President of Operations for State Farm accepted the award for the company. State Farm opened its headquarters in Lincoln in 1947 with 200 employees in offices at 10th and “O” streets. In 1957, the company built a new facility at 59th and “O” streets. In 1989, State Farm built another new facility at 84th and “O” streets and donated its former facility to Lincoln Public Schools (LPS). In 2000, State Farm added the Lincoln Operations Center South building on land just south of its headquarters. In 2003 State Farm announced it would consolidate its Woodbury, Minnesota operations to Lincoln, bringing many families and hundreds of jobs to the Lincoln economy. Eventually, State Farm will handle the work of the six-state Heartland Zone from its Lincoln site. State Farm currently has 1,467 employees in its Lincoln operation.

State Farm’s community involvement includes the following:

• Through its Good Neighbor Citizenship program, State Farm has given more than $100,000 in Nebraska this year in support of a wide variety of community organizations and programs. State Farm also has donated truckloads of furniture, computers and office equipment to Lincoln non-profit agencies.
• In addition to donating its 59th Street facility to LPS, State Farm employees are active in the TeamMates mentoring program and Ventures in Partnership. In 2003, State Farm donated $25,000 to Lincoln’s North Star High School for the Baldridge in Education Initiative: Raising Student Achievement Project.
• State Farm serves as a cornerstone contributor to many local foundations and organizations such as United Way/CHAD, Red Cross, Junior Achievement and Neighborhoods Inc.
• State Farm recently helped the Nebraska State Patrol Foundation fund its third motorist assist van.
• State Farm is represented on many non-profit boards in Lincoln, and its employees are active in more than 200 community volunteer activities.
• Through its Good Neighbor Grant program, State Farm donates $500 to any non-profit organization for which its employees volunteer 40 hours or more per year. In the past two years, this has put more than $30,000 into more than 60 Lincoln schools and non-profit organizations.

Korell began working for the National Bank of Commerce in Lincoln in 1970, working part-time as a college student. After three years in the U.S. States Army, he rejoined NBC in 1974. He served as President and Chief Operating Officer from 1990 to 2000. He has served as President of Wells Fargo-Lincoln Bank since that time.

Korell has served on boards of many community organizations and activities including the St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center, Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital, Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, Lincoln Medical Center Association, Family Service Association and the Downtown Lincoln Association. Brad also served as the Campaign Chairperson for United Way/CHAD and as the Co-Chair of the Star Venture Strategy Implementation Committee. He currently serves on the Boards of Nebraska Wesleyan University, the Downtown Lincoln Association and Saint Elizabeth Physician Resource Network. Brad has also provided many volunteer hours to the City of Lincoln, most recently as Chair of two citizen committees addressing the City’s infrastructure needs.

The awards breakfast featured Angie Muhleisen, President of Union Bank, speaking on public-private partnerships. Breakfast sponsors included Mayor Seng, CenterPointe Inc., Ameritas, Aquila, Awards Unlimited, the Cornhusker Hotel, Lamar Outdoor Advertising, the Lincoln Journal Star, NEBCO Inc., Pfizer, Smith-Hayes Financial, SnitilyCarr, Union Bank and Trust, U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo.

The award winner was chosen by a committee of local business leaders. Previous winners were Pfizer in 2000, Ameritas in 2001, NEBCO in 2002 and the Lincoln Journal Star in 2003.

The breakfast presentation was taped by 5 CITY-TV to air on the government access cable channel.