Better Business Bureau Announces Launch of the BBB’s Center for Character Ethics
Center to serve the community as the ‘go to organization’ for issues on character ethics

[April 24, 2008] Columbus, OH –Your BBB serving Central Ohio announced today the launch of BBB’s Center for Character Ethics, a collaboration of powerful new state-of-the-art programs and resources dedicated to providing practical character ethics training for our current and future workforces.

BBB’s new home at 1169 Dublin Rd in Columbus will serve our Central Ohio community as the Center’s character catalyst, developer and provider of research, and best practices in leadership character ethics for business, educators and students through a working collaboration of like-minded experts and practitioners. 

“BBB has worked vigorously for over 90 years to promote high standards of business ethics. The development of our new Center will provide programs and resources to help BBB further advance the practical application and utilization of character ethics by helping leaders put integrity into action here in our community”. Said Kip Morse, BBB President and General Manager.

BBB’s Center for Character Ethics include recognition and award programs as well as knowledge and training program and resources for the current and future workforce including: 

Current Workforce programs include BBB’s annual Integrity Awards program founded in 1994 and helped to lay the groundwork for the Center’s programs. Newly designed Integrity Award Ethics Clinics will provide a forum for businesses to learn about participating in the Integrity Award entry process. The ‘Character in a box’ toolkit provides busy leaders with a commonsense approach for building high character leaders in their organizations. Additional programs include Presidents Ethics Forums to take business leaders and owners to the ‘next step’ both personally and organizationally in intentional character-based leadership. A new developed Speakers bureau with Center partners provides presentations and professional development on leadership character topics.

Future Workforce programs include BBB’s Student Integrity Scholarship Awards program launched in May of 2000 honoring high school students who personify high character. BBB has long been a collaborating partner with Ohio Partners in Character Education (OPCE), a statewide network of schools, community organizations and businesses and educators working together to improve and advance character education. OPCE recognition programs include the Ohio Stateside Laws of Life Essay Contest and Ohio Schools of Character Awards. OPCE’s Creating Smart & Good Schools Project is a federally funded four year grant project working to improve Ohio Middle and high schools so that students develop the strengths of character needed to be successful students, citizens and workers.

BBB’s Business/Schools Project Collaboration with Its All About Character founder Dr. Mike Thompson provides training and resources aims at those who are influencing our future workforce. Collaborating programs include: Project BEST (Business for Ethics Study Training), and Project RGRY (Respect the Game- Respect Yourself) 

“The goal is to become the expert provider of practical character ethics training for individuals and teams, and to be the media’s first stop for comment on public ethics issues in our community”. Said Kip Morse, BBB President and General Manager.

For information on the new Center for Character Ethics program and resources contact BBB at 614-754-4560, log on to bbbcenterforcharacterethics.org, or email info@centerforcharacterethics.org

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About the BBB 
BBB is an unbiased, non-profit entity that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Businesses and charities that earn BBB membership contractually agree and adhere to the organization’s high standards of ethical business behavior. BBB provides objective advice, free business Reliability Reports and charity Wise Giving Reports, and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. To further promote trust, BBB also offers complaint and dispute resolution support for consumers and businesses when there is difference in viewpoints. The first BBB was founded in 1912. Today, 128 BBBs serve communities across the U.S. and Canada, evaluating and monitoring more than 3 million local and national businesses and charities. Please visit www.bbb.org  for more information about the BBB System.