PG&E Receives High Marks for Diversity Efforts; New York Times, 4/6/10

New York Times; PG&E Receives High Marks for Diversity Efforts:

"Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has been recognized for its strong diversity practices by DiversityInc, a leading publication on diversity and business, for the second year in a row.
DiversityInc included PG&E on its list of top 10 companies nationwide for supplier diversity. The publication also ranked the company second on its list of top regional utilities, up one spot from the previous year. Additionally, for the first time PG&E ranked third among the top 10 companies for Latinos, based on its long-term commitment to hiring, retaining, compensating and promoting Latinos in the workforce and management.

"PG&E strongly supports the economic health of communities in which we live and work as a major purchaser of goods and services," said Des Bell, PG&E's senior vice president of shared services and chief procurement officer. "Since 1981, our supplier diversity program has provided thousands of diverse businesses with opportunities to supply products to PG&E. It's an honor to receive this recognition as we continue our efforts to integrate even more diverse suppliers into our supply chain."

According to Bell, PG&E had to overcome a challenging economic climate in 2009 to expand its base of diverse suppliers. By the end of last year, the company spent more than $900 million, or 25.6 percent of PG&E's procurement funds, on products and services from businesses owned by minorities, women and service-disabled veterans.

While diversity and inclusion have long been hallmarks of PG&E's heritage, the company deepened its commitment in recent years by appointing a chief diversity officer, providing training to all members of its leadership team, and increasing its focus on identifying, developing and recruiting diverse talent.

"Diversity is one of PG&E's core values and is integral to our business strategy. It allows us to better anticipate, understand and satisfy the needs of the 15 million Californians we serve," said Bill Harper, PG&E's vice president and chief diversity officer. "These rankings recognize our dedication to foster diversity and support the diverse communities the company serves."

For more information on PG&E's diversity and inclusion commitment or to learn how to apply to become a certified diverse supplier, visit www.pge.com/about/company/diversityinclusion/.

About DiversityInc

Launched in 1997, DiversityInc is the leading business publication connecting diversity and the bottom line, with 1 million unique monthly visitors. DiversityInc.com includes the largest diversity job board in the nation. DiversityInc also produces events and conducts benchmarking, custom research and consulting."

http://markets.on.nytimes.com/research/stocks/news/press_release.asp?docTag=201004061310PR_NEWS_USPR_____SF82059&feedID=600&press_symbol=226189