posted March 25, 2008
Bruce Pearl, head coach of the men's basketball team at the University of Tennessee, will be the keynote speaker at the annual meeting of the Better Business Bureau serving Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia. The meeting will be held at The Chattanoogan Hotel at noon on April 14.
As in previous years, the BBB will present its annual Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics to businesses selected from among those nominated earlier this year. Torch Awards are presented to the winning companies in five categories: 1-10 employees, 11-99 employees, 100-499 employees, 500-plus employees, and nonprofit organizations.
“The purpose of the Torch Award is to recognize businesses in our service area that are committed to maintaining exceptionally high standards of ethical behavior in everyday buyer and seller relationships,” said Jim Winsett, president of the BBB.
In addition to the Torch Awards, the BBB will again provide scholarships to high school seniors who have submitted outstanding 500-word essays on the topic, “The importance of ethics in business and our community. Other factors that are considered in selecting scholarship winners include the students' academic achievement, educational plans, and a description of their activities in their communities. The students are in the 2008 classes in 11 Tennessee and ten Georgia counties that make up the BBB service area.
Since assuming his present position at the University of Tennessee in 2005, Mr. Pearl has guided the men's basketball team to the SEC regular season championship this year. Under his direction, the UT team has compiled a 75-23 record.
Before Mr. Pearl, a 1982 Boston College graduate, arrived at UT, he coached teams at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee and Southern Indiana University. He also served as an assistant coach at the University of Iowa, Stanford University, and Boston College. He was named SEC coach of the year in 2006 and 2008.
For those wishing to attend the BBB annual luncheon meeting, tickets are $50 for BBB members and $75 for non-members. Tickets are available by calling the BBB office at 423 266-0396 or 800 548-4456.
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