Search past winners/finalists


  • MESA logo

Entergy Corporation

ABA11 Winner / How to Enter

Company: Entergy Corporation, New Orleans, LA
Company Description: Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States and has annual revenues of more than $13 billion.
Nomination Category: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Communications or PR Campaign of the Year - Public Affairs

Nomination Title: Entergy's Pre-K Advocacy Program

    Tell the story about this nominated campaign since January 1 2010 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

        Entergy has set out to improve the funding available for pre-K education
programs. Our goal is to secure funding and support so that Arkansas,
Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas can provide quality, pre-k education to all
children.

        To accomplish this, Entergy educates legislators about the benefits and the
importance of quality, early childhood education so they will fund pre-k
initiatives. Entergy also educates business leaders so they will help lobby for
early childhood funding. These leaders understand the economic benefits of an
educated workforce, and are knowledgeable advocates.

Entergy commissioned a study of the economic impact of education funding gaps.
“The Economics of Education:  Public Benefits of High-Quality Pre-School
Education for Low Income Children” found that every $1 invested in high quality
pre-K programs returns $9 to society. With this data, business leaders and the
Arkansas Chamber of Commerce lobbied for an increase in funding of pre-K by $40
million in 2003 and double the number of spaces for low-income children.

        In 2004 Arkansas adopted a model to standardize pre-K curricula and ensure
quality across the state. In 2005, the legislature increased funding by another
$20 million followed by $40 million in 2007. Present funding levels are $111
million.

        Arkansas has emerged as a leader in pre-K providing 70 percent of the state’s
low-income three- and four-year-olds with quality pre-K opportunities. Arkansas
ranks second nationally in pre-K access, and the program scores 9 out of 10 on
national quality benchmarks. 

        Building on the success in Arkansas, Entergy began advocacy efforts in Louisiana
by partnering with the Southern Education Foundation to fund “Miles to Go
Louisiana.” The study showed that less than one-fifth of four-year-olds in the
state had access to pre-K, and only 12,000 pre-schoolers were being served
statewide. 

        “Miles to Go Louisiana” along with the “Economics of Education” were mailed to
legislators across the state. Entergy partnered with organizations to lobby for
funding and access. In 2008, the legislature approved phased-in universal
funding of pre-school access for all four year-olds in the state. The state has
tripled its pre-K enrollment since 2001. Louisiana is one of the nation’s
leaders in pre-K quality, scoring 8 out 10 in quality benchmarks. Funding grew
from $5 million in 2001 to $83 million in 2007.   

        The educational gap and needs in Mississippi were even greater than Arkansas and
Louisiana. Entergy partnered with pre-K advocates, utilizing the findings of
“The Economics of Education” as well as “Miles to Go Mississippi,” to lobby the
legislature for pre-K funding. Unfortunately, Mississippi remains one of only
two states in the nation without state-funded pre-K.  In 2009, Entergy awarded a
$300,000 grant to fund Mississippi Building Blocks, a state-wide pilot project
for high-quality pre-K. Results will be used to rally widespread, grassroots
community support for expanded pre-K access. 

        We haven’t completely accomplished our goals yet, but progress has been made.
State funding has increased by more than $178 million and an estimated 60,000
low income pre-school children in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi now have
access to high quality pre-K.

    List hyperlinks to any online work samples, news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:

        Low Income Annual Reports
http://www.entergy.com/our_community/low_income_reports.aspx

        Economics of Poverty Report
http://www.entergy.com/global/our_community/advocate/The_Economics_of_Poverty.pdf

        Entergy’s Perspective on Low-Income Customers
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3650/is_200209/ai_n9141335/

        Miles to Go Mississippi
http://www.entergy-mississippi.com/content/our_community/advocate/MilestoGo.pdf

        Miles to Go Arkansas http://www.sefatl.org/pdf/MTG_Ark_full_report.pdf

        Miles to Go Louisiana http://www.sefatl.org/showTeaser.asp?did=498

    Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader(s) of the team that carried out this campaign:

        J. Wayne Leonard is the Chief Executive Officer for Entergy Corporation, a
position he has held since 1999. Mr. Leonard has also served as the Chairman of
the Board for Energy Corporation since August 2006. Mr. Leonard has achieved the
highest total shareholder return in the industry over the last 11 years that he
has served as CEO. He initiated Entergy’s Low-Income Summit in 1994 and started
the company’s low-income customer initiatives with the publishing of his article
about the importance of serving customers in need. Mr. Leonard has been with
Entergy since 1979.