Awards & Recognition

Our Awards and Recognition

At Spectra Energy, we pride ourselves on creating a world-class work environment and offering the most advanced, sustainable energy solutions. Below are some of our most recent awards.

2011 Awards

Houston Chronicle: Top Workplaces 2011

We have again been recognized as one of Houston's top workplaces in a survey conducted by the Houston Chronicle, this year ranking 10th in the Large Company category. This is the second consecutive year the company has been included in the ranking.

The Houston Chronicle's survey measured employee satisfaction in a number of areas, including company leadership, career opportunities, workplace flexibility, and pay and benefits. In total, about 55,000 employees from 234 companies throughout the greater Houston area participated in the survey.

Spectra Energy was again named a Fortune 500 company. We're proud to be recognized among the best companies in the United States.

Union Gas is one of Canada's Top 100 Employers, as determined by Mediacorp Canada Inc. This honor comes on the cusp the company's 100^th year of doing business in Ontario.

Spectra Energy was named a top 50 employer in Alberta, Canada. The award, given by Mediacorp Canada Inc., highlights many reasons why Spectra Energy received this award.

Chief Learning Officer magazine has recognized the excellence of our Learning, Development and Performance programs by naming Spectra Energy a LearningElite organization.

The LearningElite program honors the best organizations for learning and development. This robust peer-reviewed ranking and benchmarking program recognizes those organizations that employ exemplary workforce development strategies that deliver significant business results.

Developed under the guidance of a group of chief learning officers and senior learning and development practitioners, the LearningElite program utilizes best practices in evaluation to rank the best organizations based upon their impact, size and industries served.

We were named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) for the second consecutive year and to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI NA) for the fourth consecutive year.

Of the companies in our sector that were analyzed for the DJSI NA, ours was the only one selected. We also increased our score by several points in this index compared with last year, which was a major accomplishment.

The Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI) follow a best-in-class approach and include sustainability leaders from each industry on a global and regional level, respectively. DJSI World captures the top 10 percent of the world's 2,500 largest companies, based on economic, environmental and social performance. DJSI NA rates the top 20 percent of the 600 largest companies in the United States and Canada. In selecting the top performers in each business sector, DJSI reviews companies on both broad and industry-specific sustainability criteria, assessing performance in areas such as corporate governance, environmental standards, climate change policy, risk management, supply chain standards, branding, labor practices and employee development.

Ranked First in the Energy Sector in the 2011 Carbon Disclosure Project's "Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index"

We again ranked first in the Energy Sector in the 2011 Carbon Disclosure Project's "Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI)." The CDLI highlights companies within the S&P 500 that have displayed the most professional and transparent approach to corporate governance in respect to climate change disclosure practices. This is the third consecutive year the company has held the top slot.

Named to Newsweek's Green Rankings

We were recognized for our environmental efforts. The rankings examines company policies, programs, initiatives and reporting practices.

Named to Corporate Responsibility Magazine's prestigious "100 Best Corporate Citizens List"

Spectra Energy was named to Corporate Responsibility Magazine's prestigious '100 Best Corporate Citizens List' for 2011, ranking 18^th. We scored among the highest-rated energy companies on the 12th annual list, which is recognized as a leading assessment of corporate responsibility performance.

The '100 Best Corporate Citizens List,' which rates large-cap Russell 1000 companies, documents more than 320 data points of disclosure in seven categories: environment, climate change, employee relations, human rights, governance, finance and philanthropy. 2011 was the first year Spectra Energy responded to the magazine's survey, breaking into the top 20 in its first appearance on the list.

Named to Community of Respect^TM Award

In 2011, Spectra Energy was designated a Community of Respect^TM. The Community of Respect^TMInitiative is an innovative, community-wide anti-bias program based on the Anti-Defamation League's (ADL's) successful No Place for Hate® school program. The Initiative began in 2006 and helps participants, including Spectra Energy, express commitment to and appreciation of diversity. This was Spectra Energy's fifth consecutive year to receive this award.

Recognized as a Leader in Equality

We received a perfect score in the 2011 Corporate Equality Index, rating American workplaces on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality. The score was based on numerous factors, including companies that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and companies that positively engage the LGBT community.

2010 Awards

Houston Chronicle: Top Workplaces 2010

Spectra Energy was named a top Houston workplace by The Houston Chronicle. Our company was included in the newspaper's "Top Workplaces 2010," a list of the 100 best places to work in the Houston area, which was published Nov. 7, 2010.

We ranked fourth in the Large Companies category. Spectra Energy also won a special award for communication.

The evaluation for the Top Workplaces program was based on feedback from an employee survey.

Named to Newsweek's 2010 Green Rankings

Spectra Energy was named to Newsweek's 2010 Green Rankings, a prestigious acknowledgement of outstanding environmental performance.

Rankings are based on three main scoring criteria, each with multiple components: the Environmental Impact Score, Green Policies Score and Reputation Survey Score. All are weighted and an overall Green Score is determined.

Spectra Energy did not enter a competition for this or solicit consideration, but was chosen for evaluation by Newsweek. Sources of information judges consulted included our 2009 Sustainability Report as well as the Carbon Disclosure project and the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.

Ranked First in the Energy Sector on the 2010 Carbon Disclosure Project's "Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index

In 2010, we were ranked first in the Energy Sector on the 2010 Carbon Disclosure Project's (CDP) "Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI)." The CDLI highlights constituent companies within the S&P 500 that have displayed the most professional and transparent approach to corporate governance in respect to climate change disclosure practices.

This is the second year the company has held the top slot. Spectra Energy also ranked first in its sector on the CDP's new "Carbon Performance Leadership Index (CPLI)." The CPLI recognizes S&P 500 companies that have demonstrated a superior commitment to strategy, governance, stakeholder communications and, most of all, emissions reduction in their CDP responses. The company tied for second overall on the CDP's "Top 10 Performing Companies" for combined results in both disclosure and performance.

Other 2010 Accolades

Spectra Energy was recognized with a Mission Possible Award from the United Way of Northern British Columbia for increased participation and donations during its 2009 campaigns. The company also received a Top 25 Award for being one of the United Way of Northern British Columbia's top 25 workplace/employee campaigns, and a Corporate Leadership Gold Award for the company's matching program and other corporate contributions.
Prairie View A&M University's College of Business named Spectra Energy its Corporate Partner of the Year for 2009-2010.
The Canadian Gas Association (CGA) recognized two Union Gas storage and transmission operations employees, John Holsappel, technical services manager, and Jeff Gallie, controls and corrosion manager, with the CGA's Safety Leadership Award for their important contributions to improving worker safety. The annual CGA Safety Leadership Awards recognize individuals who make significant contributions to employee or public safety relating to the natural gas distribution industry in Canada. In response to potential future code changes, Holsappel and Gallie proactively designed and implemented a high voltage arc flash safety program, including procedures, training and personal protective equipment for storage and transmission operations employees at Union Gas to eliminate the threat of potential arc flashes.
Julie Dill, president of Union Gas, was named Ontario Energy Leader of the Year for 2010 by the Ontario Energy Association. The award recognizes leaders of exceptional vision, integrity and accomplishment. Dill is the first woman to receive the award and the first Union Gas leader recipient of the award.
Theopolis Holeman, Spectra Energy's group vice president of U.S. Operations, received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Memphis. Considered one of the university's highest honors, the Distinguished Alumni Awards are presented for outstanding achievement and service. In 2008, Holeman was named Outstanding Alumnus of the University of Memphis' Herff College of Engineering.
Dorothy Ables, Spectra Energy's chief administrative officer, was named one of Houston's 50 Most Influential Women by Houston Woman Magazine, and one of Texas' Most Powerful and Influential Women by the National Diversity Council.
Tina Faraca, vice president of strategic development, received a Woman of Excellence Award from the Canadian Progress Club, Halifax-Cornwallis chapter, for her years of leadership as president of Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline. The Canadian Progress Club's Halifax-Cornwallis chapter is a dynamic group of women committed to aid and assist those in need, with a focus on underprivileged children and the cause of physically, mentally and socially handicapped individuals.
Spectra Energy pilot Marion Maneth received the National Business Aviation Association's (NBAA) 2010 Safe Pilot Award, which recognizes business pilots who have flown aircraft in excess of 20,000 accident-free hours. The NBAA Flying Safety Awards are meant to bring worldwide awareness to outstanding safety records of business aviators.
Spectra Energy was included as a first-time participant in the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) 2010 Corporate Equality Index, which rates businesses on a scale of 0 to 100 percent based on their non-discrimination policies, benefits and other practices that affect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered employees and their allies. Spectra Energy received a rating of 80 percent. A total of 590 of the largest and most successful U.S. employers, identified through FORTUNE Magazine, Forbes magazine, and American Lawyer, participated in the 2010 survey.
Richard Wathy, team lead in Union Gas' financial reporting department, received the University of Windsor's Student's Choice Outstanding Supervisor Award.
Spectra Energy and the District of Taylor were winners of the Innovation at Work Award, presented by the Science, Innovation and Technology Council for Northeast British Columbia. The award recognizes a company, individual or organization that has implemented an innovative process or product created within the workplace that promotes efficiencies or introduces new processes with the operation. Spectra Energy was honored for a project that involves recycling the water used for cooling machinery at the company's McMahon gas processing plant and using it to irrigate Lone Wolf Golf Club.