The Combined Rotary Clubs of Pensacola and the University of West Florida College of Business named the 2015 recipients of the Annual Ethics in Business Award on May 4 during a luncheon at New World Landing in downtown Pensacola. Michael Murdoch was given the award for the large business sector (50 or more employees), while Heidi Blair was given the award for the small business sector (49 or fewer employees).
“This is the 13th year that the Combined Rotary of Pensacola and the UWF College of Business have recognized community business leaders whose business ethics and practices exemplify “The Rotary Four Way Test” and ‘Service-Above-Self,’” said Dr. Ed Ranelli, dean emeritus at the University of West Florida. “Northwest Florida is fortunate to have so many community leaders, like Michael Murdoch and Heidi Blair, who enhance business and ethical standards and contribute to the economic development of our region.”
Murdoch is an innovator, an entrepreneur and a leader in the highly competitive high-tech marketplace. At present, he serves as CEO of AppRiver, a company he co-founded in 2002, which is now recognized as one of the leading software-as-a-service firms for businesses worldwide. With more than 25 years of business and product development experience, Murdoch has led AppRiver’s explosive growth in the e-mail and Web security market segments. The company currently serves 47,000 businesses with more than eight million mailboxes around the globe. AppRiver’s rapid rise to industry-leader status, along with its award-winning service led Ernst & Young to name Murdoch its Florida Entrepreneur of the Year® winner for 2009.
Heidi Blair joined USO Northwest Florida as their Director in December 2006. She moved from Spokane Washington where she was executive director of a child abuse and neglect prevention agency. Her entire career has been in non-profit management.
During her time at the USO she has grown the organization from one location at the Pensacola International Airport to three locations. The USO at NAS Pensacola was opened in 2008. In 2012 the NAS location expanded to both floors of Building 625D expanding the ability to provide more services to our nation’s heroes. The USO at Destin-Fort Walton Airport was opened in 2010. This location had a waiting list for volunteers before it was even opened. Military member visits at the physical USO’s have grown from 30,000 in 2006 to over 182,000 visits in 2014. Blair’s general service area spans from Tallahassee to east of Mobile. Under her tenure, USO services at the area bases have increased dramatically. Volunteer numbers have also increase dramatically in the eight years Blair has been with the organization. The USO volunteer force is currently at approximately 400 volunteers who staff the three centers and help provide services at the area bases.
A firm believer in giving back to the community, Heidi is an active member of Rotary International since 1989. She is a two time past president and currently serves as District 6940 Membership Chair and Conference Chair.
The award is given to recognize those who exemplify the concept of “service above self” and work to build a positive sense of self-worth within both the business community and the broader community as a whole. Criteria for the award is based on adherence to the high ethical standards of honesty, integrity and consistency in dealing with employees, contractors and customers, while positively enhancing the economic well-being of the firm’s stakeholders and providing jobs, opportunities and profits.
For additional information, visit http://uwf.edu/cob/ethics-in-business-award/