Alice Award Nominee: Robert Gootee
Posted by: MichelleMar 06 2009, 10:46 pm
This article is the twenty-first in a series profiling the varied and amazing nominees for the 2009 Alice B. Toeclips Awards, which will be presented to five winners at the Alice Awards & Auction on March 7th. We won't be able to profile everyone, so read the nominees' descriptions online. This profile was written by BTA correspondent Stephanie Chase.
A dedicated bike commuter, Alice nominee Robert Gootee has expanded his passion for cycling and sustainable transportation beyond his own commuting habits. As President and Chief Executive Officer of The ODS Companies, which provide a variety of liability insurance products, Gootee’s nominator praises his setting “the civic standard for demonstrating just how significantly private enterprise can help leverage the public investments to make the Portland area America’s most bicycle friendly metropolis.”
(You can listen to Gootee, along with Alice nominees Judge Chris Larsen, Mike Morrison, RN, Mark Ginsberg and Brad Ross, on the most recent KBOO bike show podcast.)
Gootee has made The ODS Companies’ offices in Portland and in LeGrande, Bend and Milwaukie, WI, examples of how large businesses can support their employees in encouraging sustainable commuting. With over 900 employees, ODS has built their own secure bike parking along with showers and lockers to facilitate employee commuting.
Gootee also sits on the advisory board of the Johnson Creek Watershed Council, which is devoted to protecting and maintaining the watershed area which houses a significant portion of the Springwater Corridor Trail.
Outside of employee commuting, Gootee and ODS are leading sponsors of Cycle Oregon, the week-long fundraising bike tour around the state. ODS’s donations help sponsor rest stops for riders and other functions necessary to support 2,000 as they make their way across Oregon. Looking ahead to Oregon’s future, Gootee continues to think state-wide in advocating for a network of off-road bike paths that would criss-cross from the Pacific to Pendleton. With Gootee’s influence and passion, Portland has a valuable advocate whose vision extends outside of the business world.
Hey! I didn't know he was nominated! I guess that's what happens when I miss one broadcast of the KBOO bike show. I can also testify that Gootee is the real deal. We chatted quite a few times in the bike locker room when I worked in the ODS building. I was always thankful for the excellent bike facilities in that building–no small part of that due to Gootee's influence.
The public face is not always the real face.
You don't mention that in spite of a decreased profit margin in 2008, Robert Gootee's salary increased 16% in to $668,188, according to the Lund Report.
In December 2009 I received notice that the monthly premium for my ODS Advantage plan would go from $90.20 to $223.00. Living on a small Social Security income I, obviously, had to change plans. Seems as if Robert Gootee was getting rid of all his senior citizen members. Yeah, nice guy!