Report on Gender Equity on Boards and Commissions
The Women’s Forum of North Carolina, Inc. (1996)
IV. Corporations
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION:
- Sales volume or assets;
- Current gender balance and the possibility of improving gender balance on current boards of directors;
- Number and percentage of female employees;
- Predominantly female consumers/clients; and
- Political influence.
SOURCES: Corporate Carolina, Business North Carolina, 1998; North Carolina’s Largest Manufacturing and Non-Manufacturing Employers, Employment Security Commission, 1997 (See number of employees ranked in charts below.); Dunn and Bradstreet Business Rankings, 1997.
SELECTED BOARDS:
PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANIES
1. Lowe’s Companies
The nation’s second largest retailer of building materials has its corporate headquarters in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Carol Farmer and Claudine Mallone are directors.
Sales | Employees (’96) |
Rank | Directors | Female Directors | % Female Directors | |||
$8.2 billion | 53,492 | 13 | 12 | 2 | 17% |
2. Food Lion
This Salisbury-based supermarket chain has predominantly female customers and many female employees. Margaret Kluttz is a director.
Sales | Employees (’96) |
Rank | Directors | Female Directors | % Female Directors | |||
$3.4 billion | 31,128 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 10% |
3. Carolina Power and Light Company
This utility, communication and transportation company based in Raleigh provides electric power to more than one million customers in the Carolinas. Estell Lee is a director.
Sales | Employees (’96) |
Rank | Directors | Female Directors | % Female Directors | |||
$3.0 billion | 6,701 | 21 | 12 | 1 | 8% |
4. First Union Corporation
With its corporate headquarters in Charlotte, it is one of the largest banks in North Carolina and the United States; 75 percent of its employees are female. Ruth Shaw and Patricia McTate are directors.
Assets | Employees (’96) |
Rank | Directors | Female Directors | % Female Directors | |||
$157 billion | 9,135 | 14 | 28 | 2 | 8% |
5. Harris Teeter, Inc.
This retail food chain is a subsidiary of Ruddick Corporation, and Frances Almond is a director.
Sales | Employees (’96) |
Rank | Directors (’96) |
Female Directors | % Female Directors | |||
$1.8 billion | 15,000 | 7 | 12 | 1 | 8% |
6. Wachovia
One of the largest banks in North Carolina and the United States, it has its corporate headquarters in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Assets | Employees (’96) |
Rank | Directors | Female Directors | % Female Directors | |||
$65.4 billion | 15,996 | 37 | 16 | 1 | 6% |
7. Duke Energy
This utility, communication and transportation company is based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The board includes seven officers, and Ann Maynard Gray is a director.
Sales | Employees (’96) |
Rank | Directors | Female Directors | % Female Directors | |||
$4.6 billion | 22,726 (NC & SC) |
10 | 16 | 1 | 6% |
8. R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
This tobacco company is based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Sales | Employees (’96) |
Rank | Directors | Female Directors | % Female Directors | |||
$5 billion | 7,500 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0% |
9. Burlington Industries
This textile company, based in Greensboro, North Carolina, sells to women customers and has many female employees.
Sales | Employees (’96) |
Rank | Directors | Female Directors | % Female Directors | |||
$2.2 billion | 21,000 | 11 | 10 | 0 | 0% |
10. Family Dollar Stores
Its corporate headquarters are in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the stores serve mostly female customers.
Sales | Employees (’96) |
Rank | Directors | Female Directors | % Female Directors | |||
$1.7 billion | 18,500 | 293 | 7 | 0 | 0% |
11. Jefferson-Pilot
This life, accident and health insurance company also operates three television and 17 radio station
Assets | Employees (’96) |
Rank | Directors | Female Directors | % Female Directors | |||
$23 billion | 4,200 | 159 | 11 | 0 | 0% |
NONPROFIT COMPANIES
1. Blue Cross/Blue Shield
This nonprofit health insurance company may change from nonprofit status and create a new board; it has a heavily female work force. Shirley Frye, Sis Kaplan, Sissi Stevens, and Helena Tidwell are direct
Assets (’97) |
Employees (’96) |
Rank | Directors | Female Directors | % Female Directors | |||
$1 billion | 1,895 | 93 | 12 | 4 | 33% |
2. North Carolina Baptist Hospitals
This nonprofit teaching hospital affiliated with a medical school is the largest employer in Winston-Salem. Katie Bowles, Katherine Hamrick, Judith Ginn and Nancy Rotan are directors.
Assets | Employees (’96) |
Rank | Directors | Female Directors | % Female Directors | |||
NA | 5,435 | 31 | 24 | 4 | 17% |
3. North Carolina Citizens for Business and Industry (NCCBI)
North Carolina’s largest statewide business association, NCCBI is a major lobbying organization for business interests. NCCBI publishes North Carolina magazine.
Assets | Employees (’96) |
Rank | Directors | Female Directors | % Female Directors | |
NA | 12 | NA | 99 | 11 | 11% |