Report on Gender Equity on Boards and Commissions

The Women’s Forum of North Carolina, Inc. (1996)

IV. Corporations

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION:

1. Sales volume or assets;
2. Current gender balance and the possibility of improving gender balance on current boards of directors;
3. Number and percentage of female employees;
4. Predominantly female consumers/clients; and
5. 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%