#IamAlbemarle: Living the Core Value of Care

At Albemarle, we firmly believe that how we interact with our colleagues, customers, neighbors and shareholders is important. To guide us in these interactions, we lean on our core values for direction. Across the globe, employees live our core values in their own way to create positive change in the communities where they live and work.

In this series, #IamAlbemarle Living our Values, we meet employees from around the world and learn about how they live our values through their day-to-day interactions. Today, we focus on the core value, Care, which reminds us to value the safety and well-being of each other, help make our communities better, and be good stewards of the environment. Meet seven employees who are living the value of Care every day.

What Does Care Mean to You? 

Living the Value of Care

Don Morrison is passionate about paying it forward. Don and his wife have been involved in many service projects, most recently helping to rebuild a home that suffered from significant tornado damage. “Just before the COVID-19 quarantine, several tornadoes touched down near Cookeville Tennessee killing 19 and destroying about 30 homes. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, responders were not allowed in the areas until much later. A team of 50 of us went to assist with the rebuilding and repair efforts. We worked 10 hours a day for a week straight to help repair the home to support the family that was impacted.”  

Julia Tschappat is a volunteer with the Armand Bayou Nature Center (ABNC), one of the largest urban nature preserves in the country, whose mission is to reconnect people with nature through preservation and education. “I was a frequent visitor of the Nature Center for several years. In 2017, I joined the Albemarle Foundation Council. Through my involvement with the council, I learned that Albemarle had been a long-time supporter of ABNC. That year, I signed up as a volunteer, now I am an Executive Board member with ABNC.”

Amy Dunbar is an active volunteer with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). “I am passionate about LLS because of the impact this devastating disease had on my own father. Early on in my father’s disease, LLS provided support to my family. Now, it is my passion and desire to improve the lives of blood cancer patients. I have formed a team of friends, family and colleagues that support me in this mission. Our team name is Out For Blood! Visit our campaign team website to learn more.”

Melle Koch contributes his time and skills to the Red Cross in an effort to help minimize the impact of COVID-19 on the local community. He has helped coordinate shelter and care facilities for the homeless and driven transporters to get people to and from the hospital. “It is an amazing feeling to be able to give my time, skills, and care. The “thank you exclamations” that you receive from patients are heartwarming. For me, caring and giving does not stop at the doors of Albemarle, it is in the core of our hearts.”

Vicky Renkema says, “Care is one of the values that resonates with me the most. I care about the safety of my family members, friends, and that of my colleagues. I consider it of great importance to follow safety protocols to keep myself and my fellow-workers safe and healthy. Furthermore, I care greatly about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Being an active member of our employee resource group, Women Connect Amsterdam & Louvain-La-Neuve, I love to connect with the women across the company to share our experiences and inspire each other.”

Chad Perrott recently worked with Operation BBQ Relief, a disaster relief organization that calls on volunteers to respond to disaster situations by serving hot meals to those in need. Last month, Chad joined volunteers in Texas to serve more than 9,000 meals to help those impacted by the winter storms in Houston, Texas.

Dennise Marin demonstrates our Care core value through her commitment to safety. Through her role, she helps to ensure that programs are carried out under strict safety standards and free from any critical risks. As a member of the Committee on Hygiene and Safety she helps to reinforce safe work practices. “Being a member of this committee has allowed me to join a team committed to providing a safe environment for my colleagues to perform their work.”

Sincere thanks to these employees for showing us what it means to live our values!