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Sempra Energy contributes nearly $11 million in 2005

Sempra Energy donated nearly $11 million last year to groups that provide measurable benefit to the communities where the company does business. These contributions supported the company's efforts to serve as a good neighbor and corporate citizen in communities where its employees live and work.


"We're doing a lot of good things in the community ranging from our base in Southern California to states such as Arizona, Nevada, Texas and Louisiana," says Tom Sayles, Sempra Energy's vice president of Governmental & Community Affairs. "I know that the contributions we make each year help local communities to thrive, and it's very rewarding to be involved with some of the many organizations that invest time, energy and resources to make life better for others."


Employee-giving programs
Sempra Energy employees were more than generous with their own time and money in 2005, donating more than $1.5 million to many groups in local communities.


One third of employees' contributions were donated through the company's regular Matching Gifts Program; another third through the special, one-time, matching-gifts programs put in place to help tsunami- and hurricane-relief efforts. The final third was donated through ongoing payroll-deduction giving through the company's own charity, Energy for Others.


Also, nearly $78,000 was awarded by the company via its Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP). This program provides funds to charities in honor of the personal volunteer time employees give.

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Felsinger takes helm at Sempra Energy;
continues strong commitment to communities

San Diego resident and energy executive Donald E. Felsinger formally took over as chairman and chief executive officer of Sempra Energy on Feb. 1, succeeding his long-time colleague Steve Baum.


Don Felsinger joined San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) in 1972, long before Sempra Energy existed. Over the next two decades, he worked through a range of management jobs at the utility until he was named president and chief executive officer of SDG&E in 1996.


When Sempra Energy was formed in 1998 out of the merger of the parent companies of SDG&E and Southern California Gas Co., Felsinger was tapped to serve as head of Sempra Global, the umbrella group for Sempra Energy's businesses that operate in competitive energy markets. In this role, he helped build successful businesses in power generation, energy-infrastructure development, energy trading and marketing, and liquefied natural gas development.


Getting involved
Sempra Global's activities in other countries—chiefly in Mexico and South America—led Felsinger to become involved in a range of international and cross-border community relations efforts. He chaired the advisory council that directs the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce's research programs and served as co-chairperson of San Diego Dialogue's Forum Fronterizo Council, a public-policy initiative devoted to finding and addressing strategic challenges facing the cross-border region of San Diego and Baja California.


Felsinger has also served on the boards of the Institute of the Americas and the Green Foundation, and is a member of the boards of The Conference Board and the California Business Roundtable.


On a personal level, Felsinger supports a range of charitable, cultural and nonprofit groups. Most recently he served as honorary chairman of the "CEOs Against MS (multiple sclerosis) Breakfast" in San Diego on Feb. 2. The event was designed to raise awareness and team support for MS activities in Southern California.

Felsinger moved to San Diego years ago after graduating from the University of Arizona. He travels throughout the world, where he enjoys learning about and experiencing other people's history, customs and culture. As a lifelong student of Spanish art and culture, he often visits Mexico, and South and Central America. Felsinger also enjoys upland bird hunting and fly fishing.


Keeping up the good work
For the future, Felsinger sees Sempra Energy maintaining and building on the strong commitments it has made to the communities in which it operates. Last year, the company contributed nearly $11 million to community groups. Employees donated another $1.5 million on their own, while also volunteering for a range of causes. Felsinger looks for more of the same going forward.


"One of our core values at Sempra Energy is to become an integral part of the communities where we do business," Felsinger says. "It's more than just words. We want to make a difference, and we plan to remain steadfast in our long-standing commitment to the communities where we live and work."