During our all-employee call this week, I spoke about the tragic and senseless deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, and the resulting anger, frustration, and outrage occurring in our country. It’s disheartening and deplorable that in 2020, our country continues to be afflicted by racism, intolerance and violence. There is no place for racism in our Company nor in our country.

I want to reaffirm to you, in writing, Chesapeake Utilities’ commitment to a workplace that embraces a culture of diversity, inclusion and acceptance. We must be open and receptive to people of different backgrounds and views. We must reject bigotry and intolerance in every form. As I said on our call, those can’t just be words. We have to link our stated values to our actions. It’s the combination of diverse people and ideas that makes us strong.

We don’t have all the answers and we have a long way to go. But, thoughtful dialogue and purposeful, immediate action moves us in the right direction. The Diversity and Inclusion Task Force that we formed this week to consolidate our efforts and accelerate our actions throughout the Company is a good step. The Task Force will report directly to me and I will make it a priority that we move quickly.

Our Company has an obligation to be a leader in the communities where we live and work. Our customers, the very people our businesses serve, represent a multitude of races, religions and ethnic groups. Chesapeake Utilities’ employees have a long history of assuming leadership roles and supporting, through contributions and volunteerism, organizations that serve these diverse populations. But that’s not enough. We are a respected organization in our communities and we need to speak out and promote real change to the benefit of everyone. We have to increase our efforts to support the improvement of relationships between people in our service areas. We must take those steps that demonstrate our commitment to a leadership role in overcoming intolerance, prejudice and hate.

As employees, we are all accountable for treating each other with respect and dignity. As a Company, we should set the bar for responsible action and lead by example. We have an opportunity to continue to make Chesapeake Utilities a better place to work, and we have the responsibility to make our communities a better place to live.

I look forward to walking this road with you, finding a way, each day, to make a difference.

Sincerely,

Jeff Householder
President and Chief Executive Officer
Chesapeake Utilities Corporation