General Dynamics ATP, MEDRAD & CMA to Receive
2006 American Business Ethics Awards

NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA, SEPTEMBER 22 – The Society of Financial Service Professionals (FSP) today announced the recipients of the 2006 American Business Ethics Awards (ABEA). They are: General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, Charlotte , NC ; MEDRAD, Inc., Indianola , PA ; and RTI/Community Management Associates, Inc. (CMA), Plano , TX . FSP will honor the recipients at a luncheon on September 25 at the Union League in Philadelphia.

In making the announcement, Society President Ward Anderson said, “The recipients, and all the nominees for the American Business Ethics Awards, remind us that integrity remains a vital element of American business culture, despite recent well-publicized scandals. We at FSP are heartened by the many examples of ethical corporate conduct we have the privilege of seeing through the ABEA program.”

The 2006 American Business Ethics Awards recipients are:

General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products (GDATP) has created a corporate culture that nurtures its evolving workplace while promoting high ethical standards and expectations for its employees at all levels. They insist on strong leadership, open communication and consistent messages, and see the exceptional results of their high standards every day. The company has a built a number of outstanding projects around its nine “Basic Beliefs,” one of which is “We insist upon ethical behavior.” These projects, which include an ethics film festival featuring videos on the topic created by employees, ensure that its workforce truly understands the many facets of ethics in the workplace. Through the success of these projects, the company has become a leader within General Dynamics Corporation, inspiring other business units to develop their own shared values and expand their ethics programs. General Dynamics ATP has developed a reputation for conducting business with the highest standards of integrity, and clearly communicates the fact that they insist on ethical behavior in everything they do to employees, suppliers, contractors and shareholders. Janice Stevens, Chapter Executive for the Charlotte Chapter of the Society of FSP, nominated the company for ABEA consideration.

MEDRAD, Inc. MEDRAD’s Code of Business Conduct is exceptional not simply because of what it says, but more importantly because it has successfully guided the company and its employees through the legal and regulatory complexities of a highly regulated and closely scrutinized industry. The company’s Compliance Department is committed to insuring legal, ethical and regulatory compliance throughout the organization. MEDRAD has a comprehensive compliance code in place, which provides training and education for all employees, maintains effective lines of communication within the organization for reporting ethical and other issues, conducts internal audits of the compliance program and monitors its overall effectiveness, enforces standards and responds promptly to detected problems. MEDRAD’s reputation for business ethics has brought it recognition from its peers and customers. MEDRAD was the recipient of the prestigious Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award in 2003 and ranked 13th among the top 100 Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania by the Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania Institute. They ranked in the top five in two out of three categories by readers of Medical Imaging Magazine in December, 2005 and have been named one of the “200 Best Small Companies in America ” by Forbes Magazine. James A. Loeffler, CPA, CFE, nominated the company for the award through the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Society of FSP.

CMA, Inc. From its incorporation in 1983, CMA’s enterprise vision has always been to set the bar for the fast-growing association management industry to which it belongs. Through its involvement in local and national industry professional organizations, CMA has been instrumental in developing the ethics standards for its industry and in advocating for continual ethics awareness. The firm’s employee-generated mission statement, its values and its incorporation of the FISH Philosophy – which emphasizes “choosing a positive attitude,” “being there” for clients and colleagues, “making someone’s day,” and “play” – provide a foundation for its operations. CMA’s values focus on respect for the individual, honesty, and the belief that knowledge, education and experience are invaluable. Ongoing employee communication and training, with an emphasis on fun, reinforce the firm’s expectations. In addition, the orientation programs it runs for community association Board members, a first in CMA’s marketplace, are a notable outgrowth of its values. CMA’s ABEA entry included numerous testimonials from employees, clients, and other stakeholders who related case after case in which CMA management and employees chose to take the high road in its dealings, even in situations where it stood to lose business as a result. Society member Michael W. Busch, CPA, CFP ® nominated the company for the award through the Dallas Chapter of the Society of FSP.

Customers, employees, shareholders, or other members of the local community may nominate companies for the American Business Ethics Award. Each nominated company fully documents its answers to the ABEA Ethics Questionnaire and provides comprehensive supporting material to aid the judges in making their selection. ABEA judging guidelines are stringent and carefully applied by an expert panel drawn from the business, academia, public service, media, consulting and ethics communities.

Established in 1994, the American Business Ethics Award recognizes companies that exemplify high standards of ethical behavior in their everyday business conduct and in response to specific crises or challenges. Nominees are rated in four broad areas: executive commitment to ethics, ongoing ethics programming, demonstrated ethical business practices, and commitment to stakeholders, including employees, customers, and the community. Past recipients include Whirlpool Corporation, Starbucks Coffee, Weyerhauser and Lockheed Martin.

Founded in 1928, the Society of Financial Service Professionals is the standard bearer for excellence in professionalism, advanced continuing education, and ethical guidance for the nation's top financial advisers. The Society has approximately 17,000 members, each of whom holds one or more of the following recognized financial service credentials: CASL®, CEBS®, CFA®, CFP®, ChFC®, CLF®, CLU®, CPA, CPC, CTFA, EA, JD, MSFS, MSM, REBC®, RHU®, Graduate Degrees in Financial Services. Active in 170 Chapters nationwide, Society members assist the public in their efforts to achieve personal and business-related financial goals. Consumers can obtain free financial information or find a Society member in their community by calling the Society's toll-free National Consumer Referral Service at 1-888-243-2258 or visiting www.financialpro.org.