FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 12, 2000 CONTACT: Lisa Lacher, (515) 271-3119 DRAKE RECEIVES NATIONAL WELL WORKPLACE AWARD Drake University has been designated as one of "America's Healthiest Companies" by the Wellness Councils of America. The University received the Bronze Well Workplace Award today at the Annual Conference on Worksite Wellness at the Iowa Methodist Education and Research Conference Center in Des Moines. "We are one of just 16 colleges or universities to receive this national award," said Melissa Junge, Drake's director of wellness and assistant director of recreational services. "It took the support and dedication of Drake's administration as well as faculty and staff to create a program that could receive a national award after just one year." Well Workplace is a strategic process to create an organizational culture that encourages and supports employee health. Established in 1991 by the Wellness Councils of America, Well Workplace standards are progressive, from providing a foundation for organizational change and lifestyle improvement at the bronze level, to achieving program integration and cultural change at the gold level. "Drake University has put a lot of effort into building a quality health promotion program and integrating it into the way the organization does business," said a reviewer from Wellness Councils of America. "The employees of Drake University should feel fortunate to work in such an environment that recognizes the importance of their health and well-being."