(MADISON, Wis., October 27, 2015) – In Business magazine recognized the nonprofit Leonardo Academy with a “Best Companies to Work For” award on October 21st. Leonardo Academy, The Sustainability Experts®,works to advance sustainability on a local, national, and global scale. The “Best Companies to Work For” competition recognizes organizations for employee benefits that create attractive workplace cultures. Leonardo Academy was the winner and top scorer in the small company category.

Leonardo Academy President Michael Arny says, “The commitment to offer employee benefits that support a sustainable and socially responsible lifestyle directly relates to our mission to help organizations, corporations, and individuals develop sustainability solutions that enhance their environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and economic prosperity.”

For example, one focus of Leonardo Academy’s work is to reduce emissions and other impacts on climate change, so offering employees the opportunity to work from home, rather than drive to the office, directly reduces the amount of vehicle emissions caused by commuting. In addition, Leonardo Academy offers socially responsible investing options through the company’s 403b retirement plan.

Tracy Spoeth-Jaworski, Accounting and Human Resource Manager for Leonardo Academy, says, “Some of our benefits cost a little more, but it’s important to support our employees and our mission. We operate on the triple bottom line, which considers personal wellbeing, environmental responsibility, and financial stability. We extend that philosophy to our own people by taking care of our employees.”

The October issue of the Wisconsin-based In Business magazine features a full page article about Leonardo Academy’s sustainability philosophy. Winners of the “Best Companies to Work For” awards were chosen from an eight-county region surrounding the state’s capital city, Madison, Wisconsin, where Leonardo Academy is headquartered. The small company award, for organizations with up to 49 employees, was presented to Leonardo Academy during a ceremony at the In Business Expo and Conference at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison on October 21.

Leonardo Academy collaborates with companies to implement and improve sustainability actions including Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) green building projects, reducing company and building emissions, securing grants to reduce transportation emissions, and generating sustainability reports for companies and events. Leonardo Academy also develops standards, such as the National Sustainable Agriculture Standard, and provides free sustainability training. For more information about Leonardo Academy and its programs, go to www.leonardoacademy.org or call 608-280-0255.

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