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NOVA Chemicals vice president for Public
Affairs Jeffrey Pina stands in front of a glass wall at the corporation’s
new Moon Township headquarters.
The wall contains NOVA-produced Zylar pellets that are used to
make medical devices.
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The Right Fit
As
more and more non-profit organizations compete for the support of
corporations, the decision-makers at these corporations have become more
sophisticated about finding the right fit with the organizations they
choose to support. An example is
NOVA Chemicals Corporation, whose team of community relations managers
talked with 25 organizations before choosing to sponsor six, including
Carnegie Science Center.
“We wanted to discuss their
objectives and what kind of support they were seeking,” says Jeffrey Pina,
vice president for Public Affairs at NOVA Chemicals. “ It’s not about simply giving money. Our
sponsorship approach is to serve—with our time and talent—as part of the
team and assist those organizations whose aims complement our own business
culture.”
By supporting the Science
Center, Jeffrey says that NOVA Chemicals has found not only the right fit
but also the foundation for a strong and lasting partnership. “We were impressed not just with the
academic component of the Science Center’s exhibits and programs, but how
they help museum visitors apply that knowledge to everyday life. We expect that the Science Center will work
creatively to educate all age groups about the things that good chemistry
makes possible.”
As a result, NOVA Chemicals has
committed $150,000 to the Science Center over the next three years to
support the development of a new exhibit called Cosmic Chemistry, scheduled to open this summer. NOVA scientists and technicians will work
with the American Chemistry Council and the American Plastics Council to
recruit nationally renowned scientists to advise on the development of Cosmic Chemistry. The exhibit will demonstrate the many
ways in which chemistry enhances our lives.
Meanwhile, NOVA is sponsoring a cart at the Science Center where
children can watch science experiments.
“We believe that exposing children and young adults to fun and
practical applications of science will lead to more of an interest in the
chemistry-related jobs and careers that are right here in Pittsburgh,”
explains Jeffrey.
By supporting the Science
Center, NOVA Chemicals is fulfilling its own philanthropic mission of
giving back to the communities in which it operates. NOVA is an international commodity
chemical corporation with offices, plants, and research locations in the
United States, Canada, and Europe.
The corporation produces billions of pounds of plastic pellets from
petrochemicals that are used to make household and industrial products such
as food packaging, sports and safety equipment, toys, and medical
devices. In 2000, the corporation
reported revenues of $3.9 billion.
In 1998, NOVA relocated its
corporate offices from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, to Moon Township to be
closer to customers, investors, and employees. The quality of life, the low
cost of living and the support businesses receive from local government
were other factors in NOVA’s choice of the Pittsburgh area. The corporation also has research and
manufacturing facilities in Monaca, Pennsylvania. Altogether, about 800 people are employed
at NOVA’s two Pittsburgh area locations.
Jeffrey says that NOVA’s support of the Science
Center is “off to a great start.”
“We believe in being a corporate neighbor of choice and we
understand the importance of positively impacting the communities where we
live and work. For NOVA Chemicals,
it’s not about who we are trying to be—it’s about the legacy we’re leaving
behind.”
Cornice Society
members go behind the scenes
Cornice
Society members who attended The Cornice Society Celebration last October
heard a presentation by Natural History Museum director Bill DeWalt titled Dinosaurs in Their World: The Future of
Carnegie's Dinosaurs and were treated to a special behind-the-scenes
tour of the museum’s fossil preparation area with Luo Xhexi, associate
curator of Vertebrate Paleontology.
Membership in The Cornice Society is open to those who have made
bequests or other planned gifts to Carnegie Museums. For more, call or e‑mail Sally
Davoren, director of Gift Planning, 412.578.2478,
davorens@carnegiemuseums.org).
Rise
to the Challenge
Members and donors are urged to rise to challenges
posed by PNC Financial Corporation and an anonymous donor to support
Carnegie Museums.
Through
2002, PNC Financial Corporation will match your gift at the level of $300
to $1,894, regardless of whether this is your first gift to the museums or
you are a current member or donor who increases your giving to this level.
In addition, over the next
two years, an anonymous donor will match your contributions if you join
Carnegie Patrons Circle at the level of $1,895 or above. Carnegie Patrons Circle members support
the museums’ annual sustaining fund, which provides critical operating
funds needed to sustain the four museums.
Member David Hartley Sherwood, who is among those supporters who
have already responded to the anonymous challenge grant, said, “I was
thinking about increasing my support.
The challenge grant just gave me the extra push I needed.”
Travel with Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh
Carnegie Museums invites
members to travel with our own museum specialists, directors, and special
guests on exceptional excursions that provide opportunities for discovery
rarely found in conventional trips.
For
more information about traveling with Carnegie Museums, please call
412.578.2618 or 412.622.5774 or e-mail travel@carnegiemuseums.org.
Nordic Impressions: Scandinavia and Northern Europe
May 28-June 10, 2002
Discover the majesty and
historical treasures of Scandinavia and Northern Europe with Seddon
Bennington, director of Carnegie Science Center, as your host.
Your 14-day adventure begins in Amsterdam, where
guides will lead you through Holland’s Floriade,
the world-renowned flower festival held only once every 10 years. There, you’ll find breathtaking exhibits,
from the valley of one million bulbs to displays by international
horticulturists.
You depart from Holland on the intimate Clipper Adventurer for a cruise
along the Kiel Canal through the German countryside and on to the Danish
island of Bornholm, Gdansk, Stockholm, and Copenhagen. Your days will be spent ashore exploring
these quaint towns and historic cities, and your nights aboard the handsome
Clipper Adventurer, with its
covered promenade, lounges, library, and private cabins. The sophisticated readers of Conde Nast
Traveler have honored clipper Cruise Line as one of the world’s ten best
small-ship cruise lines for the past six years.
Finally, you’ll cruise along the awesome Nordic
coast, where the panoramic views from the ship’s deck will astound
you. As you sail along the fjord,
you’ll stop at tiny villages.
An experienced onboard expedition team of historians
and naturalists will enhance your journey.
“This part of the world is perfect for venturing
along little-traveled routes, surrounded by a constant vista of islands,
with a wealth of ports-of-call, each with its own rich history and
picturesque charm,” says host Seddon Bennington.
Cleveland Museum of Art
April 27, 2002
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