At the 10th annual Smart Marriages Conference held in Atlanta in June, Truett and Jeanette Cathy were given the 2006 Smart Marriages Impact Award. This is the first Impact Award ever given to a corporation and Diane Sollee, the director of Smart Marriages, hopes that it will encourage other businesses to follow Chick-fil-A’s lead in supplying marriage strengthening policies and benefits for their employees.
Besides supporting the WinShape Retreat Center, which frequently hosts marriage events, Chick-fil-A also provides professional development dollars that can be utilized for marital enhancement, a designated marriage expert to assist in connecting employees with the best resources, scholarship money for crisis martial intervention, and sessions at the annual Chick-fil-A seminar that focus on healthy marriages and families. This is in addition to the “Closed on Sunday” policy which speaks very loudly of the company’s focus on family. Chick-fil-A employees also have the outstanding example of Truett and Jeanette who have been married for 58 years.
While Chick-fil-A is enjoying the fact that the media is highlighting healthy marriage practices, they hope that something deeper is stirring in the hearts of corporate America. If the Marriage CoMission can help broadcast the message that success in business begins with success in the home, many other businesses may follow Chick-fil-A’s lead and we will gain ground in realizing a marriage renaissance in our country.
