“Oftentimes, people don’t realize how much Eastman does,” says a member of South Carolina’s Community Advisory Panel, David Summers. “The company is a great corporate citizen and neighbor.”

 A Community Advisory Panel (CAP) is a partnership between communities and companies that was developed as part of the Responsible Care initiative. It was created to enhance communications between the company and communities in which plants are located. Eastman has six Community Advisory Panels and they are located in Columbia, Jefferson, Kingsport, Longview, Middelburg and Workington.

The objective of a CAP is to provide citizens living in plant communities with the opportunity for open dialogue with company representatives. This helps the citizens understand industry issues and helps Eastman to understand concerns of citizens. CAP meetings also provide a forum for plant representatives to discuss community response to ideas and plans presented by Eastman. Ultimately the purpose of a CAP is to look after the community’s interests and build trust.

CAP members are made up of citizens from all walks of life that provide a diverse representation of the community. Some examples of members would be plant neighbors, civic leaders, medical professionals, teachers, government officials, service organizations and environmentalists. Their role as a CAP member for Eastman is to serve as an advisory body to the company. They help the company assess its communications within the community and offer suggestions for improved communication.

“Community Advisory Panel members broadly represent many stakeholders in our site communities – educators, environmentalists, public officials, ministers and near neighbors,” says CeeGee McCord, Community and Local Relations manager. “The feedback we receive and the information shared allows us to be responsive and continue to work together on many different things.” Members of Eastman’s CAPs serve for one, two or three years. This provides a fresh outlook and helps to keep spreading the word about the company to others living in the community. A typical CAP meeting is held monthly and lasts for about two hours. The agenda varies from month-to-month and often includes tours of plant facilities, discussion of current Eastman initiatives and their impact on the community and other company strategies such as education and hiring.