(Justmeans.com / CSR News) - As a sports fan, I have great reverence for the select teams that have achieved a “three-peat,” or a back-to-back-to-back championship run. It’s a threshold that separates the greatest from the great.  The concept can be applied to any competition, which is why I was particularly excited about winning our third straight “Take On Traffic” award at the Austin Chamber of Commerce Business Award ceremony on September 1st.

The “Take on Traffic” award was added in 2008 to acknowledge Austin-area employers that are effectively reducing employee commutes, namely through the use of alternative transportation (e.g., rideshare, cycle, bus, and telework). We were honored and excited when AMD’s Go Green program earned the “Take on Traffic” award in the large employer category the first year, and even more energized when we won the second year in a row. The possibility of a three-peat seemed unlikely because so many other area businesses have stepped up their programs. In a competition to clean up our air, we welcomed competition.  

Like any suspenseful championship game or the finals of a TV reality series, the last seconds seem to drag out for eternity, almost long enough to finish my last bite of dessert, when the emcees announced... “And the winner is…. Advanced Micro Devices!!”  

Our table erupted with elation, and then we looked at each other trying to figure out who would accept the award. So we all went, as a team, honored to follow other business leaders in our community. We received the trophy on behalf of our star players - the hundreds of AMDers who wake up every day and make the decision to use alternative transportation. In addition to improving their own quality of life, they are social and environmental MVPs helping to reduce traffic congestion, conserve resources, and promote energy independence.

Celebration, like that dessert, is sweet but short-lived. Now that the excitement has lessened, we are back to improving the Go Green – Commute program and other sustainability programs even more. Four-peat anyone?

A list of all Austin Chamber of Commerce award winners can be found at  http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2010/08/30/daily44.html?page=1

Justin Murrill is the Global Sustainability Manager at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such links sites and no endorsement is implied.