Meet our Members – Philips Healthcare
Posted by Courtney Goldberg
The benefits of MVTMA membership go far beyond the possibility of winning gift cards for commuters who log their trips in our Green to Work program or the benefit of peace of mind for those employees participating in our Guaranteed Ride Home program. Membership gives our member companies access to other member organizations and they all benefit from the advocacy we provide on the municipal, state and federal levels. The work we do for our members helps them meet their sustainability goals while also making our roads safer and less congested.
But don’t just take it from me! In an effort to depict how and why MVTMA membership can benefit your organization, I sat down to speak with Kathy Rogers who works in Internal Communications for MVTMA member Philips Healthcare in Andover, MA.
C.G.: How long have you been working with the MVTMA?
K.R.: Philips has been a member of the MVTMA for as long as I’ve been working here (and that’s a long time)! It’s just part of the fabric here. Philips used to be part of Hewlett Packard and they were a founding member (along with Putnam Investments, Verizon (formerly NYNEX), Brickstone Properties (formerly Niuna – 100 River, Inc.,), Polycom (formerly Picture Tel), MGI One Tech Andover Corp., and MKS Instruments) of the River Road TMA in 1997. So naturally, TMA membership is an integral part of daily business here at Philips.
C.G.: Are you a shared commuter?
K.R.: I telecommute 2-3 times per week. Given the nature of my job, I need to travel around to various campuses and meet with many different people so carpooling isn’t really an option for me. That’s why I try to work from home whenever I can.
C.G.: What do you find most beneficial about Philips’ involvement with the MVTMA?
K.R.: Well, it’s really two-fold. Our membership gives us connections to other organizations in the [River Road] area. In addition to the advocacy [that the MVTMA provides], we really benefit from the networking and connections that we make at the roundtable meetings. And secondly, our MVTMA membership helps us promote and demonstrate our commitment to sustainable and healthy communities.
C.G.: Does Philips have specific sustainability goals and/or targets?
K.R.: Yes, these goals are dictated out of our global office in the Netherlands. Each site has its own individual goals, too. Here in Andover, we have specific goals related to increasing recycling, decreasing waste, reducing water usage and electric consumption, and conducting business in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way.
C.G.: How does your membership with the MVTMA help with those goals?
K.R.: We have to complete a report with the Mass DEP (Department of Environment Protection) and the MVTMA helps us with that. We also use the facts and figures from Bike to Work week (MassCommute Bicycle Challenge) for our sustainability reporting.
C.G.: What do you usually stress when you promote the MVTMA to your colleagues?
K.R.: It depends on whom I talking to, but if I’m talking to another colleague, I usually focus on the Green to Work program. I tell folks that it puts money back in their pocket and it literally defines the answer to “what’s in it for me?”. When I’m speaking to senior-level executives, I usually focus on how MVTMA membership is good for our company because it helps us meet our sustainability goals. Just the other day, one of my colleagues walked by and he was holding a bicycle helmet. I asked him if he bikes in regularly and he said that he usually bikes to work 2-3 times per week! I asked him if he knew about [the MVTMA’s] Green to Work and he said no. So I gave him the information to sign up!
Thank you, Kathy for your time and enthusiasm! We definitely value you and Philips as a Merrimack Valley TMA member!